Gene Vincent
Crazy Beat - Capitol Records 1963
Tracks: 1. Crazy Beat / 2. Important Words / 3. It's Been Nice / 4. Lonesome Boy / 5. Good Lovin' / 6. I'm Gonna Catch Me a Rat / 7. Rip it Up / 8. High Blood Pressure / 9. That's the Trouble With Love / 10. Weeping Willow / 11. Teardrops / 12. Gone Gone Gone
Comments:
This 1963 album was Vincent's last on Capitol Records. Vincent's star was falling significantly at the time, but it soon became apparent that he had a fairly solid fanbase in the UK. Half of the tracks were actually recorded before the release of his previous album, "Crazy Times", while the rest come from 1961 recordings. Thus, these were not really brand new recordings, when the album was released.
There is not much rebel and rock'n'roller to be traced in Vincent on the 12 tracks. Even on “rockier” tracks, Vincent sings "nicely" and almost subdued. There are, as on most Vincent albums, a number of pop ballads, a genre of which Vincent was a fine interpreter. The best songs on this album also fall within this category. "It's Been Nice" and "Lonesome Boy" are both pretty nice pop songs; both actually recorded back in 1958.
Among the "rockers" there are no really memorable songs, and even these are “decorated” with strings and female vocals. Among these, "Crazy Beat" and "Rip it Up" are probably the best.
The reason why this album appears to be one of Vincent's weakest, it’s primarily due to a lack of really good songs - they are not really any.
However, he was to return stronger later with a fine 1967 album and at the end of his career with two stylistically different but fine albums on the Kama Sutra in 1970 and 1971.
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