Born to be a Rolling Stone

The Be-Bop-a-Lula Gene Vincent is fine by me, but I love his later work even more, especially the twelve songs he cut in 1966 with Glen Campbell on guitar. The songs are fantastic with one notable exception, but it's the voice that kills. Ten more years of pain and booze and the yearning aches, ya know? That voice- jesus- hard to imagine so much abuse didn't destroy it, but that sound dazzles. We're a long way from rockabilly, but it ain't easy to categorize. You get the hard-rocking "Bird-Doggin'" and the gorgeous pop of "Love is a Bird" and the swinging "Poor Man's Prison" and the wistful "Lonely Street." That doesn't include "Hurtin' for You Baby," "Born to be a Rolling Stone" and "Ain't That Too Much," which all have huge hooks delivered in that voice. The only stinker is "Hi-Lili Hi-Lo," which sounds like he's auditioning for a Julie Andrews' movie. This album wasn't released in America right after he made it, but it comes in several varieties now. I'm staring at a British version with Gene kneeling Paul Hornung-style by his star on Hollywood Blvd. He looks like he can barely hold that grin a second longer before he'll have to beat a child. This one is called Born to be a Rolling Stone, but I've also seen it as Ain't That Too Much- The Complete Challenge Sessions and Bird-Doggin'. It don't matter. The songs remain the same, and that voice- damn.