Joe Maphis, Fire on the Strings - 46m 27s

Tracks & Durations

1. Fire on the Strings [1955]	2:36
2. Randy Lynn Rag [1957]	2:47
3. Twin Banjo Special [1956]	2:12
4. Bully of the Town [1956]	2:15
5. Flying Fingers [1956]	2:41
6. Lorrie Ann [1957]	3:01
7. Tennessee Two Step [1956]	2:30
8. Floggin' the Banjo [1956]	2:05
9. Guitar Rock and Roll [1956]	2:25
10. Town Hall Shuffle [1956]	2:43
11. Sweet Fern [1956]	2:33
12. Katy Warren Breakdown [1957]	2:47
13. Marching to Pretoria [1958]	2:19
14. Early American [1957]	1:51
15. The Rockin' Gypsy [1957]	2:23
16. Hurricane [1957]	2:10
17. Bye, Bye [1957]	2:25
18. Short Recess [1959]	2:01
19. Moonshot [1959]	2:33

Note: The information about this album is acquired from the publicly available resources and we are not responsible for their accuracy.

Review

There was nothing nuanced about Joe Maphis, a star on Southern California's Town Hall Party television show in the 1950s. Playing a double-necked Mos-Rite Special guitar he helped design, Maphis was arguably the first picker to adapt fiddle breakdowns for guitar, and the hell-bent-for-leather title tune was his calling card. Occasionally, he'd turn in a relaxed, swinging performance like "Bully of the Town," or a seamless, well-paced workout like "Guitar Rock and Roll." But mostly he just burned, as on "Flying Fingers." Needless to add, this often worked better live than on record, and the real showstoppers here didn't even appear on the original 1957 album. On four of the seven bonus tracks, Maphis and protégé Larry Collins play rockin' country together like white on rice, especially on the charging "Hurricane," where they pull out all the stops, and the bluesy "Bye, Bye," a perfect balance of flash and restraint. --John Morthland

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