Getting Better All the Time

Getting Better All the Time compiles most of Barbara Pittman's recordings for Sun and Phillips International, including her classic rockabilly cuts "I Need a Man," "Sentimental Fool," "Everlasting Love," and the title cut. Other tracks veer toward country ("Cold Cold Heart") or teen-oriented pop ("Two Young Fools in Love"), and the collection is rounded out with both sides of a single she recorded with a vocal group as the Sunrays and many alternate takes and demos. Pittman is revered by rockabilly cultists as a pioneering woman of rock & roll, but her legacy mostly boils down to the few aforementioned rockabilly cuts; the remaining material is largely disposable, particularly the inferior alternate takes. This 27-song CD offers good value for its low import price, but there is too much mediocre music here to make it worthwhile for any but the most avid rockabilly and Sun Records collectors.