20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Haley & His Comets [Original recording remastered]

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Bill Haley died convinced that his role in shaping and popularizing rock & roll was largely undervalued. If he was around today you'd have to agree with him, because his recorded legacy has been relegated on the one hand to bargain-basement hits collections and, on the other, to prohibitively expensive box sets that most folk will never hear. Haley's 20th Century Masters set is yet another too-slight selection of his groundbreaking work, though it does contain all the basics: "Rock Around the Clock," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "See You Later, Alligator," and nine others. Haley is generally thought of as tame and conservative compared to, say, Elvis, which is probably true. But consider this unbelievably randy double-entendre from "Shake, Rattle and Roll": "I'm like a one-eyed cat / Peepin' in a seafood store." Yikes. If they'd chosen that as the theme to Happy Days, instead of "Rock Around the Clock" America would be a different nation today. --Daniel Durchholz

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Haley & His Comets,Bill Haley & His Comets,Mca,Pop,Popular Music,Rock & Roll,Rockabilly,V/a Compilations

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Average customer rating: Seniors also love Bill Haley & His Comets Great Album From The 50's. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection A primer that leaves you asking for more The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll

20th Century Masters: The Best Of Bill Haley & His Comets (Millennium Collection) Bill Haley & His Comets Manufacturer: Mca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest Hits the Way You Originally Heard Them The Best of Bill Haley and His Comets 1951-1954 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Chuck Berry (Millennium Collection) 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Buddy Holly (Millennium Collection) Jerry Lee Lewis - 18 Original Sun Greatest Hits ASIN: B00000I9CO Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

1. (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock
2. Shake, Rattle And Roll
3. Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town)
4. Dim, Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)
5. Rudy's Rock
6. Razzle Dazzle
7. The Saints Rock 'N' Roll
8. Skinny Minnie
9. R-O-C-K
10. Burn That Candle
11. Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie
12. See You Later, Alligator

Amazon.com

Bill Haley died convinced that his role in shaping and popularizing rock & roll was largely undervalued. If he was around today you'd have to agree with him, because his recorded legacy has been relegated on the one hand to bargain-basement hits collections and, on the other, to prohibitively expensive box sets that most folk will never hear. Haley's 20th Century Masters set is yet another too-slight selection of his groundbreaking work, though it does contain all the basics: "Rock Around the Clock," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "See You Later, Alligator," and nine others. Haley is generally thought of as tame and conservative compared to, say, Elvis, which is probably true. But consider this unbelievably randy double-entendre from "Shake, Rattle and Roll": "I'm like a one-eyed cat / Peepin' in a seafood store." Yikes. If they'd chosen that as the theme to Happy Days, instead of "Rock Around the Clock" America would be a different nation today. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

Seniors also love Bill Haley & His Comets.......2007-05-10

I oragnaize and play the music at a senior retirement home. i sent for The Best Of Bill Haley & His Comets because i love his music. I played "Rock Around The Clock" and some of the other song on the CD and we had more dancers on the floor than for any other music. I plan on playing more songs from this CD at our next dance. It's truely one great CD!

Great Album From The 50's........2003-07-30

What was Decca records doing that no other company could duplicate them quality-wise?? This album is unbelievably crisp and clean for the era. Compare with RCA Elvis recordings through the same period and RCA falls way behind. 'Rock Around The Clock' was my passport to Rock music and I still love it. The bass on this album is tight, sax and guitars well placed up front and centre and all in all a truly magnificient album for it's day. Good remastering by MCA. Well worth the bargain price.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection.......2003-03-25

Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around... well, the "20th Century Masters --- The Millennium Collection" wasn't too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it's hard to feel that way when it's used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptous title, "20th Century Masters --- The Millennium Collection" turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it's impossible for any of these brief collections to be definitive, but they're nevertheless solid samplers that don't feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take Bill Haley's "20th Century" volume --- it's an irresistible 12-song summary of his Decca/MCA years. There may be a couple of noteworthy songs missing, but many of his best-known songs for the label are here, including "Rock Around the Clock," "Shake, Rattle & Roll," "Thirteen Women," "Dim, Dim the Lights," "The Saints Rock n' Roll," "Burn That Candle," and "See You Later, Alligator." Serious fans will want something more extensive, but this is an excellent introduction for neophytes and a great sampler for casual fans, considering its length and price. That doesn't erase the ridiculousness of the series' title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good.

A primer that leaves you asking for more.......2002-05-22

Although I don't have this collection, I can tell you that this is an excellent collection for those who just want a basic primer of his career but once you like this, it may leaving you asking for more music. All of these songs, minus Skinny Minnie, and more are on the now OOP "From The Original Master Tapes," and "Skinny Minnie" and a few others are available on the 1991 CD reissue of the 1968 Decca LP "Bill Haley's Greatest Hits." If you are really a diehard fan and want it all, Bear Family does have a boxed set of his complete Decca recordings available, but for most people, I recommend the now out of print "From The Original Master Tapes" and "Greatest Hits" collections over this skimpy collection which is all that MCA has in print right now.

The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll.......2001-11-18

The 20th Century Masters series is an excellent anthology series. The sound quality of the remastered CD is excellent. I would recommend this CD just on the remarkable sound quality. You can hear the instruments and studio sounds that were not available on the poor quality phonograph records. The musicianship of Bill Haley, who played a Gibson hollow-body electric, and Fran Beecher, the lead guitarist, is remarkable. Bill Haley the vocalist also shines on this remastered CD. You can hear that Haley was an excellent vocalist.
The songs selected to represent Haley's 1950s musical output is adequate. There could have been more selections but the series is one where only a small representative sample is chosen. FROM THE MASTER TAPES album is also excellent but that CD leaves off a Haley classic, "Skinny Minnie" (1958), Haley's last top 40 hit in the 1950s. So this CD is worth it just for the new remastered sound and the addition of "Skinny Minnie".
As noted in the liner notes, the term "rock and roll" was coined by Bill Haley in his songs "Rock-a-Beatin' Boogie", which is included on the CD, and "Two Hound Dogs", not included on this CD. Alan Freed always said that he got the term "rock and roll" from Bill Haley. "Rock Around the Clock" (1954) was the first no.1 rock and roll record. Billboard bases its charts on that event. The Rock and Roll Era began when Haley hit no.1. People forget about all this today. But more than anyone else, Bill Haley is actually the man who invented rock and roll, before Elvis Presley, before Little Richard, before Jerry Lee Lewis, before Chuck Berry, before Buddy Holly. Haley was doing it YEARS before any of them. In fact, Bill Haley had an earlier rock and roll career not even covered on this CD! In April, 1953, Bill Haley had the first rock and roll hit on the national and Billboard charts, "Crazy, man, crazy" which had all the rock and roll elements, the "go go go go" chorus, youth rebellion, going to a party, the appeal to the "younger generation", the lead guitar break, drums, all of it! The song was the first REAL rock and roll record. Haley was the first rock and roll star. He had many rock records on Holiday/Essex records before Decca. The point to remember is this: Bill Haley did not stumble into rock and roll by accident or chance or by "stealing" his stuff from others. Haley planned it all out, he had an artistic vision. In every Haley song, there is a guitar solo, sometimes a drum solo, and sax soloing. This is not by accident. With regard to Elvis Presley, the King was a close friend of Haley and was in fact an opening act for Haley. Elvis respected Haley as an innovator and pioneer, as did his other friends and associates Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley. Unfortunately, the rock critics and music fans have not been as appreciative. This is because not everything on this CD stands up well. Haley was a songwriter but he did COVERS that tended to destroy his reputation as an innovator. He didn't have a hit making machine like Little Richard at Specialty who had Bump Blackwell and John Marascalco to write songs for him. So not everything on the CD stands the test of time.
This music should be judged by its own criteria and standards. Bill Haley had a style that was different from the usual combo set up. Haley had a sax and a dance style orientation for his band. Judging his style with Elvis or Little Richard is like judging apples and oranges. Haley had his own style which was unique and remarkable. He had stuff that Elvis did not. This is therefore a unique listening experience.
This is the man who really invented rock and roll. The Rock Era began when "Rock Around the Clock" became the no.1. record for 8 weeks in 1955. Critics falsify these facts and engage in historical revision when it comes to Haley. But Haley got the last laugh. His vision endures. Rock and roll, a music idiom he invented, is still what we listen to, is still what we consider the greatest musical achievement of the 20th century. Buy this CD. You will enjoy the experience. And while only a very tiny selection of Haley's output, it gives the listener enough to appreciate the achievement of Bill Haley. Haley sang: "You gotta jump, you gotta jive, you gotta dance, to stay alive...rock...rock...rock...rock...everybody...go....go...go....go." It ain't Shakespeare, but it is rock and roll, man!

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