It's easy to forget how rock and roll ran its entire course around 55'-57' and disappeared for at least as long. In retrospect, rock and roll is here to stay / will never die / is only just now dying in 2017. Hah! Hah hah!
By 1957 Larry Williams put out his biggest hit, Short Fat Fanny. It's good fun, but already as played out and derivative as imaginable. Nicking longtime friend Little Richard's delivery, the big dumb sax of a dozen songs, and altogether rolling around in rememberthat. Doubt it? It's right on the sleeve, the lyrics dropping references to Blueberry Hill, Long Tall Sally, Heartbeak Hotel, Tutti Frutti, Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes, Jim Dandy, and a little bit of gettin' Fever. It's as overtly postmodern a song as the era's got to offer...57! It's kinda brilliant that roundabout way.
But Williams is riding the last wave in, singing about a brand new dance, and great balls of fire, flogging the innuendo that lead us to rock with only the barest concession the the second entendre. Hell, the serpent eats itself mid-collection: he even calls back to his own Bony Moronie on another song.
It's all good rockin stuff, but man, no wonder people thought rock was over and done as the 50's came to a close - this's a feast of freshly rotten nostalgia 3/5
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