Rockin' With Wanda (Capitol, 2002)
Wanda Jackson
Reviewed by Eli Messinger
Jackson's debut showcased her country side, including covers of Kitty Wells ("Making Believe") and Jim Reeves ("Just Call Me Lonesome"). She tackled everything from an early Don Everly ballad ("Here We Are Again"), to top-40 ("Happy Happy Birthday," a hit for the Tune Weavers) and sophisticated standards ("Let Me Go Lover," previously waxed by Peggy Lee).
She turned uptempo for a trio of scorchers, including a pair of 1950's standards ("Long Tall Sally" and "Money Honey"), and the incendiary anthem, "Let's Have a Party." Bonus tracks include the first-ever recording of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" and a cover of Chuck Willis' bluesy "Let Me Explain."
1960's "Rockin' With Wanda" cherry-picks 18 sides waxed between 1956 and 1959. Included are the iconic rockabilly hits "Fujiyama Mama," "Honey Bop," "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad" and the self-penned "Mean Mean Man" and "Rock Your Baby." In contrast, "You've Turned To A Stranger" is sung as a twangy country ballad, and "I Gotta Know" splits its time between rockabilly and waltz (as does "I Wanna Waltz" on the debut). Bonus tracks include pure country B-sides "Sinful Heart" and "Reaching," and the cool soul of "Savin' My Love."
Backed by world-class picking from Buck Owens, Joe Maphis and Ralph Mooney (among other luminaries), Jackson is utterly authoritative on everything from country weepers to stops-out rock 'n' roll. Choosing between these two discs is really a question of how to afford both.
CDs by Wanda Jackson



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