THE SPRAGUE BROTHERS: Best Of The SsBee CD's Vol. 1

The Sprague Brothers

Best Of The SsBee CD's Vol. 1

© 2005 Wichita Falls Records

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

A fussion of Texans Buddy Holly and Bobby Fuller with a touch of surf here and a touch of Merseybeat there, all blended into a superb and remarkable brand of rock 'n' roll uniquely Sprague.

notes

For those who love pure, unadulterated, masterful rock 'n' roll, look no further than the "Best of the EssBee CD's - Volume One" by the fabulous Sprague Brothers.

From their earliest recordings in 1990 through their highly acclaimed Hightone CD's, the Sprague Brothers have forged a clear and steady path, as leader Frank Lee Sprague says, "Influenced by none, inspired by many." With their roots in hometown Wichita Falls, Texas, the Sprague Brothers travel the musical map, fusing their love for the music of fellow Texans Buddy Holly and Bobby Fuller with a touch of surf here and a touch of Merseybeat there, all blended into a superb and remarkable brand of rock 'n' roll uniquely Sprague.

This first volume of "EssBee" recordings features songs from several albums previously released in extremely limited quantities. Highlights here are many: "Rock Rock" is searing rockabilly played with such authenticity and joyous abandon it would make any"revivalist" wilt with envy. Known for innovative arrangements, the Spragues reinvent the Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You" into a Santo and Johnny style instrumental, while the big band staple "Drum Boogie" channels Bill Haley and shows off Chris Sprague's propulsive drumming. "I'll Do It Every Time" sounds like a lost Everly Brothers top ten hit and features the Sprague Brothers' always impressive harmonies. Several Frank Lee Sprague originals stand out, including "Nesman Studios," an autobiographical homage to Wichita Falls and the legendary studio where Buddy Holly recorded in 1955. Frank also demonstrates world-class prowess on his Fender Jaguar, dazzling us with instrumentals such as his Ventures-style "Green Arrow" and the unusual "Sunset in Tokyo," written on one of their successful tours of Japan. Throughout, their music is fresh, inspired and inspiring. There's no doubt the Sprague Brothers love what they do.
You will too.

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  • author: Frederick Turgis - www.jumpingfrom6to6.com

    The Sprague Brothers recording carreer didn’t stop with the end of their contract with Hightone. They released a bunch of records on their own Essbee label. This compilation gathers the best of this now hard-to-find albums. As usual with the Spragues, you can expect fine songwriting and beautiful arrangements. Rock’n’roll is a term that everybody seems to use nowadays (no, Bonnie Tyler ain’t a rocker?!), but this is the best word to describe their music. A mix of surf (Penetration, Green Arrow), early Beatles (“I’ll Be True” and its intro taken from Beatles’ “Devil In Her Heart” would make Sir Paul jealous), and the usual Everly/Holly/Fuller influenced stuff. You’ll find some rockabilly (Johnny Power’s “Rock Rock”) too, and “My Tender Heart” sees the bros go bluegrass. Frank and Chris play all the instruments, except on one tune where they are backed by Deke Dickerson and Shorty Poole, and the skills of each of them is simply amazing. Of course Chris is a good drummer (if you don’t believe me listen to “Drum Boogie” a Gene Krupa meets Bill Haley song) but he can play steel, upright bass, sing fine harmonies and on “Just Over A Girl” he gives us a great piece of eefing. Frank Lee Sprague is even more impressive as it seems that no instrument has secret for him : surf guitar, bluegrass mandolin, Jerry Lee Lewis boogie piano... You name it, he plays it. Add extensive liner notes and you’ll have another must-have from El Toro

  • Tired of getting burned buying CDs ???
    author: Firebottle

    Why, you're lucky if you can find 1 or 2 good tracks on most CDs nowadays. But this one... is unbelievably great. You can go through 12 of the first 20 tracks before you hit anything less than excellent. From there it's hit and miss, but it's still a HUGE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY! Buy it now... you'll thank me later!

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