Rockabilly Dynamite-1000 Explosive Hits

I cannot say enough good things about this set!!! I am absolutely THRILLED with it & I doubt there is a better box set compilation of classic rockabilly to be found anywhere! Like other reviewers have said, I have not found even one track that I haven't liked! And I have no complaints about the sound quality either - happily, it is quite good - the levels are quite consistent & it certainly sounds great in my car for my daily commutes! :)A few numbers of interest: 653 DIFFERENT ARTISTS ON THIS SET; Max # of songs by an artist = 15 (Elvis); TOTAL OF 40 DISCS, with 25 songs on each disc. I tried to post the entire track listing for all 40 discs in my review for those interested, but the list was too long to fit within amazon’s max # of characters(!), so instead I’m including an alphabetical list of all the artists on the set, with the # of songs by each artist. You can find the complete track listing for reference at: http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Various-Artists-Rock-A-Billy-Dynamite-1000-Explosive-Hits-40CD-148769Al Casey - 4Al Dean - 1Al Epp & The Pharoahs - 1Al Ferrier - 4Al Hendrix - 1Al Oster - 1Al Runyon - 1Al Urban - 2Alden Holloway - 1Allen Page & The Crowns - 2Alton & Jimmy - 1Alvis Wayne - 3Amos Como & His Tune Toppers - 1Andy Anderson - 2Andy Dio - 1Andy Starr - 3Andy Starr & The Casinos - 1Ann Castle - 1Art Adams - 2Art Adams & The Rhythm Knights - 1Art Buchanan - 1Art Wood - 1Arthur Osborne - 1Arthur Smith feat. Carol Honeycutt - 1Aubrey Cagle - 6Barbara Allen - 1Barbara Pittman - 1Barry Darwell - 1Ben Hall - 1Benny Banta - 1Benny Barnes - 1Benny Cliff - 1Benny Ingram - 1Benny Joy - 4Bernie Early - 2Big Al Downing - 1Big T Tyler - 1Bill Allen - 1Bill Bell & The 4 Unknowns - 1Bill Browning - 3Bill Carter - 1Bill Craddock - 1Bill Flagg - 1Bill Lawrence - 1Bill Mack - 5Bill Morrison - 1Bill Parsons - 1Bill Pinky - 1Bill Sherill - 1Bill Sherrill - 2Bill Sherrill & The Dell Tones - 1Bill Thomas - 1Bill Woods - 1Billy & Don Hart - 1Billy Adams - 2Billy Barnett - 1Billy Brown - 3Billy Carroll - 1Billy Cee - 1Billy Crash Craddock - 2Billy Curley Barrix - 1Billy Eldridge & The Fire Balls - 1Billy Guitar - 1Billy Harlan - 1Billy Lamont - 1Billy Lee Riley - 5Billy Prager & His Caravans - 2Bob Davis - 1Bob Denton - 1Bob Dewitt - 1Bob Doss - 1Bob Hicks & The Fenders - 2Bob Hicks & The Youngsters - 1Bob King - 2Bob Luman - 2Bobby & Terry Caraway - 1Bobby Boston - 1Bobby Brant - 1Bobby Brown - 1Bobby Crown & The Kapers - 1Bobby Darin - 1Bobby Freeman - 3Bobby Gay - 1Bobby Jackson - 1Bobby Lawson - 1Bobby Lee Trammel - 2Bobby Lee Trammell - 4Bobby Lonero - 1Bobby Lord - 1Bobby Louis - 1Bobby Martin - 1Bobby Norris - 1Bobby Poe & The Poe-Cats - 1Bobby Roberts - 2Bobby Swanson & His Sonics - 1Bobby Wayne & The Warriors - 1Boyd Bennett - 2Bozo Ratcliff - 1Bozo Ratliff - 1Brad Suggs - 1Brenda Lee - 3Bubba Ford - 1Buck Griffin - 1Buck Trail - 1Buddy Burke & The Canadian Meteors - 1Buddy Covelle - 1Buddy Holly - 7Buddy Knox - 2Buddy Miller - 1Buddy Shaw - 1Carl Mann - 2Carl McVoy - 2Carl Perkins - 12Carl Phillips - 2Carole King - 2Cecil Campbell - 1Cecil McNabb Jr. - 2Chan Romero - 3Charles Senns - 1Charlie Bop Trio - 1Charlie Feathers - 3Charlie Rich - 1Charlie Stewart & The Gem Tones - 1Cheeko Vass - 1Chuck Comer - 1Chuck Howard - 1Chuck Mills & The Monarchs - 2Chuck Tharpe & The Fireballs - 2Chuck Wiley - 1Cliff Benny - 1Cliff Blakley - 2Cliff Gleaves - 2Cliff Richard & The Shadows - 1Cliffie Stone - 1Clyde Owens & The Moonlight Ramblers - 1Clyde Stacey - 1Clyde Stacey & The Night Caps - 1Conny & The Bellhops - 2Curley Griffin - 1Curt Jensen - 1Curtis Gordon - 2Curtis Hoback - 1Curtis Johnson & The Windjammers - 2Curtis Long - 1Curtis Long & The Rhythm Rockers - 1Dale Davis & His Tomcats - 2Dale Hawkins - 1Dale Thomas - 1Dale Vaughn & The Starnotes - 2Dale Wayne - 1Danny Dell - 1Danny Dill - 1Danny Reeves - 1Danny Wolfe - 1Darrell Rhodes - 1David Ray - 1Deacon & The Rock'n Rollers - 1Dean Beard & The Crew Cats - 1Debbie Stevens - 1Dee & Patty - 1Deke Wade - 1Del Reeves - 2Dennis Herrold - 2Dennis Volk - 1Derrell Felts - 1Dick Fagan & The Scores - 1Dick Lory - 1Dick Robinson - 1Dick Seaton - 1Dickey Lee - 2Dickie Damron - 1Dinky Harris & The Spades - 1Don Cole - 1Don Duncan - 1Don Feger & The Embers - 3Don Gibson - 1Don Phillips & Bill Dorton - 1Don Rader - 1Don Ray & The Rodeo Ramblers - 1Don Red Roberts - 1Don Wade - 2Don Willis - 2Don Woody - 2Donald Simpson & The Rockenettes - 1Dorsey Burnette - 1Doug Amerson & Peck Gregory & His Dude Cowboys - 1Doug Bragg - 1Dwain Bell - 1Dwayne Hickman - 1Dwight Whitey Pullen - 5Earl Henry - 1Eddie Bond - 6Eddie Bush - 1Eddie Cash - 1Eddie Cochran - 8Eddie Fontaine - 2Eddie Gaines & The Rockin'Five - 1Eddie Quinteros - 3Eddie Skelton - 1Eddie Smalling & His Rhythm Aces - 1Elaine Gay - 1Elroy Dietzel - 1Elroy Dietzel & The Rhythm Bandits - 1Elvis Presley - 15Emery Blades - 1Ernie Barton - 1Ersel Hickey - 1Evelyn Harlene - 1Everett Carpenter - 2F. D. Johnson - 1Farris Wilder - 1Fat Daddy Holmes - 1Frank Deaton & The Mad Lads - 1Frank Starr & His Rock-Away Boys - 1Frankie Dee - 1Franklin Stewart - 1Fred Crawford - 1Freddie Bell & The Bell Boys - 1Freddie Caddell - 2Freddie Hart - 2G. L. Davy Crockett - 1Gene Brown - 1Gene La Marr - 2Gene La Marr & His Blue Flames - 1Gene Lewis - 1Gene Maltais - 3Gene McKown & TheTune Twisters - 1Gene Morris - 1Gene Norman - 1Gene Simmons - 1Gene Sisco - 1Gene Summers - 4Gene Vincent - 13Gene Wyatt - 3George Fleming - 2George Hamilton IV - 1George Thumper Jones - 3Gerry Middleton - 1Glen Garrison - 1Glen Glenn - 3Glen Honeycutt - 1Glenn Barber - 2Glenn Bond - 1Glenn Reeves - 2Gordon Terry - 1Grady Lewis & The Starlighters - 1Grant Greeves - 1Groovy Joe Poovey - 2Guido D'Amico - 1Guy Mitchell - 1Hal Goodson & The Raiders - 1Hal Willis - 2Hank Mizell - 1Hank Swatley - 1Hank Thompson - 1Harmon Boazeman - 1Harry Carter - 2Harry Lee - 1Hasil Adkins - 1Hayden Thompson - 1Henry Henry - 1Henry Wilson & The Bluenotes - 1Herbie Smith - 1Hoyt Johnson - 1Hoyt Scoggins - 1Ivan - 2J. C. Sawyer - 1J. D. Orr & His Lonesome Valley Boys - 1J. Mikel - 2Jack Bailey - 1Jack Earls - 1Jack Hammer - 1Jack Lane - 1Jack Scott - 3Jack Winston - 1Jackie Cray - 1Jackie Dee (Jackie DeShannon) - 1Jackie Gotroe - 1Jackie Johnson - 1Jackie Lee Cochran - 5Jackie Morningstar - 1Jackie Walker - 1Jamie Coe - 1Janis Martin - 5Jay B. Lloyd - 2Jay Blue - 1Jay Gallegher - 1Jay Hadley - 1Jaycee Hill - 2Jeff Daniels - 2Jeff Stone - 1Jerry Arnold & The Rhythm Captains - 1Jerry Byrne - 2Jerry Engler - 1Jerry Irby - 1Jerry Kennedy - 1Jerry McGill & The Topcats - 1Jesse James - 1Jesse Lee Turner - 1Jim & Rod - 1Jim Flaherty's Caravan - 1Jim Foley - 1Jim McDonald - 2Jim Morrison - 1Jim Murphy - 1Jim Wilson & The Flares - 1Jimmie Martin Combo - 1Jimmy & Johnny - 1Jimmy Bowen - 1Jimmy C. Newman - 1Jimmy Carroll - 1Jimmy Dane - 2Jimmy Dee - 4Jimmy Dell - 3Jimmy Edwards - 1Jimmy Evans - 1Jimmy Ford - 2Jimmy Gray - 2Jimmy Grubbs - 1Jimmy Isle - 2Jimmy Johnson - 1Jimmy Kelly - 1Jimmy Lee Prow - 1Jimmy Lloyd - 3Jimmy Patton - 2Jimmy Pritchett - 1Jimmy Selph - 1Jimmy Spellman - 1Jimmy Williams - 2Jimmy Witter - 1Jimmy Wolford - 1Jo Ann Campbell - 1Joannie King - 1Jody Reynolds - 3Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones - 4Joe Clay - 3Joe D. Johnson - 1Joe Gradie & The Western Gents - 1Joe Maphis - 1Joe Montgomery - 1Joe Penny - 1Joe Tate & The Hi-Five - 1Joe Therrien Jr. & His Rockets - 1Joel Hill - 1Joey Castle - 1Joey Michaels - 1John D. Loudermilk - 1John Hampton - 1John Worthan - 2Johnny & Dorsey Burnette - 2Johnny Amelio & Bill Paradis - 2Johnny Bell - 1Johnny Bond - 1Johnny Burnette - 2Johnny Burnette Rock & Roll Trio - 11Johnny Carroll - 5Johnny Cavalier & The Key Notes - 1Johnny Chester - 1Johnny Edwards & The White Caps - 1Johnny Elmore & The Silver-Tones - 1Johnny Faire - 2Johnny Fallin - 2Johnny Garner - 1Johnny Horton - 3Johnny O'Keefe - 1Johnny Powers - 1Johnny Powers & His Rockets - 1Johnny Scat Brown - 1Johnny Strickland - 2Johnny Talley - 1Joyce Green - 1Judy & Joyce - 2Judy Faye - 1Junior Gravley - 1Junior Thompson - 1Keith Corvalle - 1Ken Copeland - 1Ken Davis - 1Ken Hammock & The Tennessee Valley Gang - 1Kenneth (Kenny) Rogers - 1Kenny Loran - 1Kenny Owen - 1Kenny Parchman - 3Kimball Coburn - 1Lafayette Yarborough - 2Larry & Dixie Davis - 1Larry Collins - 1Larry Donn - 2Larry Dowd - 2Larry Terry - 1Lattie Moore - 1Laura Lee Perkins - 5Lee Cole - 1Lee Denson - 1Lee Mitchell - 2Lelan Rogers & His Friends - 1Lenny Dean & The Rockin' Chairs - 1Leroy Wilkerson - 1Les Cole & The Echoes - 1Lew Williams - 4Link Davis - 3Link Wray - 1Little Jimmy Dickens - 1Lloyd Arnold - 2Lloyd Copas - 1Lloyd McCollough - 1Lonnie Barron - 1Lorelei Lynn - 1Lou Millet - 1Lou Walker - 1Loy Clingman - 1Lynn Pratt - 2Mack Self - 1Mack Vickery - 2Macy Skipper - 1Mad Man Taylor - 1Malcolm Yelvington - 1Mark Robinson (Lee Hazlewood) - 1Marlon Grisham - 1Martha Carson - 1Marvin Rainwater - 2Maylon Humphries - 1Mel McGonnigle - 1Mel Robbins - 1Mel Smith & The Nite Riders - 1Merdell Floyd - 1Merl Lindsay - 1Merle Kilgore - 1Mickey Gilley - 3Mickey Hawks - 4Mike McAlister - 1Mike Waggoner - 1Milt Forrester - 1Milton Allen - 1Myron Lee - 1N. A. Stephenson - 1Narvel Felts - 2Nick Venet - 1Niki Sullivan - 1Nino & The Ebb Tides - 1Norman Witcher - 2Onie Wheeler - 1Orangie Hubbard - 2Orville Fox & The Harmony Masters - 1Parker Cunningham - 1Pat Cupp & The Flyin' Saucers - 2Pat Ferguson - 1Pat Kelly & The Shamrocks - 2Patsy Clark - 1Paul Chaplain & His Emeralds - 2Paul Griffin - 1Peanuts Wilson - 1Pee Wee Trahan - 2Peggi Griffith - 1Pete & Jimmy & The Rhythm Knights - 1Pete Peters & The Rhythm Makers - 2Peter & Zijn Rockets - 2Phil Barclay - 1R. Dean Taylor - 1Ray Campi & John & Henry - 2Ray Campi & The Snappers - 1Ray Coleman - 1Ray Coleman & His Skyrockets - 1Ray Harris - 2Ray Lynn - 1Ray McCoy - 1Ray Melton - 1Ray Pate & The Rhythm Rockets - 3Ray Pennington - 2Ray Sawyer - 1Ray Scott - 1Ray Scott & The Demens - 1Ray Sharpe - 2Ray Smith - 2Ray St. Germain - 1Ray Stanley - 1Ray Taylor - 1Ray Vict & His Bop Rockers - 1Red Barry & The Bel Raves - 1Rex Allen - 1Rex Ellis - 1Rex Qual - 1Ric Cartey - 1Ric Cartey & The Jivatones - 1Ricky Nelson - 13Rio Rockers - 1Ritchie Heart - 1Ritchie Valens - 1Roc Larue - 1Rock Rogers - 1Rocket Morgan - 1Rockin' Bradley - 1Rocky & The Rocky Fellows - 2Rocky Bill Ford - 2Rocky Davis - 1Roger LaRue & His Pals - 1Ron Haydock & The Boppers - 2Ronnie Allen - 1Ronnie Burton - 1Ronnie Dawson - 1Ronnie Haig - 1Ronnie Self - 7Ronny Keenan - 1Rose Maddox - 1Roxie Williams - 1Roy Hall - 3Roy Moss - 1Roy Orbison - 7Royce Porter & The Kounts - 1Ruckus Tyler - 1Rudy Grayzell - 4Rusty York - 1Sammy Gowans - 2Sandy Lee - 1Sandy Scott - 1Sanford Clark - 1Scotty McKay - 1Sid King & The Five Strings - 1Simon Crum (Ferlin Husky) - 2Skeets McDonald - 2Sleepy LaBeef - 2Slick Slavin - 1Slim Rhodes - 1Sonee West - 2Sonny Burgess - 3Sonny Cole & His Rhythm Roamers - 1Sonny Cole & The Rhythm Roamers - 1Sonny Deckelman - 1Sonny Fisher - 6Sonny Hall & The Echoes - 1Sonny Wallace - 1Speck & Doyle - 1Stan Johnson & The Bluechips - 1T. Texas Tyler - 1Ted Daigle - 2Teddy Redell - 1Terry Daley - 1Terry Noland - 1The Barker Brothers - 2The Bay Bops - 1The Beau-Marks - 2The Bell Notes - 1The Belvederes - 1The Big Four - 1The Blue Tones - 2The Bopper & Bob - 1The Braves - 1The Carter Kids - 1The Castle Kings - 1The Chaparrals - 1The Chavis Brothers - 1The Collins Kids - 3The Cruisers - 1The Dazzlers - 2The Deans - 1The Dixielanders - 1The Dusters - 1The Echo Valley Boys & Bill Browning - 1The Echomores - 1The Esquire Boys - 1The Farmer Boys - 1The Four Teens - 1The Franklin Brothers - 1The Hawk (Jerry Lee Lewis) - 1The Hi-Liters - 1The Hi-Tombs - 2The Hunt Sisters - 1The Invaders - 1The James Boys - 1The Jiants - 1The Jokers - 1The Lane Brothers - 1The LeGarde Twins - 1The Lonesome Drifter - 1The Mark IV - 1The Moods - 1The Morgan Twins - 1The Orbits - 1The Phaetons - 1The Phantom - 1The Prowlers - 1The Raiders - 1The Rebelaires - 1The Renowns - 1The Rhythm Rockers - 1The Rock-A-Teens - 2The Rockin' R's - 1The Rock-Its - 2The Sabres - 1The Skee Brothers - 1The Sprouts - 2The Star Combo - 1The Storms - 1The Strikes - 2The String Kings - 1The Stripes - 1The Swallows - 1The Teen Tones - 2The Teenos - 1The Temptations - 2The Thrashers - 1The Traits - 1The Tune Rockers - 1The Tu-Tones - 1The Unimates - 1The Van Brothers - 1The Velaires - 1The Velvets - 1The Vibes - 1Tiny Tim & His Tornadoes - 1Tom Tall - 1Tomas Wayne - 1Tommy Bell - 1Tommy Blake - 3Tommy Cassell - 1Tommy Garner - 1Tommy Jim Beam - 2Tommy Lam - 1Tommy Nelson - 1Tommy Sands - 3Tommy Scott - 1Tommy Spurlin - 1Tommy Wood - 1Tony & Jackie Lamie & The Swing Kings - 2Tony Bassett - 1Tooter Boatman & The Chaparrals - 1Tracey Pendarvis - 3Trini Lopez - 1Troy Ferguson - 1Truitt Forse - 1Turner Moore & Charley Moore & The Crystals - 1Val Volk - 1Vern Pullens - 1Vince Maloy - 2Wade & Dick - 1Wade Cagle - 1Wally Deane - 1Wally Hughes - 1Wally Jeffery - 1Wally Willette - 1Walt Benton & The Snappers - 1Walter Brown - 2Wanda Jackson - 11Warner Mack - 1Warren Miller - 1Warren Smith - 5Wayne Walker - 1Wayne Williams - 1Weldon Rodgers - 1Werly Fairburn - 3Wesley Hardin & The Roxters - 1Willie Goodson - 1Wynn Stewart - 1

Review of “Rockabilly Dynamite”40 cd set; 25 tracks per cd; from “Documents” records.Comments about this set apply also to the set “Rockabilly Cowboys” from the same record company. The two sets go together. There is no duplication of tracks between the two sets as far as I can tell.Each disk runs about 55 minutes. Although the maker could have put more tracks on a disk, 25 tracks is enough. With more, I fade out. The set comes with a useful booklet about the lead artists in the bands, and with dates, but with no info on particular sessions or musicians. The booklet is actually useful. Disks come in cardboard sleeves. The whole thing is a cube about 5 inches on a side.I recommend both sets from Document. I can’t think of other sets that are as good for the money. I got “Dynamite” for $40 plus SH. Proper Records has two sets of 4 disks each, 30 tracks per disk: “Boppin Hillbilly to Red Hot Rockabilly” and “Classic Rockabilly”. The Proper sets are more expensive per disk. It is worth getting all four sets if you can. Rhino has two sets but they are very expensive for what you get. The Rhino sets feature more “big names” and tracks with “edgy” content.This is what you DON’T get from “Rockabilly Dynamite”. There are a handful of cuts by the big names such as Johnny Cash, Johnny Burnette, etc. But they are not what the set is about. If you want a big name, then buy a set of their work. You don’t get “greatest hits” or many tracks that rose high on the charts. You don’t get too many novelty songs or sappy teen love songs. You do get a few. You don’t get a representative sample of everything on the air then that called itself rockabilly.You DON’T get tracks that are the rockabilly version of “Cosmic Blues”. The songs on “Dynamite” and “Cowboys” are not songs such as on the Rhino sets that present teens as cosmic rebels. These are not lost “rare rockabilly” tracks about how young people struggle to make it in meaningless modern life. The songs are not deep cultural analysis in disguise. They do not reinforce angst.This is what you DO get from “Rockabilly Dynamite”. All the tracks are from 1955 to 1960, with most from 1956 to 1959. About 80% of tracks are by bands that also wrote the song. Each band has one to about six tracks. There are a lot of different bands. Many of the tracks were the only things the bands ever recorded. All the cuts have “artistic merit”. They are well done by bands with talent. Even on the novelty songs, teen love songs, and “rock boogie” songs, you can hear pretty good work. Often on what seems like a mediocre track, you can hear a really good “break”. Some of the bass work is fine. Even when the songs are about men-women relations or “my girl Linda Lou”, they are not really teenage love songs. Most songs are by mature men, and a few women, in their late 20s or 30s, who sing about romance, booze, work, and night life without getting lurid but do give the story a hard beat and try to make it to sell. This is the way it was back then for working people who hit the bars. A few songs get deep into heartache. The bands are obviously talented but are not great. There are too many “boogie” songs but that is what was going on then, it was dance music, and that is what sold.40 disks times 25 tracks per disk equals 1000 tracks. That is a lot of tracks to be only rockabilly. I doubt 1000 pure rockabilly tracks were ever recorded. So a lot of the songs bleed over into nearby genres such as rock, pop, and country boogie. Most songs would go well into a rock-and-roll-in-the-50s package. But there is still enough solid rockabilly, and most songs that bleed over into other genres still have enough “twang” to be rockabilly. Because Document also put out “Rockabilly Cowboys” the “Dynamite” set does not have many of the songs that still linger in a country feel. That is OK. That is why it is worth getting both sets.As far as I can tell, there is no order to the tracks or the disks. There is no theme on any particular disk, such as “betrayal”. The tracks are not in chronological order. The tracks are not grouped by artist. They skip around by year and artist. It is as if someone scrambled the tracks by throwing up a deck of cards or used the “random” button on an MP3 player. I found that annoying but livable. The booklet does list all the songs of a particular band under the name of the band, and does have an index of disk and track number of each song. I doubt I would ever jump around following that info to listen to all the work of one particular band at once.Somebody did a good job picking tracks that represented what was going on among talented bands in the late 1950s, bands that did not make the big time but still did good work. That is worth the money.

If you have any interest in rockabilly, you need this set. The sound is surprising on most of these tracks. It is very clear and dynamic. I was in high school during this period in the late fifties, so I am familiar with some of these artists, but the vast majority of these songs and singers are new to me. I am amazed that anybody would take the time and bear the expense of accumulating such a large collection of rare recordings, especially to sell at this price point! The large and detailed booklet was a huge surprise to me, also. I expected little documentation. There is not much info on the back up musicians, but there is some biographical stuff on most of the singers. Since most of them are totally new to me, this is great info to have. Also, there is a cross reference, by artist, at the back as to which cd and track each of the songs can be found. Very thoughtful, since the 1000 songs are not sequenced in any discernible order, like by artist or time frame. This is the best box set I have, and I have many!