Memorial Collection

Memorial Collection is a 2009 compilation album of American singer–songwriter and rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly's master takes and hit singles, including some rare recordings. Along with Down the Line: Rarities, this album was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Holly's death (February 3, 1959).

Reception
In an interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Holly's eldest brother Larry Holley commented before hearing both this compilation and Down the Line: Rarities, "María [Elena Holly] told me I was definitely going to just break down and cry when I hear all these CDs, because they've cleaned them (the songs) all up and Buddy's music never has come across so pure before."

The critical reception for Memorial Collection was fairly positive. The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine compliments the collection's progression in Holly's work, while he says that several bootleg recordings, including a ten-disc collection, have more music. Robert Christgau, writing for Blender, thinks that the album could easily have fit on to two discs and says that the most interesting songs on the collection were the "undubbed" recordings. Ed Ward, writing for Paste, complimented Erick Labson's remastering, which he thinks made the recordings clearer than he's ever heard them. He feels that Buddy's New York City recordings produced by Dick Jacobs were the low part of the collection, but that Buddy's apartment tapes were much better. Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media feels that the Memorial Collection not completely needed most of the songs were already released on From the Master Tapes and Buddy Holly Collection, but he feels that the Memorial Collection still has several interesting tracks, like those with Bob Montgomery, and feels that the "undubbed" recordings add to the collection, but he feels that several of the "finished" recordings should have been included also. The Rolling Stone review of the album by Barry Walters gave a basic description of the album and summarizes Buddy Holly's career.

Memorial Collection generally got higher ratings from critics than Down the Line: Rarities.

Personnel
The following people contributed to Memorial Collection:


 * Buddy Holly – vocals, guitar
 * Bob Montgomery – vocals, guitar
 * Larry Welborn – bass
 * Jerry Allison – drums, percussion
 * Sonny Curtis – fiddle on "Soft Place in My Heart", guitar
 * Don Guess – bass
 * Grady Martin – guitar
 * Doug Kirkham – percussion
 * Owen Bradley – producer
 * Norman Petty – celeste on "Everyday", organ on "Take Your Time", producer
 * Harold Bradley – guitar on "Modern Don Juan"
 * Floyd Cramer – piano on "Modern Don Juan"
 * Farris Coursey – drums on "Modern Don Juan"
 * E. R. "Dutch" McMillin – alto saxophone on "Modern Don Juan"
 * Niki Sullivan – background vocals, guitar
 * June Clark – background vocals
 * Gary Tollet – background vocals
 * Ramona Tollet – background vocals
 * Joe B. Mauldin – bass
 * Vi Petty – piano
 * Bill Pickering – background vocals
 * John Pickering – background vocals
 * Bob Lapham – background vocals
 * C. W. Kendall Jr. – piano
 * Bob Thiele – producer on "Rave On"
 * Al Caiola – guitar
 * Donald Arnone – guitar
 * Bob Linville – background vocals
 * Ray Bush – background vocals
 * David Bigham – background vocals
 * Tommy Allsup – guitar
 * George Alwood – bass
 * Bo Clarke – drums
 * Al Chernet – guitar
 * George Barnes – guitar
 * Sanford Bloch – bass
 * Ernest Hayes – piano
 * Sam "The Man" Taylor – tenor saxophone
 * Panama Francis – drums
 * Philip Krous – drums
 * Helen Way – background vocals
 * Harriet Young – background vocals
 * Maeretha Stewart – background vocals
 * Theresa Merritt – background vocals
 * Dick Jacobs – producer, orchestra director
 * King Curtis – tenor saxophone on "Reminiscing"
 * Abraham "Boomie" Richman – tenor saxophone on "True Love Ways"
 * Waylon Jennings – handclaps on "You're the One"
 * Ray "Slim" Corbin – handclaps on "You're the One"
 * Andy McKaie – compilation producer
 * Erick Labson – digital remastering