Perfect for Parties—now that's an audacious title. Not just good, but perfect. Well, almost.

I can't really find fault with the music, which is top notch on at least 28 of the 30 tracks on this chock-full-o'-goodness compilation from European rockabilly labels Rhtyhm Bomb and El Toro. It's just that there are two downright depressing tracks that I can't imagine wanting to hear at any kind of party, unless it was hosted by Reverend Jim Jones.

But rather than pick nits with the title, let's talk about that terrific music. It's rockabilly, sure enough, from the blues-drenched "One Way Ticket" by Canada's Ronnie Hayward to the two-stepping "Never Had a Love" of Germany's Round-Up Boys to my personal favorite, Frenchman Jack Face's "You're So Dumb". The song is more infectious than cholera, full of that saturated treble that made Johnny Burnette a legend.

There's some real nice slide-guitar on Jed Clayton & the Rockabouts' "Tarzan Rock", and some great melodic lead work on The Tennessee Boys' "Burning Miles". The gritty, compressed vocals on "Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" by Cherry Casino and the Gamblers is reminiscent of Nick Curran's best work—yeah, it's that good.

And while the cats have been given their due, let's not forget the kittens. Betsy-Dawn Williams delivers hopped-up Go-Go on "Outterspace Motorspace Scooter Machine", a hard-driving ditty about hot-rodding in the cosmos that has enough boost to get you halfway there. Cari-Lee and the Saddle-Ites take the break-up song to another reverb-heavy level with "Move On", and Cari Lee is back with The Contenders for "Scorched", a red-hot love song. At least that's the order I chose to listen to them in...but I'm an optimist.

Somebody's head will be on somebody's shoulder for Vicky Tafoya and the Big Beat's "So Young", a sweet, surf lullaby a la Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk". Ike and the Capers play the album's other syrupy-sweet ballad, "Come into My Arms", an under-the-mirror-ball classic in the making if ever there was one.

By no means do I mean to slight the handful of great bands not yet mentioned, like longtime favorites The Chrome Daddies, Hopped Up, Eddy and the Backfires, and others, but by now you get the point. This is first-rate original rockabilly from all over the world, and it's damn-near perfect, whether you’re at a party or not.