Eddie Cochran

EMI 50999 212278 20

****

A brilliant Best Of from a shining star whose talent was snuffed out long before his time

With the 50^th anniversary of Eddie Cochran’s tragically premature death only two years away, his reputation and influence among succeeding generations shows no sign of waning. The handsome and charismatic singer-songwriter was just 21 when the taxi cab he and fellow rocker Gene Vincent were travelling in crashed at Chippenham, Wiltshire. Gene was badly injured and never fully recovered from the traumatic experience, but Eddie died from serious head injuries.

That day, rock music lost one of its finest young prodigies – a shining star from the same mould as his friend Buddy Holly, whose death Cochran had mourned the previous year. Like Holly and Chuck Berry, Eddie had the rare knack of conceiving and delivering musical anthems for the beat-hungry teens and twenties. As you would expect, the obvious Cochran classics are here in all their glory – C’mon Everybody, Summertime Blues, Somethin’ Else and his posthumous UK No.1 Three Steps To Heaven.

But this particular compilation also boasts several tracks that don’t always make the cut, like the driving My Way, staccato rocker Nervous Breakdown, The Boll Weevil Song and Three Stars, Eddie’s heart-rending tribute to his lost buddies Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Throughout the 30-strong collection, Cochran exudes the vocal dexterity and slick guitar styles that wowed Beatles Paul McCartney and George Harrison and The Who’s Pete Townsend. If fast Eddie had lived, he may even have given Elvis a run for his money. As it is, we are left with cherished memories of a gigantic talent snuffed out way before his time. BK

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