Freddy Cannon - Big Blast From Boston: The Best of Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon (1995)

You gotta seriously be into "oldies" to collect FREDDY "BOOM BOOM" CANNON. While he became a big star in the Sixties (he holds the record for the most appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand - 115), he wasn't slick enough to be a teen idol (like Frankie Avalon was), nor did he have the chops to rise above mediocre material (as did Dion or Gary "U.S." Bonds). His best songs were splendidly infectious fake rock, but the rest were largely forgettable. I mean, can you name any of his hits beyond his three glorious Top 10 smashes, "Tallahassee Lassie," "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans," and "Palisades Park"? If you can, I'm preaching to the choir. If you can't, even a greatest hits disc is probably way more "Boom Boom" than you need. Thankfully, Cannon's canon is frequently highlighted on oldies compilations like The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll (Ace UK), and those select sides will do ya just fine. (By the way, he had a lot more hits - 23, to be exact - and I can name them all....)

That said, no oldies collection should be without songs as thrilling "Palisades Park," with its cheesy carnival sound effects, swooping organ, relentlessly driving beat, and, of course, Cannon's hyper-extended holler. Written by Chuck Barris (yes, the Gong Show guy), it's an inarguable highlight of the pre-Beatles sixties. Cannon's other hits mine the same chugging, frenetic vein; the best of them toss in enough musicality to succeed, whereas the rest expose Freddy for what he is - an incredibly enthusastic performer blessed with average talent. (Cannon's producer, Frank Slay, once admitted that Freddy's voice "wasn't the most tuneful in the world.")

Rhino's Big Blast From Boston: The Best Of Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon (1995, pictured above) certainly gets points for being the first high-quality Freddy Cannon CD reissue. Varese Records, though, trumped Rhino's hand with Palisades Park: The Very Best Of Freddy Boom Boom Cannon 1959-1963 (Varese). Brilliantly remastered and running 20 songs (19 of them Top 100 hits), it's a near-perfect package. All of those songs were cut for tiny Swan Records; when Cannon switched to major label Warner Brothers, he scored a couple of hits (including the theme song to Clark's later TV production, Where The Action Is) before fading from sight. After a 15 year gap, he charted one last hit in 1981 with "Let's Put The Fun Back In Rock 'N' Roll," recorded with the Belmonts (sans Dion). Varese's Where the Action Is: The Very Best 1964-1981 covers those lean years and, while hardly as essential as Palisades Park, it's a must-have for Freddy's faithful flock. Cannon remains a popular attraction on the oldies circuit, where his irrepressible showmanship always brings his audience to their feet.