"...Little Things You Say And Do…Make Me Want To Be With You…"
Released 10 February 2009 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of his loss in 1959 - "Memorial Collection" by BUDDY HOLLY on Geffen/Decca/Universal B0011337-02 (Barcode 602517726529) is a bit of a stunner really.
However - the track list in the 32-page booklet that accompanies this 60-track 3CD retrospective doesn't give the full picture - so here's a detailed listing so fans can work what's what (all discography details are US):
Disc 1 (43:36 minutes)
1. Down The Line (Previously Unreleased In The USA)
2. Soft Place In My Heart (Previously Unreleased)
3. You And I Are Through (Previously Unreleased In The USA)
4. Midnight Shift (February 1958 LP "That'll Be The Day", Decca DL 8707)
5. Love Me (March 1956 7" single on Decca 29854 [B-side to 7])
6. Don't Come Back Knockin' (as per 4)
7. Blue Days, Black Nights (as per 5, A-side)
8. Baby Won't You Come Out Tonight
(March 1983 LP, "For The First Time Anywhere", MCA 27059)
9. I'm Gonna Set My Foot Down (as per 8)
10. Changing All Those Changes (as per 8)
11. Rock-A-Bye Rock (as per 8)
12. Rock Around With Ollie Vee (as per 4)
13. Girl On My Mind (as per 4)
14. Ting-A-Ling (as per 4)
15. Modern Don Juan (1956 7" single on Decca 30166 [A])
16. Holly Hop (Previously Unreleased In The USA)
17. Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (as per 8)
18. That'll Be The Day
(1957 7" single on Brunswick 55009 [A])
(Also on album 'The "Chirping" Crickets', November 1957, Brunswick BL 54038)
19. I'm Looking For Someone Too Love (B-side to 18, also on the LP)
20. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
(1957 7" single on Coral 61852 [B-side to "Words Of Love"])
(Also on the album 'Buddy Holly', February 1958, Coral CRL 57210)
(Tracks 1 to 3 are credited to BUDDY & BOB [Bob Montgomery]; 4 to 17 and 20 are BUDDY HOLLY; 18 and 19 are THE CRICKETS)
Disc 2 (42:03 minutes):
1. Words Of Love
(1957 7" single on Coral 61852 [A] and 'Buddy Holly' LP)
2. Not Fade Away
(1957 7" single on Brunswick 55035 [B-side to "Oh, Boy!" and 'The "Chirping" Crickets' LP)
3. Everyday
(1957 7" single on Coral 61885 [B-side to "Peggy Sue" and 'Buddy Holly' LP)
4. Ready Teddy (on 'Buddy Holly' LP)
5. Tell Me How (on 'The "Chirping" Crickets' LP)
6. Oh, Boy! (as per 2, [A])
7. Listen To Me
(1958 7" single on Coral 61947 [A])
(Also on the 'Buddy Holly' LP)
8. Peggy Sue (as per 3)
9. I'm Gonna Love You Too (as per 7 [B-side])
10. It's Too Late (Chuck Willis cover) (as per 5)
11. Maybe Baby
(1958 7" single on Brunswick 55053 [A] and the 'The "Chirping" Crickets' LP)
12. You've Got Love (as per 5)
13. Rock Me My Baby (as per 5)
14. Look At Me (as per 4)
15. You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care) (as per 4)
16. Little Baby (as per 4)
17. Rave On (1958 7" single on 61985 [A] and the 'Buddy Holly' LP)
18. Well...All Right (1958 7" single on Coral 62051 [B-side to "Heartbeat"])
19. Take Your Time
(1958 7" single on Coral 61985 [Non-Album B-side to "Rave On"])
20. Fool's Paradise
(1958 7" single on Brunswick 55072 [Non-Album B-side to "Think It Over"])
(All Tracks are credited to BUDDY HOLLY)
Disc 3 (41:13 minutes):
1. Think It Over (see 20 on Disc 2)
2. Heartbeat
3. It's So Easy
4. Lonesome Tears
5. Love's Made A Fool Of You [1958 Recording with 1964 Overdubs]
(on "Showcase", 1964 USA LP on Coral 57450)
6. Wishing [1958 Recording with 1963 "Fireballs" Overdubs]
7. Early In The Morning
8. Now We're One
9. Reminiscing [King Curtis cover] [1958 Recording with 1962 "Fireballs" Overdubs]
10. True Love Ways [Minus Studio Chatter]
11. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
12. Raining In My Heart
13. What To Do [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
14. Peggy Sue Got Married
[1979 USA 6LP Box Set "The Complete Buddy Holly", MCA MCA6-80,000]
15. That Makes It Tough [as per 14]
16. Crying, Waiting, Hoping [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
17. Learning The Game [as per 14]
18. You're The One [as per 5]
19. Smokey Joe's Café [Coasters cover] [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
20. Dearest [as per 14]
(Tracks 1, 3 and 4 are credited to THE CRICKETS; all others BUDDY HOLLY)
USA issued 10 February 2009 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of his untimely death (delayed until 13 April 2009 in the UK), this 3CD, 60-track retro has divided reviewers on the big three - content, packaging and sound. I feel there's losers and winners on all counts.
"True Love Ways" isn't in STEREO and is minus the wonderful studio chatter that turned up on Steve Hoffman's "From The Original Master Tapes" of 1987 - disappointing. The sound quality is demo-only on parts of Disc 1 but improves vastly when the studio stuff arrives and is fantastically clear thereafter. CD2 is awesome - content and sound - it could easily act as a stand-alone hits set in it's own right. The stark Buddy/Guitar acoustic performances on Disc 3 are STUNNING ("What To Do") and fans have waited near 30 years to hear them on CD in truly great sound - remaster engineer ERICK LABSON has delivered once again.
Some have bitched about the card packaging and the CDs do become loose once out of their slots, but the outer card wrap sorts that out and the quality of the colour and black/white shots in the fold-out card digipak is superb. OK - it's not Bear Family beautiful as presentation goes - but I like the 3CD substantial feel of it. For the price, it's as respectful as it can be.
It's also clear now that with "True Love Ways", "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" and Raining in My Heart" and the Apartment demos - Buddy had a truly stunning 3rd album in him - but alas.
"Memorial Collection" is not perfect for sure - but it is here - and in good shape too - and at reasonable price. I've loved listening to it - I really have. Rave on you beautiful man - rave on.
PS: Buddy and The Crickets played the Granada Theatre in Walthamstow in London in 1958 (Des O’Connor was the warm up comedienne would you believe). It became a cinema and I once met the 70+ doorman on the tube - I took a chance and asked him - lo and behold he was there that night - described Buddy as a gentleman. Isn't that cool - he actually met the great man...wow!
