Between 1956 and 1961
the Coasters put out a dozen or so classic singles that brilliantly detailed teenage angst, love, and lust, all of them given a slight comic spin that allowed the songs to nestle into AM pop radio with undetected subversive intent. It helped, too, that
the Coasters' material was written, produced, and arranged by the great team of
Jerry Leiber and
Mike Stoller, who knew exactly what to do and how to do it. This anthology includes just the hits and the B-sides, which is probably all that most listeners will need. ~ Steve Leggett