Write a Review
Critic's Review
Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
The Very Best of Bull Moose Jackson: Big Ten-Inch Record contains 25 of the jump blues saxophonist's classic sides recorded for King between 1947 and 1955. He is probably best known for his wild, double entendre-filled single from 1952, "Big Ten Inch Record," which was later covered by Aerosmith. Rightly so, for it is truly a classic song. The rest of the disc is made up of rocking blues, madcap jazz, romantic ballads, and goofy novelty songs, all featuring Jackson's tough blowing and a real sense of joy and abandon. The best tracks from the early '50s, like the dirty Leiber & Stoller-written "Nosey Joe," a hopping take on "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me," and the silly "Big Fat Mamas Are Back in Style," show that Jackson was one of the jump blues cats who helped pave the way for rock & roll, and this collection is a vital document for anyone who wants to discover the roots of rock. It is also the best Bull Moose Jackson collection yet with the most tracks and the best sound.
