The Shreveport, LA-based Ram label put out a cartload of rock, blues, and country records in the 1950s without ever establishing itself as a major indie. This 26-track compilation of, as the title promises, rockabilly and hillbilly sides from the decade is definitely for the "let's clean out the vault 'cause it's there'" kind of enthusiasts. That's not to say that it's terrible, just that it's a pretty unremarkable collection of minor leaguers, the biggest name – and she's hardly a big one – being Margaret Lewis. A couple of guys not primarily known for work under their own name make early appearances.

Ram Records was the creation of the late Mira Smith. A multi-talented musician, studio engineer and songwriter, Mira made many fine recordings both of blues and hillbilly artists. Most of them came from her home town of Shreveport, Louisiana but, occasionally, she would record musicians and singers from places further afield. Many of the performances she recorded have remained unissued until today, not because of any deficiency in the recordings or performances, many of which are very fine indeed, simply because Mira worked on an indie label shoestring and had insufficient capital to promote more than a handful of singles a year. An awful lot of good music just stayed in the vaults.

The Ballads Of Gene Vincent is a 2006 compilation CD by American rocker Gene Vincent. While he was known for his rockabilly classics, these songs show he could be a crooner too if he wanted. This was put together by the Bear Family.

Elvis Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

1999 digitally remastered re-issue of the second album by the legendary kings of garage rock, originally released in 1966. Includes three bonus tracks: 'The Witch' (alternate) and two live tracks. The Sonics' second album is every bit as explosive and influential as their debut outing, loaded with gritty Northwest rock & roll.

Since The King of Rock 'n' Roll was the complete '50s masters, it was easy to assume that its five-disc '60s sequel, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters, rounded up all the masters from that decade, which is simply not the case. The producers deliberately avoided the soundtracks to Elvis' movies, which perhaps makes sense, given that they are roundly and rightly disparaged as Presley's low point, which then opened the doors to presenting just what they judged as the best non-soundtrack recordings he made during the '60s.

In the first half of the '70s, Chess tried to relaunch Bo Diddley's career by making his material and production more in line with contemporary rock and soul trends, as it had with several other of the label's rock & roll and blues stars of the '50s and early '60s. Tales from the Funk Dimension 1970-73: Drive by Bo is a compilation of no less than 76 minutes of music from the four albums he recorded during this period, all of which were received pretty poorly by both critics and the marketplace. Sadly, this anthology doesn't reveal Diddley's output from the era to be underrated, or worthy of revisionist assessment.

Above the album worked the Elvis Presley - Elvis Reborn Vol.2 More Mono to Stereo Mixes, and his release took place on 2020. The album has got songs with a total duration of more than an hour. A compilation is a compilation of original music.

Rockabilly may have slipped under the radar of many mainstream music fans, and its impact on the charts was occasional, to say the least. But there’s no doubt the music those Fifties pioneers made remains more than recognisable today. The words didn’t always make sense, but the music was the message, and it was aimed straight at the feet. So get your cat clothes on, brush up your leather jacket and rock!

This is the fourth volume of Vampi Soul's "R&B Hipshakers" series, featuring 20 terrific dance cuts selected by genre expert Mr Fine Wine, from WFMU's Downtown Soulville. Hold it, hold it - this ain't over yet! I know: The passage of three long years since we last met may have led you to worry I'd abandoned my noble endeavor to unearth all of the mind-bending rhythm and blues in the nearly bottomless King and Federal vaults. But fear not. To paraphrase the immortal words of Titus Turner in 'Hold Your Loving', I'm gonna keep at it till the meatballs bounce!

This collection brings together some of their best work for BBC radio. There are red-hot, vintage studio sessions for DJs Andy Kershaw and Janice Long from 1985 and 1987 respectively, whilst a BBC concert from early '85 reveals just what a powerful live band they were from the start. Just feel that raw energy and electricity! British rock was tragically robbed of one of its most resilient flame keepers when the group had to call it a day in 1990.

Above the album worked the Rhino '100 Greatest 50s', and his release took place on 2020. The album has got songs with a total duration of more than an hour. A compilation is a compilation of original music.

TOTALLY RELIGIOUS is a circular saw through the ropes tied to rock and roll's captors. Ten cuts of rotating blades at different speeds. The rhythm section of Kenny Harris and Chris Thompson form the perfect airstrip for Bill Carter's frantic vocals and Telecaster dogfights. The Messiahs take traditional R&B and rock and roll structures and revitalise them with a maniacal energy. I'll use my patented metaphor: "the Screaming Blue Messiahs sound like Bo Diddley babysitting the bastard child of Squeaky Fromme and George Thorogood in a little house located right near the mouth of hell." It's TOTALLY RELIGIOUS, alright. Get your ass to church now!

In 1986, after almost 30 years on Columbia Records, Country music legend Johnny Cash released his first album on Mercury Records – Class Of ’55, in collaboration with fellow Sun Records alumni Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Seven years later, his last recording before signing with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings would be another collaboration, “The Wanderer”, with U2. In the years that span those recordings, Johnny Cash released a total of six albums for Mercury Records. The highlights of that output are presented here, on the brand new compilation Easy Rider: The Best Of The Mercury Recordings. Now remastered for the very first time, using the original Mercury master tapes, the 24 tracks that make up the set feature Cash’s updated interpretations of classics songs “Get Rhythm” and “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, the rare B-side “Veteran’s Day”, Elvis Costello’s “The Big Light”, and his collaboration with U2, “The Wanderer”.

The third volume in Vampi Soul's Hipshakers series is again compiled by WFMU DJ Mr. Fine Wine and features an array of late-'50s to early-'60s R&B, some jump blues stragglers, and a bit of proto-rock & roll – punctuated by honking saxes, shouting vocals, and tempos guaranteed to have you doing exactly what the title says. This set features rare tracks from Joe Tex, Little Willie John, the underrated Red Prysock, and many more. Roll back the rugs and grab a partner; this stuff will get you in a dancing mood real quick.