Wanda Jackson

There were plenty of slicked-back boys fighting for their share of the spotlight in the wake of Elvis Presley, but Wanda Jackson was one of the rare rockabilly gals of the '50s. It was Elvis himself who recommended that the Oklahoman set aside her country leanings for the time being and rock a little. That she did, drawing on a voice that cut through the din with a surplus of sass and a session band that included guitarists Joe Maphis and Buck Owens. This 20-song anthology mixes country and rockabilly sides, but while Wanda Jackson is likable tackling honky-tonk, she shines as a rockabilly spitfire. The likes of "Riot in Cell Block #9," "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," and "Let's Have a Party" offered an early affirmative to the question: "Can a gal rock?" The real mindblower here, however, is "Fujiyama Mama," which opens with Wanda boasting: "I've been to Nagasaki / Hiroshima, too / The same I did to them, baby, I can do to you." Pretty strange claim, considering only a dozen years had passed since two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. --Steven Stolder