The Raging Teens, Vol. 2

The second entry in this three-volume set is no less potent, collecting up 18 tracks of early New England-style rockabilly and rock & roll. Kicking off with Ricky Coyne & His Guitar Rockers doing "Rolling Pin Mim," and nine of the tracks come from previously unissued acetates from private collections. Ricky Coyne's blazing take of Larry Williams' "Short Fat Fannie" is one of these and one of the true highlights of the set. But equally fine in the unissued department are Curtis Johnson's "Headin' For The High School Hop," the Del Mingos' "Hop, Skip And Jump," and an alternate version of "Gangwar" by Gene Maltais that's even faster than the breakneck pace of the original 45 and sports the "original" lyrics to boot. Not as many "collectibles" as on the first volume, but some fine and rare teen band racket nonetheless, and perhaps the only place you can find a rock & roll compilation with someone named Dwarless Fearsley on it.