1 comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Gift to You.

1. Well cats and dogs, all i have to say is WOW!!!!!! if you don't get this cd as soon as you get the money, then i pity you. this is a very inspiring thing for any person. i was feeling so lonely and hopeless. my boyfriend broke up with me, my mom disowned me, and my cat died, but this can always brighten my day. If there is only 1 cd you buy in your entire life, then it should be Ben FOlds, but if there's 2, then buy another Ben Folds, if there's 3, for goodness sakes, get this one. I can't recommend it enough.....wait, yes i can. I just did...

No comments about Cocktail Combos.

5 comments about Rodgers & Hammerstein's Classic Musicals: Oklahoma! / The King and I / Carousel (Original Motion Picture Soundtracks).

1. This delightful boxed set of the three expanded EMI-Angel R&H soundtracks is a joy to behold. Although this boxed set doesn't include the South Pacific and Sound of Music soundtracks, there is much to enjoy in the soundtracks of Oklahoma, Carousel and The King and I. Dipping into this boxed set, one can discover a treasure trove of sterling performances and glorious voices, backed by sumptuous orchestral playing conducted by Jay Blackton and Alfred Newman. An added bonus is the state-of-the-art remastering that allows these 50-year-old recordings to sound their best, and the exhaustive liner notes.
   
   All the performances in this boxed set are stellar, even when there are voice doubles. Oklahoma and Carousel benefit greatly from the casting of Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones as the two lead characters. They have glorious, rounded voices and they sing their parts with character and conviction. Gordon MacRae gives a handsome, dashing portrayal of Curley the cowboy, and does an about-turn for a stouthearted portrayal of the tortured lover Billy Bigelow. There is much of him to enjoy on the Oklahoma and Carousel soundtracks, ranging from the confidence of Oh, What a Beautiful Morning and the hearty Oklahoma, to the love-duets People Will Say We're in Love and If I Loved You, capped by a riveting performance of the Carousel Soliloquy. MacRae is well-matched by Shirley Jones as a pert and attractive Laurey, and a tender and touching Julie, proving herself as his perfect partner in their love duets. They are both backed by a characterful cast that acts all the secondary parts superbly. In Oklahoma one can savour the delightfully comic pairing of Gene Nelson and Gloria Grahame as Will and Ado Annie, and the dark, brooding hues of Rod Steiger as the misunderstood villain Jud. Carousel offers Claramae Turner's earthy portrayal of Julie's cousin Nettie (whose assuring performances of June is Busting Out All Over and You'll Never Walk Alone are definite highlights), and Barbara Ruick gives a zestful portrayal of Julie's friend Carrie. In addition to these two early R&H scores, this boxed set also offers the sumptuous King and I soundtrack, with Yul Brynner's authoritative King holding sway over Marni Nixon's unflappable Anna Leonowens. Although the entire cast sings this score superbly, they are well-matched by the gorgeous Alfred Newman arrangements, sumptuous and lustrous. This King and I reissue, like the other soundtracks, also restores music not available on the original Capitol LPs and allows us to hear not just underscore but the ballets as well.
   
   If I am fulsome in the praise of these critic-proof performances, one might ask, why am I giving four stars rather than five? There is a minor quibble in the presentation of these classic soundtracks - but this isn't against the critic-proof performances that easily deserve five stars. Despite Didier Deutsch's benevolent intentions of restoring unreleased music to these soundtracks, the sources he used for the expanded sequences are from final mix prints of the soundtrack rather than the music-only masters (only for Oklahoma and Carousel). As a result, the Oklahoma and Carousel ballet sequences contain extraneous sound effects such as foot-stomping, hand-clapping, and thunder and lightning sounds. I'm sure many purists like me will bristle at this, since these random sounds would eventually drown out the music, as some previous Amazon reviewers have noted. Thankfully, on the positive side, the King and I soundtrack is completely free of the random sounds, because we can hear the underscore free of any meaningless dialogue intrusions. Although I wish I could hear all the Newman underscore, there is an added bonus in the inclusion of the Uncle Tom's Cabin ballet. Taking this boxed set as a whole, the expanded sequences are a first step in allowing us R&H fans to hear music cut from the original LPs, and hopefully this trilogy of expanded soundtracks will pave the way for complete releases of these soundtracks mixed from the original music-only source material. Luckily, the critic-proof performances will always endure forever, and will always serve as the saving grace of this new expanded trilogy of R&H soundtracks.
   
   In short, despite the minor presentation demerit of this trio of EMI-Angel releases of R&H, this boxed set is always enjoyable with superb performances of these classic musicals. Hopefully, this trio will satisfy us for many years until 20th-Century Fox puts out proper, cleaned-up complete versions of all the R&H soundtracks. Yet I will still urge anyone who loves R&H to add this set to their collection, along with the newly-expanded Sound of Music soundtrack.



2. I do not wish to introduce my very interested grandaughter to American Musicals without the original cast albums. Marnie Nixon is no Gertruce Lawrence. I want Mary Martin doing South Pacific. I wish you had a category of original cast albums.



3. Why not release the 5 gold cds 4 the60th?



4. The Angel Records re-issues of the "Rodgers and Hammerstein Three Pack" are terribly presented. The sound quality is horrible and the "expanded matereal" is nothing but the dance numbers taken right from the unmixed six- track stereo tapes, complete with every foley effect (EX: foot stomping, animal noises,and unwanted dialougue only meant for he movie).
   All three soundtracks were issued on LP by Capitol records after each film debuted (1955- 1957). The LP versions feature the entire vocal score (minus the extra material) and no foley interruption, strictly instrumental and more pleasant to listen to. The LP versions were released on 3CDs in 1994 as a box set (bearing the same title as this one. This version of the box set is still in print and is highly recommended. You will enjoy these classic scores if you listen to the REAL SOUNDTRACKS.



5. My original reviews of the three Rodgers and Hammerstein expanded soundtrack reissues are based on my belief, which is shared by many other people who grew up with and have grown to love these magnificent performances for their musical excellence, not as a mere souvenir of a movie for casual listening, which I perceive is about only what most of the reviewers of these CD's seem to care. If I want to experience the movie, I watch the movie on DVD or tape. If I want to enjoy the music on a recording, I want to music to be allowed to speak for itself without sound effects mixed in meant exclusively for the visual presentation. The film versions of these three Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals showcase the finest performances, before or since, that these magnificent scores have ever received. The additional music on the expanded editions of these albums is NOT from the original multi channel vocal and music separation soundtrack master recordings stored in the 20th Century Fox vaults but instead recorded directly from a final mix print soundtrack complete with foot stomping and extraneous sound effects, which besides having no place on a music only recording, actually detract from the listening experience rather than enhance it. If this were 42nd. Street, the foot stomping would make sense, since it is an integral part of the musical presentation, but without the visuals these random sounds don't make any sense in OKLAHOMA, THE KING AND I and especially CAROUSEL, where the magnificent arrangements of Robert Russell Bennett, Alfred Newman and Ken Darby should be allowed to speak for themselves without intrusions from foley effects. If this were a live recording, such sounds would be an artifact of the original and impossible to remove and therefore have to be acceptable if one wanted to hear the score in its entirety. But in the case of OKLAHOMA, CAROUSEL and THE KING AND I (also SOUTH PACIFIC), a wealth of unmixed original musical material exists in the studio vaults which could have been made available for this remastering and even more music could have been included on these albums (for OKLAHOMA, probably enough to fill 2 CD's). For instance, THE OUT OF MY DREAMS BALLET in OKLAHOMA could have been presented in its ENTIRETY, with the extra verse of the song which was on the original album but on this CD replaced by a much shorter version used in the film, without any worry about the sound effects intruding at the beginning and especially at the end. THE KANSAS CITY, FARMER AND THE COWHAND DANCE MUSIC AND THE FINALE could have been presented minus the foley intrusions that almost drown out the music entirely. In CAROUSEL, LOUISE'S BALLET could have been presented in its ENTIRETY without any worry about the ocean sound effects intruding at the beginning and the OPENING MUSIC lead up to the CAROUSEL WALTZ Main Title could have been presented minus the dialogue at the beginning of the album. The deluxe laserdisc of THE KING AND I contained a CD of about 76 minutes including the complete vocal score and Alfred Newman's excellent underscoring, all completely free of extraneous sound effects and dialogue. Why weren't these tracks used for this CD release? That is the saddest part concerning this release. The original material could have been made available if anyone at EMI-Angel had cared enough to present RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S soundtracks with the integrity that these classic recordings deserve and should have gotten. If you can get past these aberrations imposed on us by producer Didier C. Deutsch, (in addition to some amateur sloppy fade-ins and fade-outs cross cutting the old and new material) the sound on these CD's is very good and offers an energetic and beautifully orchestrated performance of OKLAHOMA by Gordon Mac Rae, Shirley Jones and the entire supporting cast. In fact, this performance is superior to the Broadway original in every respect. CAROUSEL offers a performance of the seven minute Soliloquy by Gordon Mac Rae which is one of the greatest vocal performances of the 20th. Century. In the capable hands of the legendary composer/arranger/conductor Alfred Newman, Richard Rodgers' soaring melodies are taken to heights of brilliance undreamed of in the Broadway original. This is especially evident in "Louise's Ballet." Ken Darby's excellent choral arrangements and wonderful vocals by MacRae, Jones, Claramae Turner, Barbara Ruick, Robert Rounseville and Cameron Mitchell all add up to the most perfect performance of this musical ever. THE KING AND I preserves Yul Brynner's definitive performance as the King and the perfect combination of Deborah Kerr and Marni Nixon as Anna, with orchestrations, supporting vocals and choral work (again by Newman and Darby) that will take your breath away in its magnificence. But even so, try to find the previous CD versions of these albums, which may not have the additional music, but do include the entire vocal scores(including the longer version of the song OUT OF MY DREAMS in OKLAHOMA) without all the intrusive sound effects and sloppy edits making for a far more enjoyable listening experience. Let's hope that someday EMI-Angel will give all three of the Rodgers and Hammerstein soundtracks their due and re-release them with added material from the untainted studio vault separations. That would really be SOMETHING SPECIAL.

5 comments about Warner Brothers 75 Years Entertaining The World: Film Music.

1. All four of these CD's are great! The way they are compiled and the way they are packaged is wonderful also. I highly recommend this!



2. entertainment at its best a great selection of artist



3. Because this set covers such a variety of musics some of it will fail to satisfy, but once you've programmed your favourite tracks it's great. While the concept of scores and songs is a good one, even 4 discs cannot do everything justice; it may have been a better idea to have separate sets for scores and songs. And the velvet cover may have seemed like a good idea, but I know the tacky plastic case won't last, and the whole set will eventually look pretty ragged.



4. I Actually Thought The Compilation Was Good.Discs 1 And 4 Are The Best.The Music Selection Is Good,But They're Missing Tracks From Films Like "THE OUTSIDERS","SESAME STREET PRESENTS:FOLLOW THAT BIRD" And Others That Escape My Mind At The Moment.On The Whole,I Liked It.



5. It`s a great set. But in the film scores section, we`ve been shortchanged.In the 50 years set, we have Korngold`s Adventures of Robin Hood, Sea Hawk and Kings Row cues unavailable else where esp. Randy and Drake - love theme from Kings Row. The Rhino Korngold double CD set is very disappointing in sonics but great on quantity. Wish the studios would release the original film soundtrack from Kings Row including the choral ending.

   Will put forward my views later - got to get some sleep !

2 comments about A Star Is Born/The Way We Were/Funny Girl.

1. I picked up this "sort-of-boxed set" at a relatively inexpensive
   price, and I must say it's well worth it. I am a huge fan of
   Miss Barbra, but never got around to buying the individual CD's
   of "The Way We Were" or "A Star Is Born". "Funny Girl" I did
   own in it's original CD incarnation. Now you can purchase all
   three for less money than you would spend if you got them
   separately. They come housed in a long box with a very attractive Early 70's-era photo of Babs on the cover. Inside
   are the three CD's and the 3 insert booklets you'd find with
   the individual CD's. All three CD's have been recently
   remastered, and all sound great. All in all, a good idea.
   And now, the CDs themselves:
   
   What can you say about "Funny Girl" that any fan hasn't said
   a thousand times before? One of the greatest musical comedy
   performances of all-time, and perhaps the most auspicious film
   debut by a major actor or actress EVER. Barbra, on this CD,
   shows just why people were just astonished by her talent in the
   early years. The individuality, charisma, vocal tone and just
   plain greatness are evident here, even without the visuals of
   the movie. And the score is fantastic.
   
   "The Way We Were" is one of her best pop albums, all the more
   surprising when you realize it was basically a slapdash affair,
   put together to capitalize on the hit single and success of the
   film. There is not one bad performance on this disc, and there
   are several classics besides the title hit. It's amazing, and
   here Barbra's voice is at it's peak (and that was a LONG peak!).
   
   "A Star Is Born" might not be on everyone's "Best of Barbra"
   list, but almost 30 years after the film, listening to the
   music alone, it is very enjoyable. Yes, there are a few "rockin"
   songs that misfire, but the ones that do succeed are just
   sublime. "Woman In The Moon", in spite of the dated feminist
   sentiments, is one of the most awesome displays of vocal talent
   Barbra has ever recorded! Truly soaring vocals. "Evergreen"
   of course is a bonafide classic, and the finale of "With One More
   Look At You/Watch Closely Now" is better on CD without the
   distraction of Barbra's "groovy dancing" in the movie. Just
   great.
   
   All in all, a very enjoyable sampler of 3 different stops along
   the Streisand "Musical Timeline".



2. From the top, she's the top. The top female vocalist of our time. That said, most people (certainly even her medium fans) already own these three "albums". It certainly is an eclectic group of several of Streisand's biggest sellers in her long and storied career. You don't get much more Broadway/Hollywood than the motion picture soundtrack to FUNNY GIRL (where she won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress along with the legendary Katharine Hepburn in a historic tie). THE WAY WE WERE (where she should have won Best Actress flat-out and a Grammy for best female vocal, but didn't) has always been a favorite studio collection for many Streisand fans, and it truly is like two albums in one... the more contemporary selections (Paul Simon, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, etc.) of "side one" closing, more or less, with a tribute to the beautiful lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergan. Then, it's off to the Grammy-winning A STAR IS BORN. Had there not been the huge #1 success of this album, the fans might never have been treated to the rockish GUILTY album (not on this set) that finished out the decade. And many may well not remember what a huge seller STAR was, as a film, and in this case, as a soundtrack. It was right up there, sales-wise, with other huge albums by Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, and the Eagles. As a sidenote to the music, the cover is a beautiful shot of Barbra Streisand with her longish hair. So, if you are just discovering Streisand (you're either very young or have been living in a cave), this is a terrific way to start your collection. The liner notes for each are included inside. Now, if you're looking for extras, you won't find them here. Might I suggest to Sony a collection of STONEY END, BARBRA JOAN, and LIVE CONCERT AT THE FORUM... all three produced by the brilliant Richard Perry. And how about some outtakes this time around rescued from the vaults that didn't make Streisand's incredible boxed set, JUST FOR THE RECORD?!

1 comments about Swinging on a Star: His Fifty Greatest Hits of the 30s & 40s.

1. This is a perfect compilation of Bing Crosby songs. The two CDs showcase 50 of Bing's most popular hits, including Out of Nowhere, Just One More Chance, Dinah, Love In Bloom, I'll Be Seeing You and White Christmas. The sound quality also is superb with ASV Living Era once again capturing the warmth and richness of Bing's exquisite voice while also rendering it crystal clear. As a child, Bing first developed a love for Irish music, then later became a drummer and singer in college and soon after joined the famous Whiteman orchestra. He crooned his way through over 150 popular songs in the 1930s, with 22 of them becoming #1 hits. I don't recall any other singer who could so equally master a romantic love song, a jazz creation or an Irish ballad with such passion, style and ease. I highly recommend this album as an absolute must for everyone of any age!

No comments about Louis Armstrong.

5 comments about Happy Trails: The Roy Rogers Collection, 1937-1990.

1. If you are a Roy Rogers fan, this is a must have. You will enjoy hearing all the songs that you enjoyed in his movies. His songs make you happy and it's easy to catch yourself singing along. He's the best cowboy singer. Wonderful voice! Anyone would enjoy this collection! 5 stars!



2. This is a great set,but where is "Think of me",a 1943 hit,on the Decca label(#6092)?



3. I have been a Roy Rogers fan for many, many years. I love his Western films, especially the ones with Dale, Gabby and the Sons of the Pioneers, but I also love his music. In my opinion, Roy is America's #1 singing cowboy. That's why I was so tickled when I found this boxed set. There are many great "movie" songs featured, some which I have heard over and over, still others that I have never heard before. I'm familiar with " Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" which has been recorded by other artists but this was my first time to hear it done so wonderfully by Roy and Dale. It is one of my favorite cuts. The same goes for "River of No Return." There are just too many great songs to mention here.

   I hope Dusty, and all the people responsible for getting Roy and Dale's music on CD, will gather some more of those precious gems from Roy's countless B westerns and put them in yet another boxed set. One song in particular I would love to hear again is "Idaho", from the 1943 movie of the same title.

   If you are a Roy Rogers fan, you will love this box set.




4. Overall, a good set.

   A couple of caveats: - These are radio transcriptions, with really bad acting between the songs. - Some of the key songs are not performed in full. - Some of the songs have topical verses added ('Get Along Little Dogies' with a verse that the cattle would become meat for the soldiers!) - The swing orchestra on many of the songs is rather strange; but some selections have guitar. - Interesting to hear the aggressive commercials for tie-in merchandise (nothing new under the sun!) - Booklet is printed on dark paper in tiny type.

   Still a good set.




5. Roy Rogers was a hero to me asa child, young adult and even now as an old adult. To be able to own a collectionof his music like this is beyond words. The music is a very good representation of his career in the movies. Thetribute to him by Dusty is something every parent would be proud of.

2 comments about Dalida l'Original.

1. This four-CD compilation is a wonderful introduction to Dalida. It claims it covers her entire 30 year career but it wisely leaves out most of her early-mid 60s material, which was primarily just cover versions of other singers' hits. This material does not show Dalida at her best.

   If you are looking to try out Dalida, I would not be repelled by the price of this set. I hemmed and hawed about it, and now that I have bought it, I am offically obsessed with Dalida. Please do not purchase any of the remix CDs of Dalida's songs; they are rather horrendous.

   It does include a few 50s hits and many 70s & 80s tracks. Many of the songs here rank among Dalida's best.

   Highlights:
   Disc 1 (greatest hits): Mourir sur scene; Pour en arriver là; A ma manière; Soleil, soleil. This last track is one of my favorite Dalida songs. Just great.

   Disc 2 (cover versions): Je suis malade; La mamma; Il pleut sur Bruxelles. Il pleut... is actually an original song written as a tribute to Jacques Brel. It is one of the most beautiful songs Dalida ever recorded; an unforgettable song. It is also catchy. Probably one of the best songs on the entire set.

   Disc 3 (movie songs): Fini, la comedie; Darla Dirladada; Le 6ème jour; Parle plus bas. Le... is the last song Dalida recorded and it is moving and sounds very ahead of its time. Fini... is great as well; a regretful acknowledgment that a love has died and it is time to close the curtain on it.

   Disc 4 (worldly Dalida): Aranjuez; Lebnan; Helwa Ya Baladi. Lebnan, from 1986, is one of my favorite Dalida songs. I find it moving for some reason, tho' I don't understand Lebanese. I like the 3 English language versions, but their lyrics are rather suspect (e.g., "...for me the magic starts to begin" on Born to Sing).
   ---
   All in all a highly recommended set.




2. Anyone who knows Dali in any of seven languages in about 1000 songs, can tell you that her Music is indeed Eternaly Universal... She said,'The words never change, only the rhythm...." Most Americans do not know her as a commercial success, yet she was known as "La Madone" long before Madonna. As a linguist, I can well witness her greatness... Having studied her Music and Life for 25 Years.. You must purchase her music, when you can, as it is non commercial, and quite difficult to purchase. ...She will inspire you as she has done so many others,throught the world, without the hype associated with many True Artists of our time... Indeed after her concert At Carnegie Hall in 1975 in New York, she had reached the pinnacle of her personal best (of the American Show Business World). Then, Dali went back to her home in Paris, and continued to wave to neighbors and accept friends into her modest home. Somewhere between the "Star" as she was, and the "Icon" by which she is now known, in this Music
   in its Original Version even those who just know her music for the first time will be indeed touched for life. Dali incorporates all emotion in her music and her life.

   Her Grave in Paris is the Most Decorated in all of France. Thank you. Please buy this album on the 15th anniversary of her passing, for she is to us all, Dalida Eternelle. She was a very nice person, too.. She touched every person she ever met with her greatness of personality, simplicity of spirit and true goodness.. where we are all one in this world, with only the hope of a better Future for us All

No comments about Only The Best Of Vic Damone (4-CD).