Boss Beat!

AMG Review of Boss Beat!

Arthur Rowe
All Music Guide

This album, which consists mainly of early- to mid-'60s ock & roll songs, arrives nearly ten years after Pat Boone's string of early successes (beginning with "Two Hearts" in early 1955). Long since discarding ock & roll music almost entirely from his recording repertoire, the decision to go forward with a "boss beat" album comes as something of a surprise. But does it dispel the notion at that time that "Pat Boone just can't do ock & roll anymore"? The answer is yes, but with a qualifier. Some of the material here is simply not wisely picked and, accordingly, ill-fits the Boone approach to ock & roll, which requires -- as does all his music -- a melodic backdrop. "Mashed Potato Time," "Loco-Motion," and "Searchin'" just don't fill the bill, and clearly Boone is out of his element with all three. In fairness, though, "Searchin'" does emanate a certain charm, given Boone's tongue-in-cheek, storytelling approach. But once past these tracks, things pick up nicely on "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Raindrops," and "Kansas City," which demonstrate that Boone can be as good as ever. "Sixteen" blasts off but still gains convincing momentum throughout. "Raindrops," with its catchy cha cha-style start (differing distinctly from Dee Clark's classic original), teasingly lays back but comes on to deliver with impact. And Boone takes "Kansas City" to a higher kinetic level, in contrast to Wilbert Harrison's slower-paced original. The other tracks are solid performances all. And the entire album is ably boosted by the backup of the Blossoms, a female R&B group, as well as the keen musical talents of Dave Gates, who produced, arranged, and conducted.