Produced in Europe in 2001, the name of this package is a misnomer if ever there was one. Encyclopedia indeed!!! The 20-page booklet contained in the package is nothing but a piece of fluff - with a few nice pictures. The descriptions of the two discs' contents are error-ridden in all three places where they appear. And there is NO factual information about the provenance of the 40 tracks that appear on the 2 CDs.
CD #1 is entitled "The Original Alan Freed - Rock 'N' Roll Radio Shows." With such a title, one would expect to hear tracks gleaned from Freed's "live" CBS Radio show and/or from "airchecks" of his WINS New York broadcasts. Not one track from these sources appears on this CD, instead, we find work by five artists - Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and the Platters - four songs each, in alternating rotation. With the exception of Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On and Great Balls Of Fire, which are both from the original Sun label recordings, these tracks appear to be "live" performances at different venues "but who knows where or when" - we are not told. The Platters' tracks may be rehearsal recordings in an auditorium - there's no aural indication of an audience. And Chuck Berry's School Day is mis-titled as Hail, Hail, Rock 'N' Roll.
CD #2 is called "The Rock 'N" Roll - Party Album." HERE we find 19 tracks from Alan Freed's CBS Radio show - the same 19 that first appeared on Radiola LP # MR-1087 - originally released in 1978 - in the same order. To fill out the CD, the final track is a live performance of Travelin' Man by Ricky Nelson, which has to be at least 5 years newer than the preceding 19 tracks. Interestingly, there's a track in the Freed portion identified as "Henry Etta James - Dance With Me" - some "Encyclopedia!" the track, of course, is Dance With Me Henry by Etta James!!
In spite of all the errors, I like this collection. It's a nice compilation of "live" performances. I only wish the quality of the documentation matched the historic value of the recordings.
Disc 1 -
1. Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun #267 - Mar 1957)
2. Lucille - Little Richard (live)
3. Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino (live)
4. Only You - Platters (live)
5. Rock 'N' Roll Music - Chuck Berry (live)
6. Great Balls Of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun #281 - Nov 1957)
7. Tutti Frutti - Little Richard (live)
8. Blue Monday - Fats Domino (live)
9. The Great Pretender - Platters (live)
10. Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry (live)
11. Hi-Heel Sneakers - Jerry Lee Lewis (live)
12. Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard (live)
13. Ain't that A Shame - Fats Domino (live)
14. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Platters (live)
15. School Day - Chuck Berry (live)
16. Long Tall Sally - Jerry Lee Lewis (live)
17. Rip It Up - Little Richard (live)
18. Domino Twist - Fats Domino (live)
19. Unchained Melody - Platters (live)
20. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry (live)
Disc 2 -
1. Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers (Freed Radio Show)
2. Ruby Baby - Drifters (Freed Radio Show)
3. Ivory Tower - Otis Williams & The Charms (Freed Radio Show)
4. Little Girl Of - Cleftones (Freed Radio Show)
5. Speedoo - Cadillacs (Freed Radio Show)
6. Mr. Sandman - Chordettes (Freed Radio Show)
7. Eddie My Love - Chordettes (Freed Radio Show)
8. I Almost Lost My Mind - Ivory Joe Hunter (Freed Radio Show)
9. Hound Dog - Gene Vincent (Freed Radio Show)
10. Be Bop A Lula - Gene Vincent (Freed Radio Show)
11. Tweedlee Dee - LaVern Baker (Freed Radio Show)
12. Dance With Me Henry - Etta James (Freed Radio Show)
13. The Magic Touch - Platters (Freed Radio Show)
14. My Prayer - Platters (Freed Radio Show)
15. The Treasure Of Love - Clyde McPhatter (Freed Radio Show)
16. Maybelline - Chuck Berry (Freed Radio Show)
17. Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry (Freed Radio Show)
18. Earth Angel - Penguins (Freed Radio Show)
19. Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & The Comets (Freed Radio Show)
20. Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson (live)
