Various Artists — Lux And Ivy Say Flip Your Top- Sinners And Penguin

Here we have the latest release in Righteous ongoing series of Lux And Ivy compilations, which see respected music journalist Dave Henderson crate-digging for 45’s. And for this two-CD set we find a fifty-track collection that shifts between 50’s novelty pop ‘n’ roll, quirky surf, wayward & waving ballads, and all manner of fare you might well have found on the more obscure jukeboxes in the ’50s & the ’60s.

The two-disc CD set comes presented in a slimline jewel case- this features an eight-page inlay booklet, featuring a four-page write about the collection from Mr Henderson, a great selection of 45 labels and noir-like retro artwork.

I’d say of all the compilations in the series this is one of the less one theme focused selection of tracks- and in a way that nicely frees things up a bit, so we get a fair few surprises along the two CDs and fifty tracks featured here. And below I’ll go through some of my present favourite/ stand out moments.

On disc one we have the rock ‘n’ roll meets slightly oriental jive along and crashing drums of The Flock Rockers “The Chinese Rock ‘n’ Roll”. There’s the rough strolling blues guitar-meets-creepy whispering reaper dialogue of Eugene Fox’s “The Sinners Dream”. We have the low-fi ringing phone tones meet jiving & cheeky swinging vibes of The Zanies “Frustration”.  There’s the wavering organ-meets bouncing backing vocals of the doo-wop balladeering of The Shepard’s “Tragic”.

Moving onto the second disc, and we have the gunning rock ’n’ roll meets training honking of Ritchie Hart’s “Choo Choo Train”. There’s jigging bluegrass meets surf jiving of Warren Smith’s “Cave In”. We have tight horn and guitar jaunting of Ernest Tucker’s “Cowboy Hop”. There’s the sleeky & smoky bounding bass meets wavering female vocalising & twanging guitar tones of John Paul Jone’s “Kalani Honey”. Or the bounding drums and keys meets sazzy horn work of Frank De Rosa And His D Men’s “Irish Rock”.

Lux And Ivy Say Flip Your Top- Sinners And Penguins Doing The San Francisco Twist is another very consistent, nicely varied, and entertaining collection of old 45’s.  To help support Righteous/ the folks at Cherry Red- drop by here to buy this direct