CD Reviews for 09/16/08 – Charlies Feathers (3 volumes)
Compact Capsules by Dan Ferguson
Charlie Feathers
Wild Side of Life: Rare & Unissued Recordings Volume 1
Norton Records CED-332
Charlie Feathers
Honky Tonk Kind: Rare & Unissued Recordings Volume 2
Norton Records CED-333
Charlie Feathers
Long Time Ago: Rare & Unissued Recordings Volume 3
Norton Records CED-334
From the hair to the propulsiveness of his music to those patented hiccupping vocals (Who needs percussion with a voice that could do what Feathers’ could?!!), a strong case can be made for Charlie Feathers being the prototypical rockabilly. Perhaps no label has served the Feathers legacy as right as Brooklyn-based Norton Records. They keep it going in spades with the release of three separate volumes comprised entirely of rare and unissued performances which collectively span Feathers’ entire career. The collection moves beyond just rockabilly branching into the hillbilly, country and blues sounds that defined Feathers’ later years and which he was equally as well versed. As a bonus, each disc also includes an interview with Mr. Feathers, informative and colorful liner notes and plenty of rare photos. Sure you can buy just a single volume, all three are essential. (Visit www.nortonrecords.com.)
(Dan Ferguson is a free-lance music writer and host of The Boudin Barndance, broadcast Thursday nights from 6 – 9 pm on WRIU-FM 90.3. He lives in Peace Dale and can be reached at [email protected].)