Sputnik!: The Launch Of The Space Race is another stellar 50’s-to-60’s Rock ‘n’ Roll/ easy listening compilation from the fine folks at Bear Family Records. The CD takes in twenty-nine tracks, and it’s a decidedly varied, quirky, and wholly entertaining collection- which as its title suggested is all themed around the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in October 1957, and related satellite/space-bound fare. 

The CD comes presented in a four-panel digipak- on its front cover, we get retro Soviet art of the red and single-starred Sputnik 1 circling the earth. Inside we get a plush, full colour stuck on thirty-nine-page inlay booklet- this features a good write-up for each of the twenty-nine tracks, band/ artist pictures, single covers/ vinyl labels, and of course a great selection of pictures relating to Sputnik & the space race. Bear Family Records always do a lovely job on the packaging/ presentation on compilations, and this is no exception.

Really this compilation is consistent from beginning to end, with the whole thing flowing in an eventful & varied manner. But a few of my personal/ present highlights come in the form of the following :“There Goes Sputnik” by The Teen- Clefs-  this a bouncing horn-edged and jangling guitar number with some wonderful low-key female doo-wop vocals. “Stratosphere Boogie” from Jimmy Brant and Speed West is a rapidly jiving ‘n’ slide-tipped instrumental track played on a double-neck stratosphere guitar. “Space Time” by Danny Overbea is all jiggling keys and guitar struts, rock ‘n’ roll crooning, cartoon alien voices, and rocket-wooshing sound effects.

Moving into the second half we have the gunning bass meeting the spiralling, blipping ‘n’ blotting guitar tones of “Theme From Spacnick” by Comrade X.  There is the swinging horns, jiving keys, and dizzying clean guitar runs of Jimmie Haskell & His Orchestras “Astrosonic”. Or the lo-fi galloping instrumental rock ‘n’ roll of The Veletones “Static”.

So, in conclusion, Sputnik!: The Launch Of The Space Race is yet another marvellously curated, wonderful realized and nicely presented compilation from Bear Family Records. If you dig your 50’s to 60’s rock ‘n’ roll, easy listening and related genres- this is a must!.