Back on Top might be a slight overstatement in regards to Carl Perkins'
late-'60s return to Columbia. He did not quite tear up the charts but
he did have a considerable comeback, especially in terms of quality,
creating music that arguably surpassed his Sun recordings in depth and
range, even if it didn't produce any songs as iconic as "Blue Suede
Shoes" or "Matchbox." This resurgence -- partially fueled by having been
Johnny Cash's wingman -- on Columbia and his subsequent short stint at
Mercury is documented on Bear Family's four-disc box set Back on Top,
its title a play on the name of his 1969 album On Top, which peaked at
42. All his master recordings from On Top until 1973's excellent My
Kind of Country are here -- including his NRBQ-supported 1970 set
Boppin' the Blues -- along with a disc that's billed as demos, but
these aren't stripped-down guitar-and-voice things from Carl; they're
full-fledged band records, raw and vigorous, not so much an addendum to
the rest of this box but a complete unreleased album that helps
illustrate how Perkins was flourishing during this time.
Back On Top (CD 1)
01. Constantly (2:38)
02. Restless (2:44)
03. 1143 (2:25)
04. Little Cowboy Suit (2:49)
05. Blue Suede Shoes (2:19)
06. Match Box (2:24)
07. Honey Don't (2:50)
08. Turn Around (2:51)
09. Daddy Sang Bass (2:12)
10. That's Right (2:47)
11. Boppin' The Blues (2:24)
12. Your True Love (1:56)
13. Folsom Prison Blues (2:30)
14. Mean Woman Blues (2:09)
15. Take It Or Leave It (2:12)
16. Walk With Your Neighbour (2:49)
17. For Your Love (2:59)
18. Four Letter Word (2:29)
19. Soul Beat (2:12)
20. Baby, What Did You Do To Me (2:39)
21. Superfool (1:56)
22. Champaign, Illinois (3:00)
23. Riverboat Annie (2:55)
24. A Lion In The Jungle (2:25)
25. Power Of My Soul (3:00)
26. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (2:47)
27. C. C. Rider (You're So Bad) (3:02)
28. I'm Gonna Set My Foot Down (1:58)
29. Boppin' The Blues (with NRBQ) (2:44)
30. Sorry Charlie (with NRBQ) (4:00)
Back On Top (CD 2)
01. Allergic To Love (with NRBQ) (2:50)
02. Turn Around (with NRBQ) (3:03)
03. All Mama's Children (with NRBQ) (1:58)
04. Step Aside (with NRBQ) (1:15)
05. Just Coastin' (1:28)
06. My Son, My Sun (3:32)
07. State Of Confusion (2:50)
08. The Big City Sleeps (3:06)
09. True Love Is Greater Than Friendship (2:33)
10. What Every Little Boy Oughta Know (3:21)
11. Just As Long (2:26)
12. I'll Fly Away (2:45)
13. Me Without You (3:55)
14. Always Be Mine (2:43)
15. Red Heade Woman (2:34)
16. Take Me Back To Memphis (3:22)
17. About All I Can Give Is Love (2:36)
18. You Won't Have To Say You Love Me (2:19)
19. Cotton Top (2:25)
20. High On Love (2:29)
21. Always Be Mine (3:03)
22. Let Me Be The One You Love (3:06)
23. Baby's Gone (2:36)
24. So Warm (2:54)
25. The Trip (4:06)
26. I Still Miss Someone (3:08)
27. The Last Letter (3:57)
28. Someday (2:57)
Back On Top (CD 3)
01. Help Me Dream (2:52)
02. Bless The Children (2:22)
03. You Tore My Heaven To Hell (2:31)
04. One More Loser Going Home (2:37)
05. Goin' To Memphis (2:57)
06. Lord I Sinned Again Last Night (2:46)
07. Just As Long (2:19)
08. (Let's Get) Dixiefried (2:57)
09. Honky Tonk Song (2:13)
10. Love Sweet Love (2:34)
11. Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town (2:41)
12. Never Look Back (2:50)
13. Sunday Dinner (2:59)
14. Sing My Song (2:27)
15. I Want To Be Your Man (2:26)
16. You'll Always Be A Lady To Me (2:51)
17. Rise & Shine (2:26)
18. Mean, Mean Martha (2:25)
19. Low Class (2:42)
20. I Ain't Mad (2:36)
21. The Ep Express (2:29)
22. Big Bad Blues (2:44)
23. Restless (2:50)
24. Honey Don't (2:50)
25. Turn Around (2:51)
26. That's Right (2:46)
27. Walk With Your Neighbor (2:50)
28. For Your Love (2:52)
29. Four Letter Word (2:22)
Back On Top (CD 4)
01. Cotton Top (2:53)
02. Good Times Are Just Around The Corner (2:20)
03. Born Equal (3:12)
04. Step It Up & Go (1:49)
05. The Big City Sleeps (3:37)
06. Bottoms Up (2:20)
07. Poor Boy Blues (2:32)
08. When You're A Man On Your Own (2:06)
09. Take A Good Look At Me (3:04)
10. Restless (2:31)
11. The Bottom Of The Bottle (2:49)
12. Sorry Charlie (2:15)
13. Rise & Shine (2:19)
14. Wild Card (2:21)
15. So Wrong (3:06)
16. The Lord's Fishing Hole (4:01)
17. Goin' To Memphis (2:58)
