Various Artists - Get Hot or Go Home: Vintage RCA Rockabilly '56-'59 - Vols. I & II (CD)

All Music Guide

Get Hot or Go Home: Vintage RCA Rockabilly, '56-'59 is an expertly assembled double-disc collection of rare rockabilly from the RCA vaults. After Elvis Presley became a star, RCA decided to sign a number of new acts to their label, as well as revamp some older country artists to fit the new rockabilly sound. It didn't matter that they bought out Elvis' contract from Sun -- they didn't want to risk missing the next Elvis, so they signed anyone they could find. Of course, none of the artists on Get Hot or Go Home (including an early Roy Orbison) could have followed Presley's footsteps -- they were either too hillbilly (Pee Wee King, Homer Jethro, Tommy Black) or too slick to cut it. That doesn't mean that the compilation makes for bad listening; in fact, the unevenness of the material makes the set all the more appealing, because the failures are nearly as entertaining as the successful cuts. Out of all the artists on Get Hot or Go Home, only Joe Clay sounds as if he should have had a f...ull-fledged career, but the also-rans, one-hit wonders, and the country guys trying to go rockabilly are all fascinating and frequently fun. It's a great purchase for avid rockabilly and country fans. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less