Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
1957
Album Summary
The "Chirping" Crickets is the debut album from the American rock and roll band the Crickets, led by Buddy Holly. It was the group's only album released during Holly's lifetime. In 2012, the album was ranked number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album also appears in the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The LP was released in the US in 1957, and in the UK in 1958. It was re-released by Coral in 1962 as Buddy Holly and the Crickets. After being out of print for many years, it was reissued as a remastered CD in 2004 with bonus tracks.
WikipediaOne of my favourite albums ever. Also, one of my favourite anecdote ever, taken from Little Richards self biography "The Life and Times of Little Richard". Angel, a stripper, later on said this MIGHT not be true, but seriously, never fact check a good story. “One time Buddy came into my dressing room while I was jacking off with Angel sucking my titty. Angel had the fastest tongue in the west. She was doing that to me and Buddy took out his thing. She opened up her legs and he put it in her. He was having sex with Angel, I was jacking off, and Angel was sucking me when they introduced his name on stage. He finished and went to the stage still fastening himself up. I’ll never forget that. He came and he went.”
The ones you know (Oh Boy!, Not Fade Away, Maybe Baby, It's Too Late, That'll Be The Day) are straight fire, though not a raging one. Just a few isolated fires, actually. Perfectly controlled and never threatening to spread. In other words, Holly wasn't a purveyor of the type of excess the 60s myth tells us his brand of R'n'R turned into (but probably didn't). He was a formalist, a model railway builder, a de rigger songsmith. When he was great--which wasn't all the time, as the duller numbers here testify to--he crafted rockers where every strum, hum and warble was in service to a rhythm that never muscles through like Chuck Berry or skitters tilt-a-whirl like Little Richard but doesn't need to. Tiny paintbrush and glue gun in hand in hand, Holly crafted space for everything to breathe, creating the effect of songs more compulsive and propulsive than they really are. And effect is all. The apotheosis is when everything but the drums and Holly's voice drop out in the fourth chorus of That'll Be the Day. It goes "When. You (boom). Make (boom). Me (boom). Cry (boom)-y (boom)." At that moment, you can literally hear early-Beatles John Lennon take the baton from him. Except not really - that's preposterous.
I was brought up on this stuff, Dad was a huge Buddy Holly fan. These songs are ingrained in my soul, I knew them all before I even knew what music was. They've always been there, and I love them like family members. It's all so damn cheerful as well, how can you not love it! I wish there were more than 25 minutes of this.
One of those defining classics that exists at a very particular time and place. It's an extremely well-performed, well-written album deserving of a place on this list for its historical importance alone, but it still holds up musically more than 60 years after its recording.
What a sweet record from Buddy Holly! While I don't remember ever giving The "Chirping" Crickets a full listen before, I'm pretty sure I was listening from the womb as he was someone my parents had on the radio or spinning in the console. As one of the early rock-n-roll troubadours, his short 22 years of life not only influenced rock music moving forward, but was a definitive variable in my own musical development. The record is wonderful from beginning to end and has just inspired a 50s rock-n-roll listening party here in me. All I've listened to since yesterday morning is Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson and more. With fresh ears I'm transported back to my childhood and the childhoods of my parents. Thanks for your music, Buddy! It's made a difference in endless lives. RIP.
One of the beginnings of rock and roll documented and a great album with loads of influential songs to be found on it
An unbelievable debut. Somewhat inconsistent, but the highs are incredibly high and hugely influential. And no song over 2:30. The influence is sometimes taken for granted as is genre blending aspect of the tunes. Hits especially hard considering Holly's tragic death.
the 50s are the first decade of music i really care about that much, and probably the first decade that's all that interesting outside of like a few notable albums or w/e. maybe someones gonna see this thats really really really into 40s music but i doubt it. if u are that person, please give me recommendations, i'd love to have my horizons expanded :D personally i think it makes since, the 50s are the first decade with many musicians that get referenced a lot. even if someone like frank sinatra or buddy holly or miles davis or whatever is fairly far removed at this point from modern music, u can probably still recognize their names. maybe ur even really into their music!!! i think one thing everyone can agree on, though, is that a lot of 50s music is kinda lame. either quality-wise, or just sort of intangibly lame. obviously this isnt a blanket statement but like...doo-wop, 50s pop, most 50s rock, all that stuff is kinda lame by now. it doesnt have to be in a bad way though!! this album is very lame and silly, but that's just part of the charm. it's fun!!! everything here is pretty simple, short, and focused on being catchy, and the full album is under a half hour. probably for the best. if u have it in u to enjoy old-ass rock music this is definitely worth a listen :P
Didn't think I'd like it but then ended up enjoying it. Half Elvis, half roy or bison, which is to be expected I guess. The slow songs are a bit boring and every song has a very 50s, suburban, milk bar with my best girl and no colored people allowed vibe, but I like the rockabilly. Just wish Buddy would get a bit looser with that but I guess we had to wait for mick and John to do that for us.
I often talk about the Beatles like they’re two different bands: the early stuff like “Hard Day’s Night” and “Help”, where they sing about love between two people; and the shift right around “Rubber Soul/Revolver” where they start singing about Love, between ALL people. And the early stuff is fine, but the later stuff is truly iconic and world changing. What I’m getting at here is, this album is Buddy Holly’s “early stuff”, where he’s singing about a boy and a girl, and what boys and girls do. And it’s great, it really is. In fact, it inspired the early Beatles IMMENSELY. But, man! If only Buddy Holly had lived long enough to get to his “world-changing” period… maybe there wouldn’t even BE a Beatles, at least, not like we think of them today. Buddy had a head start, after all. Tragic loss. Oh well, there’s some great fun songs on here. “Oh Boy” and “That’ll Be the Day”, in particular.
It is really hard to rate this. Buddy Holly is so engrained in the history of pop music that it is unfair to judge without that lens. I appreciate it but since it set the stage for so much later that it sounds a bit quaint now. It is a shame we never saw him develop as an artist. 4.5/5
This was an alright listen. Quick and easy to digest, but nothing special for me.
An endearingly dorky amalgam of styles. Doo-wop, country honkin' vocals and that jangly Strat. More spacious and immediate than I'd remembered, I dig that cardboard box beat. Way better than Bill fuckin' Haley.
Il s'agit probablement de l'album le plus ringard du générateur, emmené par un Martin Lamotte en dessous de tout qui a toutefois su rebondir ces dernières années avec la série Nos Chers Voisins.
It’s so interesting to listen to this because it sounds so tame to us now, but I just have to imagine how scandalous it sounded to adult ears at the time.
An amazing voice and amazing guitar tone. Not sure why anyone ever wrote another love song, because Buddy Holly covered all the bases on this album. A truly great record.
I loved this album. You can really hear the impact it would have on subsequent acts. Terrific music.
By far my favorite early rock and Roll artist. The first singer/songwriter and a huge influence on the British invasion bands and beyond. Buddy Holly was the most forward thinking and innovative of all his contemporaries. 5 huge 🌟
I've seen other bands release their "Greatest Hits" that didn't have the number of hits that this album, which isn't a "Greatest Hits", has.
Every one a winner. This music changed everything permanently and deserves 5 stars for that. It's dated now, but still hugely influential and important.
Added to "Old songs to listen to on US road trips to give you an American vibe" playlist
Classic BH&C album - should be high in every best-of list so no surprise it is included here.
By far my favorite early rock and Roll artist. The first singer/songwriter and a huge influence on the British invasion bands and beyond. Buddy Holly was the most forward thinking and innovative of all his contemporaries. 5 huge 🌟
buddy holly e os grilos é muito bão (e historicamente importante) mas eu fiquei mais impactada é ca maldição do ome q doideira
As far as classic rock 'n' roll goes, it doesn't get too much better than Buddy Holly
What can I say? A third of this album I grew up hearing and have no question as to their greatness. The other two-thirds were great as well. This is a timeless classic that I should have listened to long ago.
A flawless album. I often wonder about how his career would have gone had he not got on that plane.
I loved this! It is nostalgic for a time I wasn’t even alive, but have visited by watching films like Stand by Me!
My dad once told me Buddy was essential for my music education and since I first discovered him, I have never never looked back! A legend who was one of the first to write, produce, perform, and market himself in a band, be the nerdy contrast the more Hollywood Elvis. This albums has rock n roll in its first true form with 12 bar blues and 50s chord progressions, catchy choruses and singable melodies, with ranging rhythms for each song. To me, his works are one of the first true rock masterpieces.
Brilliant and important, must have been startling at the time. Probably the shortest album on this list - 25 minutes! I loved it.
Such a legendary album. B.Holly die so young, but he left a huge mark in Rock and Roll history. Huge influence for the Beatles and many other bands. Favorite songs: That'll Be The Day, Not Fade Away,
How many Name and The Nouns rock and roll bands can you identify just from the guitar tone or a split second of the vo-hocals of any track? I'd guess one. This one. That clean slightly muted jangle and Buddy Holly's polite delivery make them possibly the first band you could be obsessed with. The album has the approach that I tend to credit good punk albums with. 12 songs. 26 minutes. No time to get bored of what's on offer - in fact, with a few tracks, I'd have let them have an extra verse and chorus they're that good!
As I was listening to all these we very familiar songs, that are as firmly embedded in my cultural zeitgeist as the Star Spangled Banner, I pondered whether it was all really up to the hype. Some of the recordings are fairly muddy; Holly’s voice, though he had no trouble carrying every tune and played to his strengths, was not something spectacular. Would it really still carry the same cultural weight without the tragic end looming over it? Ultimately (though his tale can’t of course be unwound from his untimely death) I do think it holds up: early rock/rockabilly classic, and a damned shame we lost everything he might have followed with.
Joyful classic that makes you go up on your feet and give yourself to the rock'n'roll.
Maybe a boomer take, but I really love a simple album like this. All songs are straightforward, short, and catchy. Just don’t make them like this anymore I feel.
What an efficient 26 minutes. The entire blueprint for 60s rock and roll is here in one great collection. Buddy Holly was not the first rock and roller but he was one of the best (actually writing many of his own songs) and it’s tragic that we will never how how he would have grown as an artist over the course of his life. I do however find it astounding that Not Fade Away was track 2 instead of the final song here. What a missed opportunity.
Boy, they sure crammed a lot of greatness into 27 minutes. This album is a blueprint for early rock and roll!
Can't help but judge the album cover here, haha. Whoever cut them out really gave disservice to their hair lol Never heard any of these to my knowledge and I'm surprised by how much I liked it. Having read up a bit on the history of the band and the influence they had on the music forward this definitely belongs on the list. Quite an easy, short listen, which I enjoyed. Saved songs: You've Got Love, That'll Be The Day, Oh Boy!
A bonafide masterpiece full of the peppy rock n' roll staples that set the foundation for everything else to come. It is an absolute pleasure the whole way through, great album from long ago.
p31. 1957. 5 stars Stripped down, primeval white rock'n'roll at its finest. Instantly recognisable sound, packed with genuine classics. It still sounds great today.
the best tracks are written by Holly and the Roy Orbison songs. The songs written by others seem to be written in the style of the time. Holly's songs seem to be something new and would influence artists of the future. Call me crazy, but I can hear Holly's songs influencing Mike Ness and Social Distortion.
Buddy Holly is a legend at this point, but he can be found in his music which features great guitar playing, great songwriting, and a distinctive and oft impersonated vocal style. He could sing slow songs or add a bit of grit to sing songs like 'That'll be the Day.' He was an unconventional rock star; we was clean cut and wore glasses. However, he standardized rock's two guitar, bass and drums lineup and wrote some of rock's most enduring standards.
Buddy Holly was a rock and roll icon in the 50's! Another life gone too soon! I can imagine how scandalous his music must have been in that time period. Looking back at it now, it is more of a pop vibe, but back then, those Strat's would have been making rebellious music that parents of the day hated. Buddy blended his country roots with rockabilly, and pop, and came up with this good ol rock and roll, in line with what Roy Orbison or Elvis Presley were doing. Imagine what Buddy could have done if he had lived longer! Overall, a great album today! Very influential, and trend setting! Will definately listen again to this classic artist and album! Favourite songs: That'll Be the Day, I'm Lookin' For Someone to Love, Not Fade Away, Maybe Baby, Oh Boy!, Last Night, Rock Me My Baby Least favourite songs: If forced to pick, It's Too Late 5/5
a great album with timeless songs, too old fashioned to be in constant rotation but a great album non the less.
в этом альбоме буквально можно услышать как из блюз и кантри трансформируются в рок-н-ролл!
3.5| sin duda un pilar en la base de toda la música rock, incorporar 2 guitarras? eso es del diablo, colocar los coros después de haber grabado la música?, jugar con los tonos y volumen de las guitarras? a que loco se le ocurren esas cosas? que tanto habría hecho si no hubiera muerto repentinamente? habría una superbanda con Ritchie Valens y otros?
Algo muy interesante que viene de escuchar discos como este es que rompen ese estereotipo de que las grabaciones “viejas” suenan mal. Por supuesto, los micrófonos y amplificadores todavía no estaban tan desarrollados, y las técnicas de postproducción apenas daba sus primeros pasos, pero esto es evidencia de que tenemos tecnología para grabar sonido de alta calidad desde ¡hace más de 60 años! Hablando de la música en sí, sé que Buddy Holly es una gran influencia para el rock & roll y por tanto un pilar de mucha de la música que tenemos hoy en día. Puedo identificar cosas en el disco que seguramente influenciaron a Elvis Presley, los Beach Boys y por supuesto a los Beatles. Independientemente del valor histórico, la música es agradable y fácil de escuchar. A pesar de que el rockabilly no es mi género favorito pude escuchar el disco sin problema tres veces al hilo. Escuchar esto automáticamente me hace querer una malteada de vainilla y una hamburguesa double decker con mostaza y catsup.
Can’t believe this came out in 1957. It feels relevant but still has that classic twang that he is known for. Great album and an easy listen
Really cool album! I heard a couple songs that I suspect might have influenced some of Vampire Weekend’s last album
I never thought I'd legit enjoy a Buddy Holly album. 25 tight minutes of rock-n-roll.
1957, Rock and Roll, manche Lieder eher langsamer manche diese schnelle Rock n roll, nice
Rock roots in its fines expression, a little bit of doo wop and classic rock lineup. Just for the historic value this is worth a listen.
I guess this would be considered rockabilly? If so then I think I like it! Reminds me of the Four Seasons a little.
I nice classic. Not something I’d listen to often. So stylistically dated.
Buddy Holly's '50s rock n' roll, as all American as apple pie, the Super Bowl and marrying your 14 year old cousin.