Dead teens

As a rock and roll fan,and someone who has always loved melancholy in art,I've always had a fascination with the "dead teen-romantic" pop song of the 50s-70s.This is a good collection.I'd rather heard more obscure songs but,hey.

Tell James Dean I love him...

WHY? That one word is probably echoing through your head as you stare blankly at the list of songs on this CD. What is 'Leader of the Laundromat'? Do I need to know why this guy wants his baby back? (If you don't, I won't spoil it, but the CD is worth buying for this one song!) And, ultimately, is hearing the Last Kiss by two different singers really worth the money? The answer is a big yes'.

In the nineteen fifties, the world - or at least the teenage population of the west of it - was gripped by an insatiable desire for songs of teen tragedy. Not all of them will bring you to the brink of tears, and some are down right strange, but overall this CD is more than worth the money. My personal favourite is the Pickup, though there are many other classics on it. Leader of the Pack and the merciless parody of it Leader of the Laundromat are both fantastic, while Tell Laura I Love Her is as charming as it ever was.

Depressing music, perhaps, but they can still belt out a great tune.

I met him at the candy store...

The Teenage Tragedy Phenomenon

For some inexplicable reason teenage tragedy was a pop music phenomenon in the late Fifties and early Sixties and this single-disc collection hits all the highlights. "Last Kiss", "Teen Angel," "Endless Sleep," "Tell Laura I Love Her," "Patches" and "Leader of the Pack" all went Top Ten, so apparently sad tales of adolescent woe weren't a detrement to chart success. The only real clunker here is the goofy parody "Leader of the Laundromat." [Surprisingly, that song went to No. 19, while "Leader of the Pack" was still on the charts.] If you like a good cry now and then--or just need to be reminded that not all pop hits were sunshine and rainbows--this album is for you. RECOMMENDED