Danny and the Juniors Greatest Hits

I have begun to renew my interest in doo wop and 50's rock'n'roll in general (not that I ever lost it, but now I am investing in it again) and starting to pick up on some of the cool doo wop groups from the time. Surprisingly, Danny and the Juniors did not appear on the comp that I recently acquired, but I found this 2 CD set at a discount price and had to pick it up!

Of course, their huge hits, "At the Hop" (revitalized by Sha Na Na in the Woodstock movie) and "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" (one of the main reasons I bought this) and the first two numbers here, but, of course, there is much more. Coming from Philadelphia, they were somewhat mentored by  Dick Clark and, naturally influenced by his American Bandstand and made a number of other records dedicated to dance crazes - "The Pony Express", "(Do The) Mashed Potatoes", "Twistin' USA" among others - and put out several darn funny - and catchy! -  novelty songs like "Some Kind of Nut" and "Crazy Cave".

As the 60's dawned and the era became defined by new music, they struggled to maintain some relevancy with a look back at their original hit in "Back to the Hop" and more dance tunes dedicated to steps like the Limbo, the Continental, and, yes, the Twist - including a collaboration with Freddy Cannon on "Twistin' All Night Long".

As with many 50's phenomenons, their original work is their best, but this is a fine set through'n'through and a great look back!