Description

The Dynamite Sound of Miss Rhythm and the Singer That Helped Build an Iconic Label: Ruth Browns Rock & Roll Bristles with Electrifying Emotion, Vocal Power, and R&B-Fueled Energy.
Reissued in Audiophile Quality in Partnership with Atlantic Records 75th Anniversary: Mobile Fidelity 180g Mono LP Is Pressed at RTI and Strictly Limited to 2,000 Numbered Copies.
1/4 / 15 IPS to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe.

Rock & Roll, indeed. Ruth Browns sizzling full-length debut also known by its eponymous title symbolizes what was exciting, fresh, invigorating, and raw about the burgeoning style in its halcyon days. Originally released in 1957, and reissued here in audiophile quality for the first time in partnership with Atlantic Records 75th anniversary, the set remains a testament to one of the most pioneering and talented vocalists to ever command a stage.

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs renowned mastering system in California, pressed at RTI, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and strictly limited to 2,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelitys 180g mono LP of Rock & Roll plays with an immediacy, vibrancy, and fullness that showcase the reach, power, and emotionalism of Browns voice. The sound of her support musicians brassy horns, swinging rhythm combos, echoing backing vocalists, rollicking pianists, jaunty guitarists is made clear and vivid, helping the upbeat fare to jump, juke, and jive with newfound energy and exuberance. In a related manner, Browns slower, more understated material crackles with an intimacy and passion that let you know youre in the presence of a woman who has lived what she sings. The longtime Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member deserves nothing less.

In an era dominated by big-throated vocalists, few if any came grander than Brown. The singer, whose repeat million-selling 50s success with Atlantic Records led many to call the then-indie label The House That Ruth Built, charted two dozen R&B hits in the span of a decade for the fledgling imprint. Rightly coined Miss Rhythm, the extroverted Brown put Atlantic on the national map, became the best-selling female musician of the 50s, and established a precedent that would ultimately lead to Grammy and Tony Awards. Her early works have lost none of their fire or flair.

Akin to many full-length LPs of its era, Rock & Roll doubles as a collection. Its 14 tracks comprise some of the more famous sides Brown recorded for Atlantic, beginning in 1949 with the all-time-great rendition of the ballad So Long, and continuing through 1956. After the song caught the publics ear, the Virginia native briefly became known for her smoldering style with lovelorn material and torch songs, approaching them (see Oh What a Dream, Old Man River) with a combination of pained sadness and hardened resilience that had no contemporary equal. Encouraged to pursue the style by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmt Ertegun, her R&B-driven material soon made her a constant chart presence.

Demonstrating what fellow legend Bonnie Raitt deemed sex with class and dignity, Brown merges blues and jazz, swing and gospel in electrifying fashion. She dares you not to move, dance, and get on your feet. A majority of Rock & Roll explodes with uptempo runs and jaunty readings of hot-blooded R&B numbers. Sweaty and sultry, bawdy and bold, Brown eclipses the anthemic blare of the saxophones and joyful clatter of the 88s, singing with a slight catch in her voice and hurricane-gale force that threatens to blow the roof off whatever room her voice occupies.

Evidence abounds. Listen to her prod the band and encourage the band members to blow a fuse on a sizzling Hello Little Boy, complete with cries and wails; stretch her phrasing to the heavens on the swaying Wild Wild Young Men, laden with romp-and-stomp beats; plead and persuade on the snaking 5-10-15 Hours, which flips the script on the ages notions of dominance; use her raspy tones, high notes, and breath control to mesmerizing effect on the smash Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean, recorded with a group led by Ray Charles; survey the scene and take charge on the steaming As Long as Im Moving; and tap a classy albeit flirtatious vein on Lucky Lips, which dented the pop charts as her first crossover hit.

Throughout Rock & Roll, Brown knows the lyrical connotations and spirited architecture of the songs inside-out. Her assertive voice never harsh, strident, or false is the epitome of the passionate desires and sonic strains that turned into nascent rock n roll. Brown played a pivotal role in helping the style develop, the record a timeless reminder of a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten.