Wanda Jackson Albums (35)
What The Critics Say
Wanda Jackson was a mere 16 years old when she cut her first single, but while she was a better than average country crooner from the start, it wasn't until the summer of 1956 that Jackson began to sing like the force of nature now recognized as the first great female rocker. A few things happened to Jackson during that two-year stretch between her recorded debut and her shift into high gear, and one of them was meeting Elvis Presley, who was still recording for Sun when she first played a show with him on July 20, 1955. Jackson generously acknowledges that Elvis taught her how to bring out her inner rock & roller, and they were close friends for years (and for a little while boyfriend and girlfriend). On this album, Jackson pays homage to the Hillbilly Cat by covering 13 songs associated with Elvis, most dating from his days at Sun or from the early years of his tenure with RCA, along with one new song, "I Wore Elvis' Ring," and two spoken word cuts in which she shares her memories of Presley. For the most part, the production and arrangements are in the classic rockabilly mode, with guitarist and producer Danny B. Harvey, drummer Clem Burke, and veteran pianist Don Randi playing with skill and high style without getting in the way of the star of the show, and while Jackson's voice has started to show some slight signs of wear, she dives into these tunes with audible enthusiasm and a great feel for the material. Jackson brings her own style and personality to these songs, no small accomplishment, and while her phrasing leans toward the honky tonk material that dominated the greatest part of her career, her performances reveal what she learned from Elvis as well as what she found in her own musical personality when she embraced the joys of rock & roll. I Remember Elvis is something short of revelatory, but it is a sincere and loving tribute to an influential artist from someone who learned from him first-hand, and it proves that Jackson is still the Queen of Rock & Roll just as much as Elvis remains the King. Fine stuff. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wanda Jackson was, and, it seems, remains, almost 50 years later, the undisputed queen of rockabilly. Her self-titled comeback album from 2001 was a stellar example of her remaining rock & roll swagger, but this time out, she has a host of the faithful famous paying tribute. Dave Alvin, Elvis Costello, the Cramps, Lee Rocker, and the Cadillac Angels all join the rollicking festivities. Given a killer collection of songs, such as Paul Kennerley's title track with backing vocal support from Siedah Garrett, to a smoking version of the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrelhead," to the wooly instrumentation on some cuts -- such as the Cramps burning through Charlie McCoy's "Funnel of Love" with her -- Jackson's range seems indomitable and her voice is still in fine shape. Rosie Flores' help on the swinging "Woman Walk Out the Door" is a modern honky tonk masterpiece. The duet with Costello, a moving version of Buck Owens' "Crying Time," is simply one of the finest country-duet performances out there and deserves a Grammy. But it's on the tracks on which Jackson appears with her band, such as "Mean Mean Man," "Riot in Cell Block No. 9," and "It Happens Every Time" (Alvin plays guitar on them, but does not sing) with Jackson handling all the vocals that work the best. Simply put, this is a rock & roll dream, full of raw, sharp performances, killer songs, and Jackson's irrepressible ability to take even the most innocent song and make it salacious. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'The Live and Still Kickin''
Release Date 3/25/2003
Tracks 27
Label DCN
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What The Critics Say
Like many other young recording artists of the late 1950s, especially those on major labels, Wanda Jackson was encouraged to straddle musical genres as a hedge against changing trends. She was an accomplished rockabilly singer, but Capitol Records must have worried how long rockabilly was going to stay popular, so the singer cut tracks in several other styles, most frequently country. Her rockabilly fans may have been surprised to hear her first full-length album, Wanda Jackson, which leaned more toward country and also showed off her affinity for straight pop. True, she did cover "Long Tall Sally" and "Money, Honey," and she did a particularly raucous version of "Let's Have a Party" (which surprisingly took off for the pop Top 40 two years after the album's release). But more typical of the sound of the album overall were her versions of Kitty Wells' "Making Believe" and Don Everly's "Here We Are Again," traditional country material, and she even tried her hand at Patti Page's 1954 hit "Let Me Go, Lover!," a pop ballad. Add it all up, and you had one versatile singer, able to sing convincingly anything that was thrown at her. The variety made sense at the time, even if subsequent fans may wish Jackson had rocked out a bit more. The 2002 CD reissue adds six tracks to the original 12, all of them drawn from singles Jackson released between 1956 and 1958. Like the material on the original album, the bonus tracks tend more toward the country side of Jackson's persona. Particularly notable is an early, country version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," which went on to become a hit for the Springfields (and to launch the career of Dusty Springfield) six years after Jackson first released it. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Santo Domingo - Deutsche Aufnahmen'
Release Date 1/15/2000
Tracks 17
Label Bear Family
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'Rock & Roll Away Your Blues'
Release Date 10/17/1990
Tracks 11
Label Varrick
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