Read my reviews of albums by Buddy Holly, released in his lifetime.
1957: The Chirping Crickets (8/10)
Holly’s debut album pairs some of his early songs with some (but hardly anywhere near all) of the music he had been recording. Holly didn’t write most of the songs (at least officially…), but it still goes a long way to establishing Holly was one of the most unique voices in early rock and roll, combining his strong guitar playing with unique voice (with an excellent and under-appreciated range).
The one thing that is hard to take, and has dated badly, is the incredibly “white” backing vocals of The Picks. They’re brutal.
Read my reviews of albums released in 1957.
Albums released by Buddy Holly in1958:
Buddy Holly (9/10)
What I wrote in 2015:
The overall quality of Holly’s second album is significantly better. It showcases more of his versatility – including a song that makes him sound like a far more traditional rock and roll singer, among other things – than the debut and features stronger songs. But it also features some older material that had already been released. Like so many popular music albums back then, it was just assumed that everyone would buy the same music over and over again.
I think I mostly agree with that in 2018 but the comment about it being a compilation is a little harsh, since albums were still relatively novel and putting singles on an album does make some sense.
That’ll Be The Day (6/10)
Repackaged old hits with some “new” material (really just raiding the vaults). This is typical of the era in that the public was expected to buy the same music again. (The title track had already been released as a single and released on his debut album, less than six months earlier…)