Rocks

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 Excello material. For those looking for a good collection of Slim at his best, this is hard to beat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine