One of the great mysteries of classic R&B is that despite being one of the most exciting live acts during the 1950s, the Treniers never had a hit. Not even a regional break-out or a neighborhood hit. Compounding that mystery is the fact that they were the first R&B act ever on national television and they appeared on the big screen several times as well (check them out on YouTube). Perhaps it was that the record-buying public merely saw them as a show band, or perhaps, as this CD suggests, the Treniers seemingly recorded a string of novelty records. The group centered around two twin brothers from Mobile, but really the group lived out of their suitcases for four decades as they toured non-stop.

The group also recorded for seven different labels during the 1950s, including stops at Columbia and RCA. Many of the early tracks have a bop feeling, as the lead instrument is an alto sax and there’s no guitar present. There’s definitely no lack of energy here as many of the song titles indicate—”Go! Go! Go!,” “Rock Calypso Joe,” “Everything’s Wild in Wildwood,” and “Get Out of the Bushes.” The Treniers even amusingly cover Professor Longhair’s “Baldhead” here. Granted, they are an acquired taste, but if you’re in the mood to rock awhile, as the title of this CD indicates, you might want to check this one out.