The Best of Eddie Cochran

iTunes Review

One of the most important performers of the early rock ‘n’ roll era, Eddie Cochran never gained the vast American audience enjoyed by peers like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, but his canny songwriting, audacious lead guitar work, and undeniable charisma won him a rabid following in England, where he inspired young guitarists as varied as Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend. Before he died in a car crash at the age of 21 Cochran composed some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most enduring classics, songs that elegantly captured teen angst and frustration and functioned both as concise calls to rebellion and hedonistic celebrations of good times. Cochran’s inimitable guitar tone and heavy power-chord-based strumming was derived from country & western, but his swinging rhythms drew inspiration from R&B innovators like Wynonie Harris and Bo Diddley. While “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody” are rock standards, nearly every track here, including forgotten gems like “Skinny Jim” and “Drive In Show”, is equally exceptional. Simply put, this compilation is necessary for anyone with even a passing interest in the origins of rock ‘n’ roll.