Ronnie Hawkins deserves credit for sticking with his own brand of ragged rockabilly long after the genre's other stars turned to slicker styles, but he remains a minor star in therockabilly orbit, known chiefly for his role in helping develop the musicians in his band
the Hawks, who went on to fame and fortune as
the Band.
Hawkins truthfully always had more energy, swagger and suggestibility than he did actual singing talent, and while his limitations could be masked in the excitement of a live show, his studio recordings are remarkably tame by comparison. This 18-song set includes several of his late 1950s and early '60s singles for Roulette Records, including his incendiary version of
Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?," easily
Hawkins' career high point. It also includes three recordings tracked in the '90s that were eventually included on 2002's Canadian import Still Cruisin'. One of these is a country duet with
Kris Kristofferson ("Friendship"), another is an engaging rocker written by
Hawkins' son
Robin Hawkins ("Can't Stop Rockin'") and a third, "Blue Moon in My Sign," features
Robbie Robertson and
Levon Helm from
the Band (the pair haven't spoken in years and their parts were recorded separately). Aside from the title track, these newer recordings are hardly anything to shout about, and the only truly essential
Hawkins material remains his early Roulette sides.
–
Steve Leggett, Rovi