Little Willie John

Little Willie John's second album for King, Mister Little Willie John, finds the little singer with the huge voice belting out a variety of tunes ranging from big ballads to rocking R&B to swinging blues. Unlike on his first two records, John is joined much of the time here by a vocal chorus. He sounds as great as always, but the music can't help but be weakened by the extra sweetening, especially on the uptempo tracks like "Look What You've Done to Me" and "Let's Rock While the Rockin's Good." The tracks where the vocal group is kept in check are the tracks that make the record worth seeking out. These include the fingerpopping "You Got to Get Up Early in the Morning," "Let's Rock While the Rockin's Good," "A Little Bit of Lovin'," "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me," and the cute rockabilly novelty "Spasms." Even though some of the material is not up to par, the album is still worth seeking out due to Little Willie John's amazing voice. He could give you goose bumps singing the directions for programming a VCR. For a demonstration, check him out on the swooning "You're a Sweetheart." You just can't get too much of Little Willie John. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide