Did you ever notice how real, hardcore fanatics sometimes seem a little...unbalanced, even nuts? This 24-song CD explains why that is, and it is for the best of all possible reasons -- because the real devotees of the sound know, in their hearts as well as their minds, that they're mapping a creative iceberg, of which perhaps ten percent (if that) was ever visible to the public at large, while the other nine-tenths were hidden, and that a lot of the acts in that hidden 90 percent were at least as deserving of recognition as the ten percent who got a grab at the brass ring. is credited to , but they actually account for only eight of the songs here -- the disc is actually a superb compilation of some of the best music ever to come out of , an offshoot of Chicago's . In addition to eight very hot sides cut by , who hailed from Chicago, the disc also features five sides left behind by the Cleveland-spawned , featuring future mainstay ; ; and . The material is far and away the strongest group of songs here, the group showing great range and power on the rhythm numbers ( ) and exceptional panache on the ( ). And although they're not quite up to the same standard as , ' five songs, starting with the B-side are well worth hearing for their actual qualities and not their sheer obscurity. This was obviously a quartet with a lot of potential in both directions; the harmonizing on is close to exquisite, though their forte was clearly the harder rhythm numbers, including were also better at the rhythm numbers, and so good that their is worth the price of admission by itself -- it's got an infectious beat and lyric, and the /saxophone call and response in the middle is catchy on its own terms (and the sax solo that follows suitably hot as well). It's impossible to judge them, or and , based on the mere pair or trio of tracks represented here, although none would have been out of place on the (or even the charts) at some points between 1953 and 1957. by is, except for its unusually assertive guitar break, almost a throwback to '40s , and so good-natured in spirit despite its sexual subject matter that one can imagine it just sneaking onto the listings (though, more likely, it would have been a cover by that made those listings). Some of the best is saved for the end -- is as fine a dance number as any that made the charts, and might lead nearly anyone (dancer or not) to try out a few steps while listening to it. The sound is excellent throughout and the notes by tell as much as is known about most of these acts, all of which are essential listening for fans of '50s music in general, as well as records. ~ Bruce Eder