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Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly

This album was released around the same time as The Chirping Crickets was; some twisted marketing ideas / legal contracts back in the day felt that it would be best to have Buddy with the Crickets and as a solo act (with the Crickets backing him up) to sell more records... sure. This album though, is near perfect in my book. It's also probably shorter than or just about as short as a Ramones record, clocking in at just around 24 minutes for 12 tracks. I found the production / mixing of the album to be somewhat interesting as each track- with the exception of "Ready Teddy" and "Rave On"- places Buddy's voice as the main focus of the song, rather than creating a vocal and instrumental balance. The instruments it seems, are sort of used as a way to accent his voice more, which is rarely seen nowadays. There is also a varied sound throughout the album, which allows the versatality of all of the musicians to be seen, or heard rather, at all times. There are only two tunes on the album that I don't care for as much as the rest: "Look at Me", which has an overly campy piano going for it, "Valley of Tears", a more traditional country style tune that has great vocals but a somewhat out of place organ type instrument on it that is just campy as the piano. "I'm Gonna Love You Too", "Ready Teddy", "You're So Square", and "Rave On" all have a high rock and roll element to them- very loose, upbeat, and a lot of fun. "Ready Teddy", a tune not penned by Holly, and also covered by the likes of Elvis and Little Richard, features some of the wildest Buddy vocals that I've ever heard- primitive growls and screams- it's loud, wild, and perfect. "Rave On" is also a great rocker, and one of my favorites. It has a great balance of instruments and voice, and shows off all of the musician's abilities very well. "Peggy Sue", "Listen To Me", "Everyday", "Words of Love", "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues", and "Little Baby" all show a highly emotional side to the instrumentation and Buddy's vocal delivery. "Peggy Sue" is sparse with just Jerry Allison on drums and Buddy on guitar and vox- the vocal pushes and pulls while the lyrics plead, and the drums in essence, sound like a heart beat. "Listen To Me" and "Words of Love" sound the most similar on the album, almost like one is the sequel to the other. Both have a beautiful jangly guitar sound paired with an intimate vocal delivery. I really like the lower voice used in "Words of Love", and the harmonies in both tracks sound smooth, add depth and emphasize the theme of the song. I also like "Everyday" for this intimate sound as well; the instruments are basically voice and a celeste, both of which are delicate and flowing. All three tunes are, for lack of a better word, beautiful. It's hard to say whether I like the rockers or the mellow songs on this album. While the songs are often varied in pace and style, they flow together like water, and provide a showcase for some of the best and most lasting early rock songs that were ever written and performed.