“Great googly moo” can roughly be translated as an expression of incredulity, and it quickly becomes the best term to describe many of the cuts contained on its namesake disc. Ace – and many of the label’s longstanding fans – have long been attracted to the demented end of the rock’n’roll spectrum, and these two-dozen tracks may help soothe that particular yearning… for a while, at least.
Largely, though not exclusively drawn from the 50s, when nonsense song phraseology was often sexually euphemistic this sort of rock recording grew to become a tangential art form in its own right. Sholbalor by Sheriff & The Ravels and Mope-Itty Mope by The Boss-Tones are strong rockers in any context, contrasting nicely with 50s R&B recordings by the likes of Larry Williams, LaVern Baker, Helen Humes and Joe Houston. These earlier cuts give us the roots of the genre, which morph into The Kingsmen’s later-stage Googly Moo, The Rivingtons and a previously unreleased track from Shirley Ellis, Ka Ta Ga Boom Beat.
Gloriously mad and happily celebrated in the booklet, this just might prompt some perverted themed parties.
