5 comments about The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast).

1. The Phantom Of The Opera soundtrack by Andrew Lloyd Webber is the best and most meaningful music ever created. The music provides story with a catchy tune and still provides a powerful theme. Throughout the songs you can establish a story about a young opera singer named Christine, and how she has encounters with the Phantom. The song, "The Point of no Return", is the most meaningful because it has the Phantom giving Christine a decision to spend her days with him, or watch her boyfriend, Raul, get hung. This part is very suspenseful and is presented in a very awesome way because it has all of the characters singing in a trio.
   The theme of The Phantom Of The Opera is that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The Phantom wears a mask over his face so people won't see how ugly he is. When the mask is on people don't think he's unattractive at all, but just mean. When Christine rips the mask off of his face, she sees how disgusting it looks and she freaks. Then she realizes the theme of this story and she gives him another chance by going back and looking for him so he'd teach her, but mysteriously all she sees when she goes back is his mask lying on a table before her.
   At first riding in the car to see the show, I thought that I would hate it because it was opera but then my mom slipped in the CD and my thoughts about opera totally changed. That's when I finally realized that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover because you never know. Someday you might try deep fried banana.



2. I purchased this CD because I have heard so much about 'Phantom of the Opera' being an avid Josh Groban fan. I have heard the songs 'Music of the Night' and 'All I ask of You' but never experienced the entire musical score. Once I heard the whole thing I was immediately taken over by the beauty of it all!!
   I am lucky enough to live in New York City where 'Phantom' is still playing on Broadway and I took my family to see it, we all loved it! Even my teenage Jonas Bros. fan is asking to hear more of 'Phantom'.
   If you've never seen the show or have seen it twenty times this is one CD you MUST have! It brings back all those wonderful memories! I still get teary eyed!



3. I felt it was a "must have" after seeing the play live and I enjoy most of it. However, I find myself having to listen to it alone, because I'm told you need to have a like and appreciation for Opera in order to like it. I would not buy this as a gift for someone who has not seen the play or you don't know for sure likes Opera.



4. I grew up with this music! These performers excell at their roles, especially Steve Barton as Raoul and the beautiful, amazing, and brilliant Michael Crawford as the Phantom. Beautiful music takes you through the entire play, and this CD highlights most of it. Highly reccommended!



5. I loved the music and performers. I read all the reviews before I recently bought it. I wish someone had told me how bad the audio recording was because I cannot play it again! It has been miked in the orchestra and you have to have your finger on the volume in order to enjoy it at all. You can barely hear some of the singers but you go deaf listening to the orchestra. Too bad. I will have to find another recording....

5 comments about Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic.

1. I was 67 years old , when I began listening to these wonderful Disney songs. And when the last song ended, it seemed that I lost 50 years. I believe that this wonderful music brings back old wonderful memories that is like true magic. Alas my hair has now turned black , and all my wrinkles are now gone away. Also just chased my wife around Southern California. She told me to stop listening because she said she can't keep with me anymore. I owe it all to these 5 magical albums.



2. There really isn't anything else that can be said for this awful box set full of meaningless gobbledock and inane twee that's arranged from sounds. Disney music is the worst thing that music has ever experienced. kidz bop may be something that comically states the downfall of music even worse. soulja boy is there for me when I feel crappy, because I realise that people just suck worse at life than I do. I take sadist laughs at people who listen to Nickelback. All of those others are so crappy you can't just help and laugh at them.
   
   But not for Disney. There's nothing funny about this. It's grave. Grave my friend. It's not like disney ever had the potential to be nothing more than a horrible company the day that idiot walt disney founded his _______ dream, but the biggest failure was even trying to touch music. Maybe if he would have realized that his taste in picking composers is lame. How does disney keep messing up music anyway?
   
   Anyway, disney music fails for a lot of reasons. Let's debunk it with the music first. The generic orchestra, irritating, timid music, it's so twee it makes me barf. It's very boring, actually. It's mearly short comed as it's just there because it has to be. Yeah, lot's of the music I listen to has the same kind of thing. But the reason why it's good is because of the vocals, the lyrics.
   
   Ah, the lyrics. Awful. Nonsensical, twee, twee, and twee. This stuff is so damn forced and twee that it makes anybody cringe. It makes sense, because it's supposed to. There's no confrontation, there's no realism. A whole new World, sorry, but love ain't just that. It's a beautiful, complex thing, not a twee thing. I hate the way, and it just gets on my nerves.
   
   Of course,this is disney, and it's millions of browbeaten followers will defend such garbage that anybody that's not spoiled sees right through. Oh well. You poons.
   
   ----/10



3. This collection of Disney music is perfect for any Disney fan. My family loves Disney, and this couldn't have been better to get for our drives to our favorite home away from home. Our daughter listens to it in her room all of the time. If you love Disney, you will love this collection.



4. I bought this for my daughter and I to sing along with in the car. It has all of our favorites and then some. If you can find a copy of the set you won't be disappointed! I'm here now looking for a replacement since mine have long since been scratched to death after many many hours of heavy rotation.



5. This collection has almost every song from every Disney distributed moved up to 1995. Each cd contains around 25 songs. I purchased this collection as a gift for a niece of mine and she loves it (I must admit I got a big kick out of it too). If you're concerned about young children watching too much tv/dvds yet want them to enjoy music this is a definitely a product worth looking at.

5 comments about The Capitol Years.

1. The Capital Years CD from Frank Sinatra is one of the best CD's that I've known.



2. "Here Goes," featured on Disc 2, Track 23 of this set, is a vocal version of a piece called "Hi" which was written by Otto Cesana and recorded by Mr. Cesana's orchestra on his 1958 Capitol album "Brief Interlude." Frank's Essex Productions concern was mentioned at the bottom of the label, which may explain his own vocal treatment (with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, not even crediting Mr. Cesana's music, from what I've seen). Cesana's "Hi" is perhaps better known to New Yorkers as the theme music for New York station WOR-TV's midday movie series "Movie 9" from the mid-1970's to the early 1980's. Yet so far that hasn't been reissued on CD, that I know of.



3. This is my first Sinatra album and I bought it because of the reviews on Amazon, and I must say they were right on! It has expanded my love for Mr. Sinatra's music and I will enjoy these CD's for years to come. My next purchase will have to be the white caddie convertible and a home in Palm Springs.



4. This is an easy review to write. This is just some great music from the greatest jazz standards singer during his years at Capitol. Three C.D.s for a great price here on Amazon.com. It also has a nice thick booklet containing essays by various people.



5. In a span of five years [1990-1995] Capitol/EMI chose to honour their most illustrious male singer with not one, but two multi-CD sets. Unfortunately, both of them (the other is the 2-CD set Sinatra 80th - All The Best) contain essentially the same selections. In fact, not counting the very expensive box set, nothing released by Capitol has contained some 12 bona fide hit singles.
   
   These are: Fairy Tale [the flip of Same Old Saturday Night and a # 13 on its own in 1955]; the double-sided 1956 hit Flowers Mean Forgiveness [# 21] and You'll Get Yours [# 67]; Five Hundred Guys [the flip of (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know and a # 73 on its own]; Johnny Concho Theme (Wait For Me) b/o You're Sensational and a # 75 in 1956; Your Love For Me [which backed Can I Steal A Little Love? and reached # 60 early in 1957]; the 1957 double-sided hit Crazy Love [# 60] and So Long, My Love [# 74]; You're Cheatin' Yourself (If You're Cheatin' On Me), which reached # 25 in 1957; Mr. Success [# 41 in 1958]; Talk To Me [# 38 in 1959]; River, Stay 'Way From My Door [# 82 in 1960]; and Ol' MacDonald [# 25 in 1960].
   
   Trying to find them in a quality and affordable CD is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So, with an added six tracks [perhaps some of the B-sides], wouldn't these make a dandy CD under the title "Long Lost Hits Of ...?"
   
   In the meantime, this is the one you want in order to get most of the other Capitol hits, complete with a 68-page booklet containing liner notes by daughter Nancy [The Legacy - 8 pages], Pete Kline [The Capitol Years - 15 pages], and Will Friedwald [The Legend - 4 pages], a complete discography of the contents, a listing of his albums by Nancy, and track-by-track notes by Pete Kline and Ric Ross [12 pages], in addition to numerous photographs.
   
   The AAD sound quality is excellent.

5 comments about The Remains of Tom Lehrer.

1. Take a knee before the awesomeness that is Tom Lehrer! Don't let reviewers who tell you that the music becomes repetitive, almost Vivaldi; NO! Even if Tom Lehrer's work was the spoken word alone, it would be enough to give me just as severe cramps (from laughing!) as do his kinky melodious songs! As a current Music Major undergrad, I can appreciate many of the musical nuances of Lehrer's compositions. However, it is in the COMPLETE combination of words, music, and Lehrer's fantastic inflexions and sometimes extremely subtle humor that get the laughs!
   Still not convinced? These recordings were produced in the 60s... and are still - unadulterated - relevant today.
   Enjoy!



2. The Remains of Tom Lehrer constitutes almost the entire corpus of Mr. Lehrer's works, preserved in its original hilarious form and accompanied by a lovely book detailing the life and works of this little-known comedian. Lehrer fans will not be disappointed at the breadth or quality of this set and it's a steal at the price.



3. This collection really took me back to childhood, when my dad used to play them for me. Absolutely complete!!



4. Now who doesn't love Tom Lehrer? I had all of his Reprise label vinyl albums, and knew the words to every song therein, when I was in high school. Of course I got beaten up a lot.
   
   If you don't know who Tom Lehrer is, then you probably won't enjoy this record. Otherwise, unless you have pristine vinyl, and my records have been overplayed, this is a very good compendium.



5. I listened to Tom Lehrer as a kid in the 60's, and memorized most of the songs, but to hear it again is very fun. Also, the songs still resonate - even though the names and issues have changed, the humor is still quite fresh - my wife, who's never heard this stuff, laughs out loud through the whole collection.

4 comments about Hairspray (2-Disc Collector's Edition Soundtrack).

1. Hairspray is an excellent film with equally excellent music. The music, which was composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman is a complete knockout and the ensemble cast deliver the goods. This collector's editon features an extra disc which features a song peformed by Nikki Blonsky, which was cut from the film, entitled "I Can Wait", as well as demos of songs which did make it into the film and various other recordings specially made for this album. The CD is great value for money and any Hairspray fan will love it! The album also includes a booklet containing lyrics as well as stickers and photocards of the cast of characters. Amazing! :]



2. The Collector's Edition contains 2 discs. The first is exactly the same as the original soundtrack. The second disc contains extras from the film - outtakes and alternate recordings - fine with that as well - although some of the material is also on the DVD (I did not check all details)
   The most disapointing part however is the Karaoke Section. On the cover it promises 5 songs although on the disc are only three songs. On my edition the songs "Welcome to the 60's" and "Come so far" are not on the disc although they are featured on the index on the box.
   If you are looking for the Karaoke Version of either of these two songs - be aware and do not purchase the disc.



3. Although the music is the same as in other albums, the second CD it's a good one. It has excellent pieces played by the composers, and "You can't stop the beat" instrumental is great. Those songs neither played in the movie nor in the live musical are included here. Good pair of CDs!



4. This is the best cd ever! It SOOO much better than the original single disc version! The second disc has alot great songs. My favorite is I can wait. The only bad thing is that it doesn't have Big, Blonde and Beautiful(Reprise) Velma Only Version that is on the 2-disc dvd. Other than that it is ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America, Vol. 1, The Early Years, And Vol. 2, The Middle Years.

1. I was so pleased recently to see that Amazon.com had "Stan Freburg Presents the United States of America Vol. 1, The Early Years, And Vol 2 The Middle Years, both on CD! ----- I can finally retire the cassette tapes of the show that I've enjoyed listening to over the years and enjoy them on CD. :) ----- Stan Freburg is a comic genius and this CD collection should be part of your Freburg CD library. ----- :D Rusty



2. Classic Freberg satire, this on the history of the country, some segments wonderfully funny, others evoking yawns. If you remember him from the 1950s and '60s and enjoy his humor, you'll love this. Otherwise...



3. This generation should hear Stan Freberg!! He is absolutely one of the most entertaining and subtle comics who ever lived and this is his most famous work.
   
   Stan and his contempory (and classic) comic, Tom Leher, both subscribe to the mantra/ philosophy of DELAYED ADOLESENCE. A film that genuflects to this same attitude is 1000 Clown, staring Jason Robards.



4. The CD was in very good quality and exactly what I had ordered. It came in a timely manner as well. I bought this for my father because he had the album for years but it became scratched. He asked for the CD for Christmas. However, after comparing the album to the CD there are some omissions that we noticed that disappointed him because they were lines that he enjoyed. Otherwise, everything is fine.



5. Stan Freberg's histories are hilarious. Great humor and sarcasm. Volume 2 is as funny as volume 1 and it's 25+ years after. Great entertainment.

5 comments about Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 to 1957.

1. Bing - The Legendary Years
   Review
   
   This is the only disc, or set of discs, I own where I can say I love every selection on every disc. I can't even say that about Elvis. More about Elvis later...
   
   A bit about how I came to this set of CDs. I grew up with White Christmas, the song and the movie. I occasionally heard another song by Bing Crosby, and I always loved his voice. I got on a kick over the last year or so of picking up some of the singers my parents listened to while I was growing up - Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, Dean Martin, et al. I came across this 4 CD set on Amazon, read the reviews and added it to my wish list. It sat there for many months until I decided one day to just bite the bullet and buy it. I can now say it is worth every penny!
   
   I put on CD 1, and it didn't sound like the Bing I knew. So I stopped it and put on CD 2. That sounded more like Bing. As I was listening, I remarked to my husband how Bing's voice was almost completely absent of any vibrato, and how he seemed to have two different voices - a chest voice and a head voice. He reminded me of Elvis that way, and I became convinced that Elvis must have grown up listening to Bing Crosby. I felt that Bing was Elvis's vocal predecessor.
   
   I started reading the excellent booklet that came with the set and read about the earliest tracks of the CD, so I went back to CD 1 and listened to the whole thing. What a revelation! Here was young Bing, and I was very surprised to hear a very rapid vibrato on a lovely tenor voice, with only occasional glimpses of the deeper baritone he later became famous for. There were times I could swear I was listening to Dean Martin! Again, I figured Dean must have grown up listening to Bing Crosby.
   
   In the booklet, Will Friedwald talked about how important the words were to Bing. I wasn't really sure what he meant until my husband, who was discovering Bing with me, commented that he bet that Bing was difficult to accompany as he sung in almost a "singspiel" voice, a kind of talk-like singing. Then I realized that the cadences Bing used in singing were the cadences one would use in speaking those words. Ah, now I understood Friedwald's comments, and also understood that this is why Bing comes across in such an easy, casual, pleasant-to-listen-to and utterly delightful manner.
   
   Once I was over all the analysis (I admit to being something of a student of the human voice, it fascinates me), I sat back and listened to all four discs and by the time I was done, I was just in love with everything about them. Bing, his beautiful voice and easy delivery, the beautiful music, the peek into a bygone era where the term "political correctness" hadn't been conceived of, and where music was just plain fun! I only wish there were more discs in the set! Well I'll just have to find some more!



2. Harry Lillis Crosby began life in Tacoma, Washington on May 3, 1903, and kicked off his career as a singer when he and his partner, Al Rinker, were hired by Paul Whiteman in 1926, subsequently joining with Harry Barris to form The Rhythm Boys. After splitting from the Whiteman band in 1930, he scored his first hit singing on his own in 1931 with I Surrender Dear while with Gus Arnhelm's orchestra. That led to a CBS radio contract and the rest, as they say, was history.
   
   From then until his untimely death in October 1977 while golfing in Spain he would chalk up no less than 310 hit singles, even making what then passed for the R&B and Country charts six and two times respectively from 1942 to 1952, and adding five more to the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts after they were formed in 1961.
   
   His last, in fact, came in 1997 when the venerable 1947 version of White Christmas scored yet again, this time at # 26 on the AC charts. The # 1 selling single of all time, he first recorded it in 1942 and that version was a perennial hit every Christmas season until 1947 when, with the master virtually worn out, it was re-made using the same orchestra and backing singers but better recording techniques (it was so well done the second time that it's a;most impossible to discern the difference). Altogether it has sold close to 31 million, accounting for 10% of the estimated 300 million records sold [not counting his LPs and EPs]. Also not to be missed is his first version of Silent Night, Holy Night, done in 1935.
   
   As you can well understand, not even this magnificent 4-CD box set and its 101 selections can put a dent in the wealth of songs he recorded and left for posterity. In putting this together producers Andy McKaie and Steven Lasker chose to present three previously-unreleased selections, and these are to be found at: Disc 2 - track 13 which contains one of his many legendary and hilarious "blow ups" in the midst of a recording and which became an "under-the-counter" bootleg sale for years thereafter; Disc 3 - track 15 as well as rehearsal glimpses at tracks 9 and 12; Disc 4 - track 2.
   
   His musical backing reads like a Who's Who of contemporary bands and includes the likes of Georgie Stoll, Victor Young, Xavier Cugat, Jimmy Dorsey, Vic Schoen, Morris Stoloff, Bob Haggart, The Les Paul Trio, Lyn Murray, Woody Herman, brother Bob Crosby and, of course, John Scott Trotter, who backed the vast majority of his hits. Vocal collaborations involve The Andrews Sisters, Louis Armstrong, Jane Wyman, Mel Torme, The Ken Darby Singers, Al Jolson, and Road picture partner and long-time friend Bob Hope.
   
   All this is detailed in the extensive discography of the contents contained in the 67-page booklet, which includes the names of many of the noted musicians playing with the bands listed. Extensive and fabulous liner notes are provided by Will Friedwald, author of Jazz Singing [1992, Collier Books], and there are loads of great pictures, including a centre-fold colour shot of Bing, one of first wife Dixie Lee, several of his sons, numerous record album/poster reproductions, etc. etc.
   
   Just a magnificent collection covering but a portion of the career of a man ranked as the # 1 artist in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 book, and who received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962.



3. Box sets and greatest hits compilations are the audio equivalent of a Whitman's Sampler; there's a lot to choose from and you may not like everything in it. Those compiling box sets face the challenge of what to include and exclude which is complicated when the artist has as lengthy and prolific a career as Bing Crosby. Suffice to say it would be hard to get any two Crosby fans to agree on a track listing as they'll differ on interests such as which era, which genre, which styles, and other issues. Most of what's included here are some of his better known tracks from 1931 to 1957; his most productive years and a pretty broad span of time! There certainly are tracks here I'd exclude and others I'd have like to seen included, but "His Legendary Years" is a good survey of Bing as an artist during his years with the Brunswick and Decca labels, albeit an incomplete one. And like the Whitman's Sampler there's enough here to give you an idea of what you like and can pursue elsewhere. The recordings were re-mastered and sound much better than other re-re-releases and the accompanying booklet provides a nice amount of information on Bing and his career. A great starting point!



4. All I can say is "Wow!" This is, hands down, the bes documentary made on the inimitable Mr. Crosby. There is an abundance of little-known film footage of Bing which really enhances the presentation. They include fan footage of Crosby at the horse races at Del Mar and Santa Anita and some behind the scenes footage of Hope and Crosby at charity events, on the Paramount lot and playing golf. There isn't a great deal of actual clips from Bing's movies pre-1950, which is a trifle disappointing. There is virtually no clips of him singing life, except a brief clip of him in London, entertaining the troops in 1944 and some stuff from 60's-70's TV shows like Flip Wilson.

   The interviews are interesting, though not terribly revealing. Rosemary Clooney has the most depth and explains Bing's notorious reticence and distance from other people. She says he relaxed more in later years with his second family. Kathryn Crosby is also shown, though her remarks on Bing are short and she says little new. None of his children from his marriage to Dixie or Kathryn is interviewed. We are thankfully spared commentary from Gary Crosby and the "Bing beat his kids" angle is not focused. There's too much emphasis on Bing's later life, probably because they can pad the story with clips from various 60's TV shows. I'd have liked to see more material on his early career with the Rhythm Boys, Whiteman and the Philco radio show, but the program is a solid effort. If you're a Crosby fan, you'll find much to praise here.




5. I bought this set some ten years ago, when I was a budding Bing fan, fearful that I might regret having dropped so much coin on an artist I wasn't thoroughly familiar with. After sampling a few tracks on each of the four discs, however, I realized there would be no buyer's remorse with THIS purchase.

   If you want to familiarize yourself with Bing Crosby, this is the perfect primer, covering his most prolific and influential years as the world's most popular entertainer. "Prolific" is the key word here. You can't not like Bing Crosby's music, because he masterfully interpreted so many genres that there's literally something for everybody. Popular Standards, Jazz, Country & Western, Hawaiian, Folk, Irish, Christmas Carols, Gospel, even Light Opera - he sang them all as though they were the reason for his existence. And it didn't hurt that he had one of the most appealing voices in the history of recorded sound. This package offers an enticing cross section of that incomparable versatility.

   The attractive and entertainingly informative booklet by the eminent popular music historian Will Friedwald (author of Stardust Melodies) complements the set perfectly.

   Be careful - purchasing this collection could start you down the road to full-fledged Crosby fanaticism, as it did me. Now THAT runs into money!

5 comments about The Complete Capitol Singles Collection.

1. When Frank Sinatra decided not to sing-a-long with Mitch (Miller) at Columbia Records and signed a recording deal with Capitol Records, it ushered in an incredible output of albums and singles with the new label from 1953-1961.
   
   The collaborations were with the finest musical arrangers of the era - including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May and Mavis Rivers - and Sinatra delivered a depth of emotion, along with an emerging hipper persona, with arguably the best material in his iconic career.
   
   The four-discs include 96 tracks and is a welcome addition to the Sinatra collection of any fan or for those wishing to delve into the history of pop music from that time period.



2. Frank Sinatra parted ways with longtime label Columbia after creative differences (to put it mildly) with Mitch Miller, signing a seven-year contract with Capitol in March 1953. Part of the agreement was that he retained his longtime arranger Axel Stordahl for several sessions to see if the orchestrations resulted in hit records. They didn't, and Capitol switched Frank over to Nelson Riddle in the style of Billy May.
   
   Sinatra's earliest singles from this period are strongly transitional; indeed, I'm Walking Behind You from April 1953 sounds as if it could have been plucked from mid-40s takes, with Frank's soft, restrained vocals failing to "rock the boat." However, I've Got the World On A String from April 1953 under Riddle shows a brassy, assertive Frank, although not quite in command of his hard-swinging persona as he would be in later years. On later tracks such as River, Stay `Way From My Door (1960), Frank is aggressive, poised, and in full command of the nuances of the song, pushing his voice to its edges until the song culminates in a fireworks-filled climax. Frank's recording of Sentimental Journey from 1960, conducted by Billy May, features the fascinating combination of the more assertive, swinging 1950s Sinatra with a mellow, nostalgic arrangement. He takes Day's song and makes it his own. Frank also recorded several nods to other popular experiments such as Bobby Darin's Clementine in his rollicking update of Ol' MacDonald (complete with "eh-huh" imitation of Darin's "hup-hups").
   
   The four discs are chronologically arranged, and many of Frank's most memorable songs came from his golden Hollywood era: Three Coins in the Fountain, Wait For Me, Well Did You Evah?, To Love and Be Loved, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, rerecorded versions of I Believe, Time After Time, It's the Same Old Dream and Everybody Loves Somebody. It's fascinating to compare Frank's rerecorded Columbia catalogue, particularly when compared to his even later Reprise rerecordings to hear how his style (and the tastes of the time) changed. Disc three includes some of Sinatra's Christmas favorites such as The Christmas Waltz and Mistletoe and Holly. The five bonus tracks featured on disc four are interesting; Look to Your Heart from 1955 sounds much more like mid-40s Columbia, while You Better Stop from 1953 is bold and sassy.
   
   Of particular merit are the excellent liner notes by Will Friedwald, filled with fascinating trivia, musical analysis, recollections of those who worked closely with Frank, vintage photos and reproductions of sheet music and album art. There are also cartoonish line drawings printed in gold on heavy cardstock that add to the period feel. The back lists the tracks, catalog numbers, conductors, recording dates, and musicians.
   
   For the casual Frank fan, this highlight of the massive Capitol box set (21 CDs total) should be enough to amply display Frank's maturation since his earliest days in 1939 with Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and his works with Axel on Columbia from 1943-1952; his embracing of a bold, jazzy, aggressive swinging persona and more vocal experimentation with phrasing and timing, his parroting of popular trends, and the wide range of film and stage material that he recorded. The liner notes only sweeten the deal.



3. For those who own the magnificent "The Capitol Years" boxed set, "The Complete Capitol Singles Collection" is the perfect companion piece to that set. Whereas "The Capitol Years" contained the many classic album cuts that Frank cut during his 9 year tenure at the label as well as some previous unreleased material, "The Complete Capitol Singles Collections," as its title implies, contains the many great singles he cut for the label. While certain songs are indeed duplicated ("I've Got The World On A String," "Witchcraft," "All The Way,"), the majority of the songs are new and have been hard to find for quite some time.
   
   There's nothing as powerful as "Angel Eyes" or as technically impressive as "I've Got You Under My Skin," but what you do get is 96 perfectly crafted pop singles that while not all hits provide further proof that Frank Sinatra was and is the greatest singer of all time. Each song features Frank at his absolute peak vocally, his unique phrasing and astonshing syncopation, timing and breath control all on full display. No matter the song being a swinger or ballad, all of these songs are imbued with a great sense of artistic integrity as Frank put the same amount of passion and sincerity into every recording he ever made, whether it was something as beautiful as "All The Way" or as inane as his risque take on "Ol' Mac Donald."
   
   The cd is very nicely packaged and comes with a great booklet and essay by various Sinatraphiles. A worthwile purchase for sure.



4. the lp tracks stand up so much better than sinatra's singles! too much sappy backing vocals.good price though $39.99



5. I do own Frank Sinatras Columbia years 4 cd set 1943-1952. I like how young and vibrant his voice sounds in those war torn years of America. I will say Frankies voice reached an unreachable peak during his Capital Years 1953-1962. This cd box set really showcases Franks incredible voice. I never realized how great Franks voice was until listening to this box set straight through. At first it was overkill but as each song played, I wanted to hear more. Frank saw through the whole process of his recordings, he also used top notch recording equipment in the recording studios. Thank the good lord Frankie did, because the remastered quality sound on this set is incredible for recordings this age. I was'nt around for Sinatras young years, but I appreciate this mans voice and skills in the studio. Frank Sinatra came from a poor upbringing. He fought his way to the top of the movie and record business, either unscrupuless or agreeable it doesn't matter, as the song goes Frank did it his way. Frank was very concious of his looks in public and on the screen. What Frank may have lacked in looks, God Blessed him with a beautiful voice that far surpassed any great looking Hollywood star of the time. The Frank Sinatra Complete Capitol Singles Collection is a must have for any music fan, the 96 page booklet is very informative and interesting. Frank Sinatra, even though deceased is Americana at its finest.

5 comments about Complete Flanders & Swann.

1. Heard these guys as a kid, lost the albums, and am delighted to find them available. Funny, delightful, entertaining, just as I remembered. A few things are a bit dated ("and then the ashtray fell off" in a plane monologue" but for the most part, fresh as ever.



2. This 3 CD set has satire, social and political commentary and catchy music all at its best. One of the recordings unfortunately doesn't have as good sound quality as I would like but the content is hilarious and poignant. There is a wart hog who is shunned by animal society and a cannibal boy who refuses to eat people. The wompom song extolls this imaginary plant with the same gusto that current day herbalists push tea tree extract. There are more wonderful songs than I can describe. I heartily recommend this CD compilation.



3. Before Monty Python, before the Beatles, before "'Enery the Aigth Oi Am" there was the subtle, sweet, insdious humor of Flanders and Swann, and their lyrics remain part of the recognition rituals of Ivy Leaguers of the sixties. For any aging hippies or yuppies who find life WAY more stressful than we ever expected, and for whom the down side of alcohol, sex, and drugs has become apparent, I recommend listening several times to "In the Bath". It raises a cry for peace among the nations by inviting all the leaders to sit congenially steaming in a communal bathtub. And they reminding us of our essential self-interest when they add the proviso "as long as Swann and Flanders get the end without the taps." On those nights when we suspect that there isn't any point to it all, reach for the Flanders and Swann. They won't convince you there is any meaning to life, but they'll make it a lot easier to bear. Don't even try to do without it.



4. Not every line in Flanders and Swann has become part of our 37-year marriage, but many have. As our turntables fail, we are pleased that we can relive all the fun stuff we used to collect. Nothing is like this duo, especially what you usually hear as French horn by Mozart converted into "I found that horn go(r)ne." And, of course,
   "Have some Madeira, m'dear" is an all-time favorite.



5. When I started out as a teacher of English, I had the most wonderful colleague as a mentor -- when she retired she gave me three LPs with much of what is on these CDs, and it must be one of the best gifts I have ever been given. Practically all of it makes me smile or laugh out loud (although I must admit that some, like The Armadillo and Slow Train, make me so melancholy that I can just feel my lower lip tremble and my eyes fill up). How can you beat lines like "Hail to thee, blithe Wompom", or "The English are moral, the English are good / And clever, and modest, and misunderstood"? I find they make great listening exercises for my teenaged students as well -- they consider it ancient, but incredibly funny!

5 comments about Show Boat (1988 Studio Cast): Von Stade; Hubbard; Hadley; McGlinn.

1. The CD is the best American musical ever! The performances by Von Stade,Hadley etc are magnificient!



2. When PBS showed the 1989 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Showboat, my five year old daughter fell in love with musical theater. To this day we never miss a production of Showboat, West Side Story, Music Man, Oklahoma or the rest of the great American musicals. These 3 discs are the closest you can ever hear to the original in 1927 and the recordings are leaps and bounds above any movie version or revival cast. Listening to Bill or Make Believe you almost want to cry at what Kern and Hammerstein were able to create.
   
   I defy anyone to come up with another Broadway production that has three songs in a row better than Make Believe, Ol' Man River and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (West Side Story's Maria, America and Tonight are the best three in a row of a movie musical) and it's a shame that no movie version of Showboat can compare to this version. The first act is full of songs that are as good as any ever sung on a stage and I can't think of another production with a first act that compete against the big 3 plus Cotton Blossom, Where's The Mate For Me, Life On The Wicked Stage, Till Good Luck Comes My Way, Misry's Comin' Aroun', You are Love, Act One finale and Why Do I Love You?. You just don't want to have the music stop.
   
   If you don't like opera you won't like this version. Sung the way Kern and Hammerstein wrote them, you can't help but feel the operatic nature of these songs. Tough noogies because Showboat is above all an opera disguised as a Broadway play and no sweetening should be allowed.
   
   The four leads are all superb, Frederica von Stade as Nola especially. The booklet contains the complete libretto and allows a different way to appreciate the music.
   
   If you buy just one version of Showboat you need this one. If you have other versions of Showboat you need this one. As a matter of fact, anyone with ears to hear needs this version. A true American treasure.



3. One of the great recordings of musical theatre ever. Although it's no longer available on EMI Angel, it was reissued in October, 2006, as an EMI Classic's "Great Recordings of the Century." It's been "Digitially Remastered at Abbey Road Studios from the Original Masters" and "noise-shaped via the Prism SNS system for optimum sound quality." If ART remastering does for this recording what it has done for other EMI Classics in my library, then it should sound superb. However, I understand the booklet is not as detailed as the one in the original 3-disc release.
   
   Thank you, EMI.
   
   I would hope other labels would follow suit and remaster and reissue other examples of classic American musical theater. It would be a pity if our children, grandchildren, and future generations were unable to savor "110 in the Shade" or "Little Mary Sunshine" or . . . . . . . . . (fill in the blanks.)



4. This is the first of the great American musical plays, and probably remained unchallenged until the mid-1950s when West Side Story appeared. The term "musical comedy" does not apply. The few laugh lines are subsumed by the terrible sense of loss and disaster that work throughout the story. At its core is homelessness, the destruction wrought by racism, bad choices, human weakness, and reconciliation. The cast?--this was one of the few crossover recordings I've ever heard that actually worked. The trio of Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade, and Teresa Stratas is a marvel; Stratas in particular seems to have had a patented Dark Cloud that shadowed her. It's perfect for Julie Dozier Laverne. And the late Bruce Hubbard brings a magnificent dignity and voice to Joe--his singing of "Ol' Man River" amy not efface Paul Robeson, but can stand beside it.



5. Simply gorgeous! The most unforgetable music and the best voices! An album for all time!
   M. J. Conrades