Red Hot in Bloomington, MN

Billy Lee Riley
was not one of the better known artists to come out of
Sun Records
during the rockabilly years, but he was effective, and at times utterly powerful on both his recordings, and as a live performer he could rival, on his best nights,
Jerry Lee Lewis
. This 26-track collection contains virtually every side you would ever want -- and then some -- from those crazy, heady years at
Sun
. Tracks like
"Red Hot,"
and
"Flyin' Saucers Rock 'N' Roll,"
"Rock Me Baby,"
are his best-known tracks. He also does a more than acceptable cover of
Louis Jordan
's
"Saturday Night Fish Fry."
but it's a little known fact that
Riley
wrote a true enduring classic that has been played by everyone from
Ted Nugent
Johnny Winter
to
John Lee Hooker
Son Seals
:
"Baby Please Don't Go."
Strangely, he is not remembered for this cut at all despite its enduring significance as a rock and blues standard. Some of the tunes here are demos, both for rockabilly fanatics, this is where the real treasure lies, in those sides that were unfinished or released as B-sides. Considering
's varied catalog later on, this is an excellent place to start. ~ Thom Jurek