This album, and title track, are often recognised as the dawn of Rock and Roll music, although that is largely debatable, depending on your view. Still, let’s see how this album (intended as a compilation of earlier songs) sounds, given its importance and historical context, as we travel back in time to the 1950s.

First is (We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock which sounds very much like retro music from the 1950s, complete with clean electric guitar and double bass. Still, this energetic piece of music is really top, and it is easy to see why this song is so loved, even today. There are some great guitar and saxophone solos here, and this piece sounds really great. Excellent song.

Next up is Shake, Rattle And Roll is another memorable, historic and enjoyable piece of music. It sounds really great and is very catchy and anthemic. This is a top listening experience and has a great sense of musicianship and groove about it too. Nice to hear.

ABC Boogie is next, and this piece is rather childlike in intention, as you may have guessed. This has some Reggae like guitar and a saxophone to boot. The lyrical story here is really fantastic and is awesome to hear, even today. The guitar work here is really underrated, and this is good to hear. Nice song.

Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town) is a rather interesting story about dreaming of multiple lovers. The guitar breaks and saxophone here is really quite good. This music is incredible and totally underrated by modern music listeners. The melody and groove here is fantastic and is a great tale and song indeed.

Following is Razzle Dazzle is another great song that is about the art form of dancing to this song. The drumming here is superb, along with the other instrumentation here too. There is a fantastic guitar solo here, along with handclaps as well. A fun and boogie sort of groove from start to finish. Very catchy and memorable.

After that is Two Hound Dogs which is a great piece devoted to Rhythm and Blues music (not the RnB on the radio today, it’s a totally different genre of music). This has some great chanting throughout, and some exciting saxophone playing throughout. Awesome and energetic, this is a great listening experience. At the end are some imitated dog sounds, nice.

Dim, Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere) comes next, with some prominent saxophone and fantastic clean guitar playing here. This song is about making romantic love, and is pretty out there for the 1950s, although these days it seems much more normal a statement. An excellent piece of song-craft to remember.

Happy Baby comes along next. It is another upbeat and joyful listening experience about going to see a lover. With references to going steady, this is really timeless music. Surely this was a huge influence on future generations of musicians, and with good reasons for being so. A wonderfully fun and enjoyable piece of music, these guys do a great job of Rock and Roll music.

Up next is Birth Of The Boogie which is a bit of musical history, wrapped up into a Rock and Roll piece that sounds really great. It is an incredible and extraordinary listening experience and has a great groove to it. The drum work is classic here. Although this was made in the 1950s, these songs will last forever. Fantastic music.

After that is Mambo Rock which is also fantastic and is very much another great listen. It has some excellent saxophone, cool guitar and a rhythm section that is really fantastic. The guitar solo is short and sweet, and this whole song is really great to hear. The saxophone is the lead instrument here, but gives enough space for the other instruments to shine as well.

Burn That Candle is another traditional tale from this era. It sounds really great and is a great showcase for guitar-based music. In fact, the entire album is a good example of early pioneering guitar-based music. This one feels a lot more like Jazz music. Still, it is undeniably Rock and Roll. A good old school piece of music, fantastic stuff. Great song about being in love.

Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie comes last and is a very nice thing that one can imagine couples in the 1950s dancing along to. It is a call-and-response thing between guitar and saxophone, and the guitar solo here is really excellent to listen to. A youthful, retro and above all, enjoyable song. Excellent to listen to. The guitar outro is awesome.

This whole album should be heard by everyone who either enjoys guitar-based music, plays guitar or both. Why? It is a simple, fun and excellent musical adventure that has barely aged. If you like some musical history for guitar music, this is a great place to start.

Exciting.

9/10