Essential
Rhythm and noise duke it out for the listener's attention on Little Richard's classic Specialty records. The future reverend chants and screams his often surreal--they used to call it "nonsensical"--tales of life ("Tutti Frutti"), love ("Jenny Jenny"), and rock ("Ready Teddy") over pounding piano, thumping drums, and one of the greatest horn presences (both ensemble and solo) in the history of 20th-century music. this disc makes his case better than the written word ever could, though.--Rickey Wright