The New Nortons Have Arrived
It's always a great day 'round here when the latest batch of Norton releases lands on my doorstep. Few labels are able to keep the quality control up in the long run, but Norton has done just that ever since the mid 80s, and the dynamic duo from Brooklyn that runs this biz should have long been given awards and unlimited funds to further their crusade. Their latest offerings include a new live album by Andre Williams (backed by ace Dutch combo Green Hornet), that's easily the man's best since his return to the world's stages. Green Hornet supply him w/ a soulful groove that has been lacking from most of his recent recordings and it suits him just fine. 'Wavy Gravy !' rounds up a truckload (50 no less) of airchecks by legendary Cleveland DJ The Mad Daddy (hipped to most us youngsters by the Cramps on their first LP). Breathtakin' atom-smashin'-zoomeratin'-mello-jello radio broadcasts that are way beyond the scope of the overpayed ego-jocks that litter the airwaves these days. 'The Fabulous Wailers' is the CD edition of an earlier Norton vinyl set roundin' up this Northwest band's earliest instrumental sides of which 'Tall Call One' was an actual bona-fide hit, tho' the rest of the material hardly slouches behind. Four previously unreleased demos plus new liners by Billy Miller ads to it's desirability. Roky Erickson's Wake Up To Rock'n'Roll' 45 is a taster for Norton's up-comin' 'Don't Knock The Rok' full length of late 70s live recordings of the Rokster w/ the Aliens, and judging from this it's gonna be a winner!. The series of jukebox 45s that Norton has been pushin' our way for a while now has turned into an amazing collection of some 70 discs, latest additions include 4 blazin' rockabilly two siders by the mighty Benny Joy, the insane Musical Linn Twins (related to Ming & Ling perhaps?) and wild R&B screamers by Phil Flowers and Poontang Perkins. Great, great stuff that only makes me whish I had a jukebox to house the little buggers....