Monkey Beat!

MONKEY BEAT is a compilation of two Ronnie Dawson albums previously available only in the U.K.
Rock writer Richard Blackburn once claimed that rockabilly singer/guitarist Ronnie Dawson resembled "a waxed, brush-cut Dorian Gray with eye makeup." Such a description cannot be improved upon either physically or musically. Not only does the Texas-bred Dawson look exactly as he did in his late '50s publicity stills, but his rough-edged rockabilly sounds also haven't changed a bit. Though these 23 tracks--originally released on two vinyl-only UK albums--were recorded in the early '90s, songs like "V-8 Ford Boogie," "Up Jumped the Devil," and the ripping "Wham Bam Jam" sound like they could have been cut at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in 1956. The songs are unassailable, with Dawson hollerin' and playin' like a crazed rockabilly preacher. He's neither as feral as Hasil Adkins nor as cool as Carl Perkins, but he is the equal of both. MONKEY BEAT is a glorious find for rockabilly enthusiasts the world over.