Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
Bluejean Bop - Capitol 1956
Tracks: 1. Bluejean Bop / 2. Jezebel / 3. Ain't She Sweet / 4. Jumps, Giggles and Shouts / 5. Who Slapped John? / 6. Wedding Bells / 7. Up a Lazy River / 8. Bop Street / 9. I Flipped ( 10. Waltz of the Wind / 11. Jump Back, Honey, Jump Back / 12. Peg O' My Heart
Comments:
This was Gene Vincent's debut album from 1956. Before the release he had had great success with the rock'n roll single "Be Bop A-Lula" and to a lesser extent with "Race With the Devil". There were, of course, expectations for more of the same on the debut album and these were fulfilled to a large extent with tracks like "Bluejean Bop", "Who Slapped John?", "Bop Street", all written by Vincent and his eminent group the Blue Caps.
This is classic early rock'n'roll as it's known from Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, with a lot of swing feeling in bass and drums.
This type of songs, however, may quickly become somewhat monotonous, as they are often cast over the same template, and I feel that it is the fine versions of standard pop songs on "Blue Jean Bop" that have aged with the greatest grace. Here Vincent's fine and in fact very sensitive vocals really come into their own, and "Waltz with the Wind", "Wedding Bells", "Peg o My Heart" and especially "Up a Lazy River" are highlights for me.
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