Collectors Series: Gene Vincent (1990)

Like many early rock & roll greats, Gene Vincent is rarely recalled beyond his biggest hit, the sparse, sexy ''Be-Bop-A-Lula.'' But as the 1956-58 Collectors Series compilation proves, Vincent — a Presleyesque figure without the polite manners or romantic instincts — used an echo chamber, a great band, and a black-leather-jacket persona to electrify the innocent fun of southern rockabilly and create a soundtrack for juvenile delinquent fantasies. As unthreatening as these songs seem today, it's hard to miss the sound of teen rebellion brewing in Vincent's persuasive vocals. A

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