Slim Harpo
was a bit too laid-back to really rock yet deserves a volume in
Bear Family
's
Rocks
series because there was a wonderful looseness to his recordings. He may not have pushed the beat hard but there was a big, infectious swing that really rocked, as this terrific 31-track collection proves. This disc leans heavily on his classic
Excello
sides -- finding space for "Rainin' in My Heart," which is a bit too slow to be called a rocker -- but it also has some rarer sides including the hard boogie "Wild About My Baby" and irresistible novelty "Cigarettes," which is enough to push it over the edge even for those who already own a collection of
material. For those looking for a good collection of
Slim
at his best, this is hard to beat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine