| Rave On Buddy Holly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by Various artists | |
| Released | June 28, 2011 (2011-06-28) |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Length | 51:34 |
| Label | Hear Music,Fantasy/Concord Music Group |
| Producer | Randall Poster, Gelya Robb |
Rave On Buddy Holly is acompilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011, throughFantasy Records/Concord Music Group andHear Music.[1][2][3] Atribute album to musicianBuddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22,[4] the title refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest hits. Contributing artists includedPaul McCartney, who owned Holly's publishing catalog at the time of the album's release, andGraham Nash, a former member ofThe Hollies, who were named in commemoration of Holly.[5]
Critical reception of the compilation album was positive overall; many reviewers appreciated the album in its entirety but criticized select performances.Rave On Buddy Holly reached a peak position of number 15 on theBillboard 200 and also charted on the Top Canadian Albums, Top Digital Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. "Dearest", performed byThe Black Keys, received a nomination forBest Pop Duo/Group Performance at the54th Grammy Awards (2012).
A similar 75th birthday tribute album,Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, was issued just over two months later. It contained a similar range of songs, but by a different group of artists—althoughZooey Deschanel appears on both albums (as a solo artist onListen to Me and as a member ofShe & Him onRave On).
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The album opens withThe Black Keys' "Dearest", just over two minutes in length.[4]Cee Lo Green's vocals on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" last just ninety-three seconds; the song has a total length of just over one minute and thirty seconds.[4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| BBC Music | (positive)[6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[7] |
| NPR | (positive)[4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (3.8/10)[8] |
| Paste | (8.9/10)[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| The Salt Lake Tribune | A−[11] |
| Spin | (8/10)[12] |
Overall, critical reception of the album was positive, though many reviewers criticized select tracks.Allmusic'sStephen Thomas Erlewine complimented the artists involved for not settling for "mere replications" of Holly's song, for playing "fast and loose", and for "radically reinterpreting the original" recordings.[1] However, Erlewine describedKaren Elson's cover of "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" as "overly ornate" and categorizedLou Reed's "Peggy Sue" as "turgid grind".[1] David Fricke ofRolling Stone lauded McCartney's "It's So Easy" and Nash's "Raining in My Heart", describing the latter as a "deft balance of folk-rock sparkle and overcast-afternoon sigh". Fricke also appreciated the contributions by Nick Lowe, Justin Townes Earle, and especially Patti Smith's "Words of Love", which he claimed was delivered as a "precious wish" just as Holly had written.[10]BBC Music contributor Mischa Pearlman complimented performances by Smith, Lou Reed, Cee Lo Green, and Julian Casablancas, as well as Kid Rock's "soulful" cover and Modest Mouse's "hushed reimagining" of "That'll Be the Day". Pearlman also criticized McCartney's performance, writing that he "trie[d] a little too hard", and was disappointed by Fiona Apple and Jon Brion's cover for sounding "almost a carbon copy" of the original. She summarized the album as a "wonderful testament to [Holly's] songwriting prowess, longevity and legacy".[6]
Paste magazine's Jeff Gonick positive review highlighted The Black Keys' "beautifully minimalist" cover, Casablancas' "rich and rocky" title track, My Morning Jacket's "beautifully crafted croon", as well as Modest Mouse's performance.[9] Marc Hogan ofSpin magazine gaveRave On Buddy Holly an eight rating on a ten-point scale and described Green's performance as "so good it'll give you hiccups".[12]The Washington Post's Allison Stewart preferred artists whose performances were more similar to the original, including Apple, Elson and Earle; she criticized Modest Mouse and McCartney, whose covers differed greatly from the original, though she complimented Kid Rock's "Detroit soul rave-up" despite its differences.[13]NPR contributor Stephen Thompson wrote a positive review of the album, claiming that the featured musicians "prove to be a nice fit for Holly's timeless words and tunes" and "give this collection the sweetness its source material demands, without losing sight of the melancholy that lies beneath."[4] One reviewer forThe Salt Lake Tribune expressed similar sentiment, describing the album as a "fitting, often avant-garde and unusually fun tip of the hat to one of the best penners of melodies ever", specifically highlighting contributions by Green and McCartney.[11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dearest" | Bob Gibson,Ellas McDaniel, Prentice Herman Polk Jr. | The Black Keys | 2:06 |
| 2. | "Everyday" | Buddy Holly,Norman Petty | Fiona Apple andJon Brion | 2:19 |
| 3. | "It's So Easy" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | Paul McCartney | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Not Fade Away" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | Florence and the Machine | 4:02 |
| 5. | "(You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | Cee Lo Green | 1:31 |
| 6. | "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" | Buddy Holly | Karen Elson | 2:25 |
| 7. | "Rave On" | Norman Petty,Bill Tilghman,Sonny West | Julian Casablancas | 1:55 |
| 8. | "I'm Gonna Love You Too" | Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty,Niki Sullivan | Jenny O. | 2:11 |
| 9. | "Maybe Baby" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | Justin Townes Earle | 2:06 |
| 10. | "Oh Boy" | Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman, Sonny West | She & Him | 2:18 |
| 11. | "Changing All Those Changes" | Buddy Holly | Nick Lowe | 1:41 |
| 12. | "Words of Love" | Buddy Holly | Patti Smith | 3:20 |
| 13. | "True Love Ways" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | My Morning Jacket | 3:25 |
| 14. | "That'll Be the Day" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty,Jerry Allison | Modest Mouse | 2:15 |
| 15. | "Well All Right" | Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Joe Mauldin, Norman Petty | Kid Rock | 2:09 |
| 16. | "Heartbeat" | Bob Montgomery, Norman Petty | The Detroit Cobras | 2:20 |
| 17. | "Peggy Sue" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison | Lou Reed | 3:19 |
| 18. | "Peggy Sue Got Married" | Buddy Holly | John Doe | 3:57 |
| 19. | "Raining in My Heart" | Felice and Boudleaux Bryant | Graham Nash | 3:30 |
| 20. | "It's So Easy" (alternate take;iTunes bonus track) | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | Paul McCartney | 2:27 |
Rave On Buddy Holly peaked at number 15 on theBillboard 200. The album also reached number twenty-one on the Top Canadian Albums chart, number thirteen on the Top Digital Albums chart, and number two on the Top Rock Albums chart.[14] "Dearest", performed byThe Black Keys, received a nomination forBest Pop Duo/Group Performance at the54th Grammy Awards (2012).[15]
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Albums | 21 |
| U.S.Billboard 200 | 15 |
| U.S. Top Digital Albums | 13 |
| U.S. Top Rock Albums | 2 |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | June 28, 2011 | Hear Music | CD | 3267002[1] |
| Fantasy | LP | FAN33123[16] |
| Singles |
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| Studio albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Tribute albums | |
| Related articles | |
