BY RIK FLYNN
Despite the comparably small catalogue left us by Eddie Cochran before he was so cruelly struck down, it’s disproportionately good. In his short life, Eddie conceived a rare portfolio that stood him apart and, furthermore, he was by no means a one-trick pony. This, of course, makes it almost impossible to slim down to just 20 songs, let alone put them in some kind of discernible order of merit.
Aside from the God-given skills that singled him out as one of his era’s finest songsmiths, listening through Eddie’s solo material in its entirety reminds us of his astounding agility as a guitarist. Ask any one of the respected musicians of the 50s and 60s who are still with us – or indeed any musician in the world today – and they’ll doubtless share our admiration for Cochran’s jaw-detaching ability to thrill with a six-string. The sound of Eddie nonchalantly dancing up and down the fretboard of his iconic Gretsch 6120, or strumming out those instantly recognisable rhythms on his Martin acoustic, is one of life’s simple pleasures. As such, any listing of Eddie Cochran tunes, in any order, is guaranteed to bring joy to anyone who calls themselves a fan of rock’n’roll – this is just one of those rundowns… Enjoy!