This Is My Bag

AMG Review of This Is My Bag

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

Del Shannon's debut LP for Liberty Records offers a bigger-than-life sound, encompassing elements of garage punk, folk-rock, and the British Invasion, all of it reshaped into something akin to Shannon's classic sound -- as a single, "The Big Hurt" (which utilized his all-but-trademarked melodion sound) even charted in the U.S. Top 100, and he even managed to work a trio of very satisfying originals in amid the covers of songs such as "Kicks," "Lightning Strikes," and "When You Walk in the Room." With Snuff Garrett producing and Leon Russell and Nick DeCaro arranging, the record was a little opulent, but at its core were Shannon's powerful, expressive vocals and a basic rock & roll sound that punched through the reverb and layered instrumentation.