I developed a taste for “oldies” thanks to my father. I
\nstill remember listening to Dick Bartley on Saturday nights on
\nWFYR-FM, long before his show went national. It’s gotten to the
\npoint where I know the music of my father’s time better than he
\ndoes – and he takes great joy in the times he’s able to stump
\nme.<\/p>\n
So, it was a bit of a surprise to me when I showed him
\nDreams, Pleas & Blues<\/i> by The Ravens, and Dad told me he
\nhad never heard of them before. One spin of the disc, and he gave
\nit back to me, telling me he really didn’t like it. (Then again,
\nthat’s why my father doesn’t write for this site.)<\/p>\n
A compilation of sides recorded in the early ’50s, The Ravens
\nare definitely a precursor to the world of rock and roll that was
\njust a few short years away. Their style of rhythm & blues is
\nsimilar to the works of groups like The Drifters in some areas, and
\nthe low bass of Jimmy Ricks’s voice also conjures up memories of
\nmany early bands in the days of rock’s infancy.<\/p>\n
This collection of 21 songs will most likely be an introduction
\nto The Ravens for most listeners. And while it is very much an
\nacquired taste (I recommend breaking the disc up into two or three
\nlistens), it is not an unpleasant experience. Tracks like “Walkin’
\nWith The Blues” (can
\nsomeone<\/i> explain to me why the key of the song suddenly
\nshifts down right near the end?), “Midnight Blues”, “Time Takes
\nCare Of Everything” and “Oh Babe!” all make one question why The
\nRavens isn’t a band whose name is spoken with reverence today.<\/p>\n
Two songs suggest why this may be the case: “The Calypso Song”
\nand “The Whiffenpoof Song”, two numbers that captured the
\npopularity of those themes in 1950 and 1951. Maybe back then these
\nwere cute, but in 1999, they really sound dated. Yes, I’m fully
\naware that my grandkids will someday look through my music
\ncollection and shake their heads in disbelief at some of the things
\nI listened to. Hell, I do that these days.<\/p>\n
Still, the majority of the music on
\nDreams, Pleas & Blues<\/i> is enjoyable – but this is a
\ndifficult CD to get through in one sitting. Billy Vera’s liner
\nnotes are quite detailed, though I really would have liked to have
\nseen a listing of band members, seeing that I knew nothing about
\nthis band going into the disc, and I don’t know too much more
\nafterwards.<\/p>\n