I found this and a bunch of other rockabilly LP's at my neighborhood record store on sale for 3-for-€5. It is a beautiful French 1978 compilation on red vinyl containing songs originally recorded between 1959-1963. Just 12 tracks, 8 less than the UK version but all the hits are here. So I thought I'd get it, since I had nothing from The Hawk. My first contact with him was almost 30 years ago, watching "The Last Waltz" on Greek TV. At that point I was familiar with a few of the guests (Dylan, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Muddy Waters) but neither Hawkins nor The Band. More than his colorful appearance in the concert, it was the anecdotes of life on the road with him by the members of The Band that made an impression on me. And it's actually that stint of having The Band (who were then called simply The Hawks) as backing musicians that people mostly remember about Ronnie Hawkins - except from Canada where he was huge, a national rock and roll hero despite being born and raised in Arkansas, USA. The warm welcome he got in that cold land resulted in Ronnie and his band constantly touring Canada, and finally permanently relocating there. In the course of these recordings (1959-1963) his band kept evolving, with only Levon Helm remaining of the original American line-up, recruiting a bunch of Canadian boys until finally settling late 1961 in the line-up that later supported Dylan and found success as The Band: Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Helm. The first songs here hail from 1959, and they're first-rate rockabilly, all covers (Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Leiber-Stoller) with the exception of "One Of These Days". Credit must also be given for unearthing obscure R&B track "Mary Lou" by Young Jessie and turning it into a rock'n'roll classic. Two more covers ("Honey Don't" and "Sick And Tired") from 1960 are also good but typical rockabilly, but the ones featuring the future Band are amazing. Robertson in particular, then only 20, emerges as an electric guitar genius - it'd take 3 years for the likes of Jeff Beck to catch up with him. Just listen to the two Bo Diddley covers "Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love", and their fantastic version of "Susie Q" (written by Ronnie's cousin, Dale Hawkins). The Hawk already had a fearsome live reputation (he wasn't nicknamed "Mr. Dynamo" for nothing), so I can only imagine how incendiary his shows were with these young guns backing him. Bob Dylan was so impressed he recruited the Hawks for his 1966 world tour, and the rest is history: There's not a lot of difference between the smokin' version of "Who Do You Love" here to Robertson playing "fucking loud" as per Dylan's instruction during the "Judas!" concert. The Hawk would go on to make many more records, both rock and country. His fame will always be eclipsed by the deeds of his former proteges The Band, but one listen to this LP proves he really is worth a place among the great rock'n'roll pioneers.
***** for Mary Lou, Bo Diddley, Susie Q, Who Do You Love
**** for 40 Days, Matchbox
*** for Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Ruby Baby, Sick And Tired, One Of These Days, Honey Don't, Kansas City
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