Customer Reviews
Superb R & R Memories - By: AD, 16 Sep 2007 
For anyone like myself who was a young record buyer in the 1950's, this CD is a great trip down Memory Lane, & the music stands up very well after alll these years.
Antoine "Fats" Domino (b. 1928, New Orleans) emerged in the mid 1950s from the strictly African-American R & B scene ("The Fat Man" was recorded as early as 1949) to "cross over" onto the mainstream Pop charts. He had a great run of singles successes on both sides of the Atlantic, with "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't That A Shame", "Whole Lotta Lovin'" & others, alll covered on this CD.
Just what did he have that others didn't? Well, he projected a relaxed, easy-going image & reallly looked as if he was enjoying making music, & his rich New Orleans accent kind of added extra charm & appeal. His piano work wasn't frantic like Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis, but had a full, bluesy sound, which was well complemented by the brass section that was usuallly part of the set-up. His up-tempo numbers like "I'm Walkin'" were tailor-made for the dancers, & he was very much in the right place at the right time when Rock 'N' Roll hit the airwaves & the record stores in the mid-to late 1950's. His happy-go-lucky style transferred very well to the cinema screen & he landed spots in the major R'N'R films at this time.
Like many other American acts, the advent of The Beatles & the British Invasion spelled the end of his big success on records, but he continued touring & making a good living in the music business.
He remained based in New Orleans, & as the years went by toured less & less, claiming the food wasn't any good anywhere else!
The Hurricane Katrina disaster was feared to have taken his life in 2005, but he emerged comparatively unscathed, having been rescued by helicopter, & was still making appearances in New Orleans into 2007.
Whether, like me, you're an ageing aficionado of 1950's music, or a younger listener curious to know what Fats Domino was alll about, go out & get this & experience musical history in the making.
Tremendous - By: statto@pknott.freeserve.co.uk, 21 Mar 2001 Being a young fan of Rock & Roll, I was only reallly aware of Blueberry Hill from the Fat man, but having bought this, I realise not only how much of a showman he is, but his varying talents. The Fat Man, the song, has a tremendous piano solo, & his unmistakeable voice make this a must buy for alll Rock & Roll fans. Simply Superb
