RUMBLE: BEST OF LINK WRAY

Personnel: Link Wray (guitar, vocals); Shorty Horton (bass); Doug Wray (drums). Additional personnel: Vernon Wray (rhythm guitar, piano); Jack Van Horn, Billy Cross (rhythm guitar); Richard Gottehrer (piano); Chuck Bennett (organ); Bobby Howard (organ, vocals); Ed Cynar, Rob Stoner, John Greaves (bass); Howie Wyeth, Charlie Charles (drums); Evelyn Wray (tambourine). Producers: Vernon Wray, Chuck Sagle, Richard Gottehrer, Link Wray. Compilation producers: James Austin, Cub Koda. Includes liner notes by Cub Koda. Digitally remastered by Bob Fisher. RUMBLE! THE BEST OF LINK WRAY contains 20 tracks recorded between 1958 and 1976 including one live track. This anthology includes an 11-page booklet with historic black and white photographs, a discography and recording information as well as liner notes containing both biographical and track annotations. Probably the most high-profile of all the available Link Wray compilations, Rhino's 1993 anthology RUMBLE: THE BEST OF LINK WRAY is also likely the best available single-disc set devoted to this largely underrated artist. Many of the guitar greats of earlier decades sound kind of, well, wimpy when heard after the more sonically aggressive--if often much less imaginative--guitarists who followed. This is not the case with Link Wray; although his fuzztone, feedback and controlled distortion were extremely influential--Dave Davies and Pete Townshend in particular owe much to Wray--his playing has enough grit and noise to still sound remarkable today. This collection, kicking off with the original 1958 version of his signature song and continuing through 19 other instrumental classics like "The Swag" and "Run Chicken Run," is as exciting as any instrumental rock disc out there.