Gene Vincent - The Day The World Turned Blue (1971)

Apparently unsure of which direction to go in with Gene Vincent as the '70s dawned, Kama Sutra Records and Vincent's management turned back to his roots for The Day the World Turned Blue. Recorded in October of 1970, the result was a strong updating of Vincent's classic sound, fusing rock & roll, R&B, and hard traditional country into a lean, punchy, and frequently powerful -- as well as highly genial -- whole, without taking the risks of his preceding album. Not every song is well-chosen, but the ones that do work (and that's most of them) have the singer fully in his element, and "The Day the World Turned Blue" and "Boppin' the Blues" could easily rate a place on a truly comprehensive best-of Gene Vincent. ~ Bruce Eder