Memorial Collection is a 2009 compilation album of American singer–songwriter and rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly's master takes and hit singles, including some rare recordings. Along with Down the Line: Rarities, this album was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Holly's death (February 3, 1959).[7]

Memorial Collection
Compilation album by
ReleasedFebruary 10, 2009
Recorded1954 – January 20, 1959[1]
GenreRock and roll, pop
Length126:21
LabelDecca/Geffen
ProducerOwen Bradley, Norman Petty, Bob Thiele, Dick Jacobs, Andy McKaie[1]
Buddy Holly chronology
Down the Line: Rarities
(2009)
Memorial Collection
(2009)
Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings And More
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Blender[3]
Paste(97/100)[4]
Pitchfork Media(7.7/10)[5]
Rolling Stone[6]

Reception

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In an interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Holly's eldest brother Larry Holley commented before hearing both this compilation and Down the Line: Rarities, "María [Elena Holly] told me I was definitely going to just break down and cry when I hear all these CDs, because they've cleaned them (the songs) all up and Buddy's music never has come across so pure before."[8]

The critical reception for Memorial Collection was fairly positive. The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine compliments the collection's progression in Holly's work, while he says that several bootleg recordings, including a ten-disc collection, have more music.[2] Robert Christgau, writing for Blender, thinks that the album could easily have fit on to two discs and says that the most interesting songs on the collection were the "undubbed" recordings.[3] Ed Ward, writing for Paste, complimented Erick Labson's remastering, which he thinks made the recordings clearer than he's ever heard them. He feels that Buddy's New York City recordings produced by Dick Jacobs were the low part of the collection, but that Buddy's apartment tapes were much better.[4] Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media feels that the Memorial Collection not completely needed most of the songs were already released on From the Master Tapes and Buddy Holly Collection, but he feels that the Memorial Collection still has several interesting tracks, like those with Bob Montgomery, and feels that the "undubbed" recordings add to the collection, but he feels that several of the "finished" recordings should have been included also.[5] The Rolling Stone review of the album by Barry Walters gave a basic description of the album and summarizes Buddy Holly's career.[6]

Memorial Collection generally got higher ratings from critics than Down the Line: Rarities.[2][4][5][9]

Track listing

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Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Down the Line" (Buddy & Bob) (undubbed)Bob Montgomery, Norman Petty, Buddy Holly2:03
2."Soft Place in My Heart" (Buddy & Bob) (undubbed)Montgomery2:16
3."You and I Are Through" (Buddy & Bob)Montgomery2:06
4."Midnight Shift"Jimmy Ainsworth, Earl Lee2:11
5."Love Me"Sue Parrish, Holly2:08
6."Don't Come Back Knockin'"Parrish, Holly2:15
7."Blue Days, Black Nights"Ben Hall2:05
8."Baby, Won't You Come Out Tonight"Don Guess1:57
9."I'm Gonna Set My Foot Down"Holly2:18
10."Changing All Those Changes"Holly1:41
11."Rock-a-Bye Rock"Holly2:23
12."Rock Around with Ollie Vee"Sonny Curtis2:13
13."Girl on My Mind"Guess2:18
14."Ting-A-Ling"Nugetre2:42
15."Modern Don Juan"Guess, Jack Neal2:41
16."Holly Hop" (undubbed)Holly1:39
17."Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" (undubbed)Chuck Berry2:04
18."That'll Be the Day"Petty, Holly, Jerry Allison2:17
19."I'm Looking for Someone to Love"Holly, Petty1:58
20."Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"Ruth Roberts, Bill Katz, Stanley Clayton2:10
Total length:43:25
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Words of Love"Holly1:55
2."Not Fade Away"Charles Hardin [Holly], Petty2:22
3."Everyday"Hardin, Petty2:09
4."Ready Teddy"Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco1:33
5."Tell Me How"Hardin, Allison, Petty2:00
6."Oh, Boy!"Sunny West, Bill Tilghman, Petty2:09
7."Listen to Me"Hardin, Petty2:22
8."Peggy Sue"Allison, Petty, Holly2:31
9."I'm Gonna Love You Too"Joe Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Petty2:14
10."It's Too Late"Chuck Willis2:24
11."Maybe Baby"Petty, Hardin2:03
12."You've Got Love"Johnny Wilson, Roy Orbison, Petty2:08
13."Rock Me My Baby"Susan Heather, Shorty Long1:50
14."Look at Me"Petty, Holly, Allison2:07
15."You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)"Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller1:37
16."Little Baby"Holly, Petty, C. W. Kendall1:57
17."Rave On"West, Tilghman, Petty1:50
18."Well... All Right"Petty, Holly, Allison, Mauldin2:14
19."Take Your Time"Petty, Holly1:58
20."Fool's Paradise"Sonny Le Claire, Horace Linsley, Petty2:28
Total length:41:51
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Think It Over"Holly, Petty1:48
2."Heartbeat"Montgomery, Petty2:09
3."It's So Easy"Holly, Petty2:11
4."Lonesome Tears"Holly1:48
5."Love's Made a Fool of You"Holly, Montgomery2:01
6."Wishing"Holly, Montgomery2:03
7."Early in the Morning"Bobby Darin, Woody Harris2:07
8."Now We're One"Darin2:06
9."Reminiscing"King Curtis2:00
10."True Love Ways"Petty, Holly2:50
11."It Doesn't Matter Anymore"Paul Anka2:04
12."Raining in My Heart"Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant2:49
13."What to Do" (undubbed)Holly1:54
14."Peggy Sue Got Married" (undubbed)Holly1:50
15."That Makes It Tough" (undubbed)Holly2:17
16."Crying, Waiting, Hoping" (undubbed)Holly1:52
17."Learning the Game" (undubbed)Holly1:34
18."You're the One" (undubbed)Holly, Waylon Jennings, Slim Corbin1:31
19."Smokey Joe's Cafe" (undubbed)Leiber, Stoller2:16
20."Dearest" (undubbed)Ellas McDaniel, Prentice Polk, Mickey Baker1:51
Total length:41:01

Personnel

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The following people contributed to Memorial Collection:[1]

Release details

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Country Date Label Format Catalog number
United States February 10, 2009 UMe, Geffen, Decca CD B0011337-02 (6 02517 72652 9)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Memorial Collection (CD liner). Buddy Holly. Decca/Geffen Records. 2009. B0011337-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Memorial Collection by Buddy Holly". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (April 2009). "Review: Memorial Collection by Buddy Holly". Blender. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Ward, Ed (February 2009). "Buddy Holly: Memorial Collection and Down the Line: Rarities". Paste (51). ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Deusner, Stephen M. (February 5, 2009). "Album Review: Buddy Holly: Memorial Collection / Down the Line: Rarities". Pitchfork Media.
  6. ^ a b Walters, Barry (February 5, 2009). "Review: Memorial Collection by Buddy Holly". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  7. ^ "Geffen, Vintage Vinyl do right by Buddy Holly". APP.com. January 15, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  8. ^ Kerns, William (March 14, 2009). "Oh Boy! New collections released". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  9. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Down the Line: Rarities by Buddy Holly". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
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