BEFORE BEATLEMANIA…Bobby Rydell: The Singles & Albums Collection 1959-62

Bobby Rydell was one of those “safe” pop singers for kids along with Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton and Fabian, just before the Beatles made all of these pretty boys obsolete. This two disc set mixes hit singles with his early albums in his pre-Ann-Margaret stage of career. He taps into his inner Bobby Darin on Vegas standards like “The Birth Of The Blues,” “That’s My Desire” and “Teach Me Tonight” while delivering polished reads of black R&B hits such as “What’d I Say” and “Ain’t That A Shame”. He also had a handful of bona fide hits such as the raucous (but still boy next doorish) “ Wild One”, “We Got Love” and of course “Volare” and he showed he could carry a beat on “Swingin’ School”. Definitely safe and sane, in now way aware of the upcoming British Invasion that would make everyone forget the singing Archie Andrews.