Proper does it again -- at least musically -- by assembling this whopping four-disc, 118-track box set of the greatest in vintage rhythm & blues, hillbilly boogie, doo wop, and early rock & roll and rockabilly. Simply looking through the list of credits one can get dizzy from the star-studded lineups as well as entry upon entry of bona fide classics by artists who are little known to anyone but collectors and aficionados. There is more here than one can take in, justifiably in a month of Sundays, from
T-Bone Walker and
Big Mama Thornton to
Fats Domino and
the Moonglows; from
Elvis and
Bill Haley to
Piano Red and
Ray Charles; from
Bill Monroe and
Jimmy Bryant to
the Robins and
Bunny Paul. In addition to the great-sounding archival track list is a decent liner booklet with terrific photos. The most amazing thing is the price: this set retails for around $25 U.S. There is no reason for anyone interested in early rock & roll and its roots not to score this baby and put it on the shelf.