Zack: It’s been a while since I’ve written one of
these at this point, so please forgive me if I don’t quite remember what I’m
supposed to do. If memory serves, I believe I normally say some random fact I
looked up on Wikipedia, give a #hotmusictake, then make some terrible pun and
call it a day. Starting with phase one, I think it’s relatively common
knowledge that The Crickets were essentially just a Buddy Holly vehicle. But
it’s actually a bit more ridiculous than that. By the time he was 19, Holly was
already a blossoming rock star stemming from his tours opening for Elvis
Freaking Presley (actual name, check the birth certificate). The Crickets were
created because Holly’s manager figured that radio stations would be willing to
play more Buddy Holly music if they got to say a different name each time. So,
basically, The Crickets were a vehicle for the public to overdose of a guy who
was just exiting his teenage years. Chirping Crickets has a lot of virtues, but
I think my favorite was (we’re now in phase 2) that it was only 28 minutes
long. As a culture, we need more 30-minute albums. Thirty-minute albums are
never disappointing. It’s just too easy to produce 30 minutes of quality music.
And the Crickets really nailed the 30-minute album formula here. Chirping
Crickets isn’t particularly incredible, instead hovering right in that solid
formative rock and roll zone where the music is solid but not particularly
adrenaline inducing. But it’s very well contained, and ends up being something
you can hop around to (conclude phase 3).
Favorite Tracks: That’ll Be the Day; Last Night; Oh, Boy!
Emily: How appropriate that we're reviewing this review on October 26, 2015 - Back to the Future Day! Today officially marks the day where all of the Back to the Future trilogy takes place in the "past." Though we don't have hoverboards yet, the Cubs could go to the World Series, so at least part of their predictions came true. I don't actually prefer the "future" part of Back to the Future 2 - the far superior movie is the first one, where Marty McFly goes back to the '50s to make sure that his parents get together so the timeline to his life stays intact. Along the way, he "introduces" rock and roll to the world (aka a high school dance) in 1955. The '50s were a simpler time, where a time-traveler from 1985 could show the musical world what they were missing. Never mind that, by that time, Buddy Holly was already opening for Elvis and was just a couple years away from becoming a rock and roll star in his own right. The Crickets were essentially a Buddy Holly star vehicle, and their debut album here showcases the new style of rock and roll he brought to soda shops and sock hops around the country. The songs are short and simple, switching between up-tempo dance songs and slower ballads with accompanying harmonies. This album may seem out of place in today's hoverboardless world, but it's definitely worth a listen for going Back in Time.
Favorite Tracks: Oh, Boy!; That'll Be the Day; It's Too Late
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