4 comments about The 1930's Recordings.

1. I am a big Mills Brothers fan and thought I just couldn't live without this 5-disc set of their earliest recordings. Frankly, I've become bored. The producer decided every recording, in chronological order, even those recorded twice, three times, even four, should all be included. I've struggled to listen all the way through, and am still working at it; after all, I paid $60 bucks for this set. At the same time I purchased THE ANTHOLOGY (1931 to 1968) which is nothing short of delightful. That's the one I recommend!



2. What a great collection of music! I knew very little about the Mills Brothers prior to buying this set, and pretty much found this item by accident (you know how it is on Amazon). But I have purchased JSP sets before, and was familiar with their high quality and value. So I took a chance on the Mills Brothers, and since getting these I've listened to the set over and over, I never seem to get tired of it. Yeah, a few of the songs are repeated now and then, but it's all good. I have to say that this is one of the best music purchases I've ever made. I'm just glad that CD's don't wear out.



3. JSP has done it again! I'm a big fan of their CD box sets--I've got the Jelly Roll Morton set, the Louis Armstrong set, and the Carter Family set. They're all excellent! This one is no exception. The remastering is by John R. T. Davies, so naturally, the sound is superb. From the earliest 1931 recordings through the 1938 sessions here, the recordings are crisp, clear, and rich-sounding. Each piece is a gem. The Mills Brothers voices blend so smoothly together, I could listen to their records for hours. And with this 5-disc box set I *can* listen for hours! Each disc is packed full, and I appreciate having the alternate takes. Occasioanlly on these discs, the Mills Brothers are joined by Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Alice Faye, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Dick Powell, and a few others. The liner notes are good, and for five CD's, you can't beat the price. My only complaint--and it's a small one--is while the recording dates and master numbers for all selections are given, no indication is made of the original record labels or numbers.



4. My reason for not giving this five stars is due to the large number of alternate recordings of duplicate songs, but this is really due to the utterly documentarian approach the folks that put this CD together followed. Every single recording from the Mills Brothers earliest years are here (in stunningly good sound), presented in chronological order, which means that the listener is subjected to multiple recordings of "Caravan" and others. If you are a Mills Brothers fanatic (as I am), this is an indispensable set to own. If you are a more casual fan, pick up one of the greatest hits CD's listed here.

1 comments about Celebrating 20 Years of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal: 1980-2000.

1. This is the best Jazz FEstival in the world . This Box , together with The Very Best .....Live , give you the opportunity to have really the best of the best of the Festival in terms of music , cause it is much more than it.
   There are some great exceptional performances , Ella , Diana , Brubeck, play outstanding !! It is also the opportunity to see how the Festival has grown, not only on the Jazz side but enriched by gospels , blues, folk music and Latin.I do recommend it .

5 comments about Live in Las Vegas.

1. This is a 4 CD featuring live performances by Elvis Presley from Las Vegas. Disc One features a complete concert from 8/24/69. This is an excellent concert. One peculiar feature of the CD is that a 6 and a half minute monologue by Elvis has been moved from the middle of the concert to the end of the CD. This was done so that you don't have to listen to it every time you play the CD, if you don't want to. Disc Two features a complete concert from 8/11/70. This is another excellent concert. There is one bonus song, "When the Snow is on the Roses", from a different concert that month. This is a nice, unrehearsed performance, but is rather poorly recorded. Disc Three features previously released live performances. The songs are from 2/70 and 2/72, with the 1970 songs being from On Stage February, 1970. Disc Four begins with four songs from Presley's unsuccessful 1956 Las Vegas run. The rest of the songs are from various concerts from 8/74, 3/75 and 12/75. These are good performances, but were not professionally recorded. The sound quality is sometimes subpar, but the songs are still worth hearing. This is a fine boxed set that Elvis fans will enjoy.



2. I play this box set often. Everything about it is awesome! I love the onstage banter, the humor, the GREAT singing...everything! Of course, not every single Vegas show is reflected in this set, but it gives you a nice variety of the Vegas years. The 1st and 4th cd are my favorites, and if you love Elvis (which you probably do, since you are reading this review), don't miss these amazing cd's!



3. What can I say,,, Elvis was the best entertainer that ever lived and his music will live on. "Live In Vegas" is Elvis' years in the 70's. Some of the songs are some that were not placed on vinyl or were rarely placed on vinyl. You will enjoy going back to the 70's and listening to Elvis again...



4. BMG are really doing a great job with Elvis Presley Box Sets of late and they do deliver once again with this one...Sure, we have heard all of the songs before but the beauty here is that we also get snippets from the early Las Vegas appearances in '56. The rawness of Heartbreak Hotel is still spine-tingling. For a young performer, he still showed at this young age to possess charm and charisma as he wooed the crowd. It is a good collection from some of this best 'live' performances spanning 19yrs ('56-'75)that really capture the magic that only Elvis had. Why did I not give it a '5' ? -beacuse you do get repetition over the 4 CD's. Nevertheless, the king still delivers, even from beyond the grave! - Really for Elvis fans, but will still please the casual observer.



5. Every Elvis song you can think of - all performed live!
   
   The recordings are of excellent quality as well -- and most of the performances are excellent
   
   highly recommended!

No comments about The Prestige Records Story.

5 comments about Yesterday & Today: A Celebration in Song.

1. Like fellow Italo-American Frank Sinatra, Perry Como was a product of the Big Band era and also like Frank he managed to re-invent himself for the 1950s youth market in such a fashion that, during the height of the birth of R&R, there was Perry, again like Frank, putting out hit after hit after hit.
   
   In fact, from his first Billboard Pop Top/Hot 100 singles hit in 1955 [Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So), which made it to # 2 in March, to his last in 1974 [Christmas Dream which peaked at # 92 in December], he put no less than 48 songs into those charts, most with the backing of Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra, and many with the additional voices of the Ray Charles Singers. He also added another 16 to the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts after they were introduced in 1961, two of which also made the Hot 100 "buble under" listings.
   
   Add those to the 64 he charted between his first in 1943 [Goodbye Sue - # 20] and (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays which topped out at # 8 in December 1954, and that's 128 hit singles.
   
   Then there were the 29 EPs, eight 10" albums, and FORTY-SEVEN 12" albums released over the years, along with his highly successful TV shows, Christmas specials, and personal appearances, all of which means there were very few periods over five decades when you DIDN'T hear a Perry Como song somewhere.
   
   All of this is chronicled in the beautiful 73-page booklet which comes with this set and which includes 49 pages of some of the most comprehensive liner notes you'll ever find in any CD package, written by the well-known music historian/author Colin Escott, a COMPLETE discography of his singles/EP/LP efforts, including chart performances and label numbers and, for the 71 selections in the three CDs, back-up artist details.
   
   There are also numerous photos, poster reproductions, magazine covers, etc., and the covers of all his 12" LPs. In short, just a wonderful package presenting some of the best performances of a man who, always appearing in sartorial splendor, entertained countless millions during a softer, gentler time.



2. 'Perry Como: Yesterday and Today ~ A celebration in song' is by far one of the best box set compilation efforts of Como material currently available (From the RCA/BMG Label)!
   
   With so many songs recorded by Perry Como throughout his long association with RCA Records and over his entire career, it is impossible (pardon the pun), to sum up Perry's career thoroughly in a 3 CD box set! You could make a 3 CD box set of just the best of Perry's 1940's work! However! This is definitely a good effort!
   
   The box set consists of 3, well presented CD's with all recording dates for each individual song and other relevant information within the liner notes! The 3 CD's come housed in a very smart 'Keeper' box which also lists all the tracks. A very special added bonus is the excellent and very thorough booklet, briefly outlinging Como's entire career complete with Biography, Discography and many popular and rare photo's! The booklet contains more than 70 pages, which all have a shiny gloss finish and are thick and hard-wearing!
   
   The tracks focused on in this collection range the entire of Perry's association with RCA Records (1943-1987). This collection includes selections of everything from 'Goodbye Sue' to 'The Wind beneath my wings' (So there is a big scope of work included!)
   
   Pleasingly, every track included is in chronological order and sounds great! Disc 1 and 2 focus entirely on the 1940's and 1950's. Disc 3 focuses on partially the 1950's, but mainly on the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.
   
   All the selections are great and it is pleasing that they haven't gone for the obvious tracks at every chance!
   
   As well as including many of the popular songs, this collection has a good selection of rarities. The rarities include The full version of 'You are never far away from the me', 'Try a little tenderness', 'Unchained Melody' and 'Bumming around'!
   
   Another pleasing fact to know about this compilation is that all tracks have been re-mixed and re-mastered from original release masters and metal parts where available. So, the sound is instantly better than normal. To improve on that, the engineering has been well done. This compilation was produced by Paul Williams, who along with his associates, have produced a number of superb Perry Como CD releases. Perry Como releases bearing such names as Paul Williams within the credits are definitely worth buying - you won't be dissapointed by the overall selection and mastering of each collection!
   
   With over 70 songs within this compilation, this CD is definitely a winner for Perry Como and all round music fans Worldwide!
   
   Perry Como's voice is definitely captured beautifully within this collection. His faultless singing is certainly portrayed here not just by his novelty songs, but by his overall versatility as a singer! The only thing lacking is Faith and Inspirational songs of which there are only a couple of any relevance! Also, there is only 1 example of Perry's beautiful and highly impressive albums associated with Hugo and Luigi! There isn't anything from 'Mr. President', 'By request' or the others, except 'The songs I love' of which the 1 track comes from!
   
   However, this is by far one of the most definitive Perry Como collections currently available as it does in some way (whether major or minor) delve into all the different types of songs Mr. C sung (except the Christmas genre!)
   
   Whether each area has been portrayed correctly is definitely a matter of opinion and taste! I would personally say, many areas focused of Perry's career covered in this collection could have been expanded to explore more of each genre! Even though everything is covered in some way, there are many 100's and 100's and 100's more recordings that could have been included.
   
   With such consistant and high quality work produced by Mr. C, it must be a really daunting task trying to select tracks for a Como collection!
   
   Now volume 2 please!
   
   Superb listening!
   
   Matthew Long
   (An enormous Perry Como fan of a much younger generation!)



3. 3 discs of Mr. C is probably 2 too many, as CD 1 is a little creaky with nostalgic ditties and novelties, and CD 3 is weighed down by honey-lovin' me-and-my-baby whimsy. However, there are some very fine, champagne-pop songs on CD 2 and spread about: "Round and Round" is a wonderful single, "Hot Diggity" a perky example of Como's way of turning a novelty into something nearly heartfelt, and "Catch a Falling Star" his pinnacle moment as the successor to Bing Crosby. Others highlights: the cute "I Wanna Go Home With You", where the bobbysoxers brawl over Perry's affections, and another novelty, "'A' You're Adorable". The booklet has some interesting pictures from an era long passed, but there's still way too much here for the average Como fan.



4. It's a tragedy that most people under forty don't even know who Perry Como is and few have ever been exposed to his music. This album will introduce to some marvelous music, sung by the inimitable Perry Como. As a fan of Perry, Sinatra and Bing Crosby, comparisons to their voices is inevitable. Perry modeled himself closely after Bing and the influence clearly shows. His voice wasn't as deep and his range wasn't as great, but his voice was more mellifluous and mellow, particularly as he aged.

   All of Perry's great 40's and 50's hits are included here, as well as two stellar songs from the 70's, "And I Love You So" (my personal favorite) and "It's Impossible." Como injected so much pathos and emotion in both these songs. He learned how to use his vocal instrument more effectively as he got older. One of the greatest moment on this set is the inclusion of Perry's last great song, "Wing Beneath my Wings," one of the best swan songs in American music.

   Perry Como's music is timeless and anyone of any age can enjoy it. No one else sang quite like him with that beautifully restrained, sweet, gentle style. I've seen Perry in concert several times and he was a beautiful man, inside and out. His voice mirrors his soul and this is a superb collection.




5. I heard this song after my husband died and I would like to get a copy of a CD with this song and any others on it. I would appreciate if you could find this song for meI would be ever so grateful.

3 comments about Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4.

1. I have this afternoon heard 'I Sleep with Everyone' on BBC Radio 2 in the UK, in the show presented by Elaine Paige.I was in my car at the time, and nearly caused a traffic incident.
   I have ordered the CD on the back of one track - have to confess I had never heard of 'Forbidden Broadway', but I have now! Friends and I used to write spoofs of musicals we were either directing or writing as schoolteachers, for performance by our students.
   I also do Community and Hospital broadcasting - I am sure that those customers will love a bit of spice in their lives!(Better listen first, though!)Expect another review when I have heard more ..
   ..Spoofs Spice up Everything!



2. How come it took me so long to find out about Forbidden Broadway? A friend loaned me one CD, and I'm hooked. Got online and bought the boxed set. There's not a bad one in the bunch. I particularly love the impersonations of Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. Even parodies of shows I haven't seen had me guffawing. Listen to Jonathan -- buy it!



3. You may have seen the show, in one of its many incarnations, or may have bought one of the five unoriginal cast recordings, but there is no way any Forbidden Broadway fan or musicals fan can go without buying this four volume boxed set. This is not only because there are so many songs to collect, but also, it is the only way you are likely to get to hear the majority of the songs you saw on stage (if you did so). Forbidden Broadway lampoons the musicals of Broadway from 1990-1996, and is absolutely hilarious. There REALLY is no point in buying just one CD, as you are likely to find that something you want on one is not on another an so on. It also come with a complete libretto to boost. There are some very fine performances and mimics, especially from the likes of Christine Pedi. I've said it once, I'll say it again... buy buy buy!

5 comments about The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection.

1. I,have listened to these 4 C.d.'s over and over again and I, had difficulty giving any of these C.D's less than 10 of 10.Finally I,had to rate them 10 and 10 plus. IF there was ever a desert island disc, this is it. Solo's, duets they are all there. By the way I,love "Feelings and I, am thrilled that he included it.
   .



2. If you enjoy Johhny Mathis you will I am sure find this collection of Johnny's personal selction a treat to your ears.
   I was a teenager in high school during the late 50's when Johnny made what I believe to be some of his very best songs.
   This collection is so masterfully reproduced that the quality is phenomenal. So much better on CD's than the LP vinyls that we had back then. And of course the stereo systems that we have now further enhance the listening experience. Unfortunately Johnny's voice is now no longer anywhere near what it was back then so I am so pleased that we have these great songs archived on this new media.
   I just can't get enough of this great and wonderful voice. I'm just worried that I might wear out my stereo from playing these albums over and over again.



3. Although the products I ordered in December were just fine, the DHL delivery via llama was unbelievably slow and subsequently not received at all in time for Christmas. Amazon did reship, taking their own time about it, but at least used another carrier. Compared to everything else I ordered online at the same time, all free shipping by the way, this was absolutely the worst!



4. Johnny Mathis charted 37 song titles (not counting "Maria" twice) on
   Billboard's Top Pop 100 charts between 1957 and 1969. This box set
   includes only 13 of them --- omitting 24 of them. I find that very
   disappointing. Sure, what's on this set is fairly good overall but
   I think it's inexcusable to omit so much of his more significant
   recordings from his earlier days. This collection may be acceptable
   to those not interested in the early Johnny Mathis but for those who
   grew up with the Johnny Mathis music of the 50's and 60's, this set
   is sorely inadequate and that's why I'm so disappointed in it.



5. Excellent! A LOT of good tracks. Well worth the price.

2 comments about Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959.

1. I usually think folks go overboard when they give a product 5 stars, but in this case, it deserves every one! The mastering of the CDs is excellent (I'm guessing, but CDs 1-4 appear to be all mono and CDs 5-11 are a mix of mono and binaural). However, in this time period, mono recording was at its peak and most people wouldn't even know that they aren't binaural recordings unless you brought it to their attention.
   
   Nat was a world-wide singer/performer, unlike some of his peers who only had a fan base in the United States and/or Europe. There's quite a bit of Spanish language material in this set which gives the box an "international" flavor.
   
   The large, thick book that comes with the set is well-written and has many, many excellent color and b&w photos of Nat from the period.
   
   According to the publisher, many of the tracks are presented for the first time without the overdubbing on the original releases. Regardless, Nat's voice is pure and sweet and he knows how to play that piano!
   
   Expensive? A bit, but if you are going to ever treat yourself to an extravagance, this is it. If you have the means, I highly suggest you procure this set! By the way, this appears to be the first of a two-box set collection. I can't wait for the second!



2. I just got this yesterday, and since it's an 11 cd set with a more than 200 page coffee-table sized book, I've only just begun to enjoy it. So, this is a very preliminary review, which I'll perhaps update later.
   
   So far, however, I'm glad I spent the money on this set, and I think any Nat King Cole fan out there would feel the same way. It's a lot of money, true, but a lot of the albums and songs on this set are out of print, including such classic albums as St. Louis Blues, where Nat King Cole and the legendary Nelson Riddle recorded what--for me--are some of the definitive versions of these songs. There are 290 songs on this set, among them some of the greatest Nat King Cole ever recorded, including Autumn Leaves, Let's Fall in Love, Just You Just Me, Caravan, Stardust, and on and on. His voice and piano playing are worth this kind of deluxe treatment.
   
   And the book by Will Friedwald is lavishly illustrated and beautifully written.
   
   The sound quality on the first disc is outstanding, and I'm sure the other discs will be the same.
   
   As I said, I just got it, but so far it's nothing short of fantastic for a Nat King Cole fan.
   
   
   
   PS A quick update from early 2008...
   
   I've now owned this set for almost two years and I love it. It has excellent sound quality throughout. The hardcover coffee table book is a treasure. It's so huge that I'm still exploring it and finding new favorite songs. Really expensive, but well worth it for any Nat King Cole fan!

1 comments about Island in the Sun.

1. I bought this box set because there were no CDs of my favorite albums, "Belafonte," "Mark Twain," "An Evening with Belafonte" "Calypso" & "Harry Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean." I wasn't disappointed. It contains the gorgeous ballads, fun dittys, moving gospel & "jump up" Calypso I remembered with such fondness. The set also includes songs recorded earlier & later than my favorites, serving as bookends of enjoyment. The book focuses on Belafonte's personal life up to and including the making of "Island in the Sun." The only flaws I could find was that the book contains no lyrics and little about the music itself or the artists that helped Belafonte sound so great. It would be wonderful to know something about the soprano who did the lovely duet with Harry on "Mo Mary" or which guitarist accompanies Harry on "Merci Bon Dieu." That said, this box set comes highly recommended for any Belafonte fan.

1 comments about Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years.

1. The Spanish label "Definitive Records" collected 233 songs, including all the studio material recorded between 1933 and 1942 for Columbia. All the alternates are included (at the end of every cd: good choice) and there are some great live sessions. The 10 cd box is very cheap and has a nice design. There's a 100 pages booklet with all the lyrics, the liner notes and a short essay about the issue. The 24-bit remasterization, in my opinion, cleaned the sound and made the instruments more "present", even if a background noise is recognizable in many songs. I think the result is remarkable, and I suggest this box not only to Billie Holiday's fans but also to all music lovers.