Gene Vincent Twist Crazy Times! [LP]

This quintessential release includes Gene Vincent's sensational sixth LP, Twist Crazy Times! originally issued by Capitol Records in 1960, and long unavailable on vinyl. The recording sessions were held in August 1959. Jerry Merritt, who'd been touring with Gene and pick-up bands since the spring of that year, was the lead guitarist by then. Vincent and Merritt were supplemented by celebrated session musicians, such as Red Callender on bass, Sandy Nelson on drums, Jimmy Johnson on piano, Jackie Kelso (ex Johnny Otis Show) on saxophone and a three man vocal chorus called The Eligibles. Merritt did his job perfectly well but he didn't stand out in the way that Blue Caps' guitar masters Cliff Gallup or Johnny Meeks did before. There were more new numbers on the album than usual, with contributions from Jerry and Gene himself. Elsewhere we get plenty of pop/light rock numbers but strangely, no ballads, which is a first for a Vincent album. Of the pop-rock numbers, She She Little Sheila rocks the hardest, closely followed by Pretty Pearly. The country number Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain was written by Fred Rose and debuted by Roy Acuff. However, the song would become more famous in later years due to its presence on Willie Nelson's best-selling Red-Headed Stranger album (issued in 1975).