1 comments about Classic Album and Singles.

1. A VISIT ONCE AGAIN TO THE MAGICAL VOICE OF JOHNNY MATHIS. IF YOU ARE A MATHIS FAN OR JUST DISCOVERING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU WILL BE TAKEN ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY LIKE NO OTHER. INCLUDES MANY OF HIS POPULAR HITS, PLUS SOME NEVER HEARD MATERIAL,BUT ALL DONE WITH THAT "MATHIS MAGIC",THAT POLISHED,CLASSY ACT OF MR. MATHIS. I NEVER TIRE LISTENING TO HIS MUSIC. OLD FAN OR NEW, I BELIEVE LISTENING TO THIS CD WILL KEEP YOU HOOKED OR GET YOU HOOKED ON THE MAGICAL VOICE OF JOHNNY MATHIS.

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.

4 comments about 1940's Christmas.

1. This was an excellent set of CD's and quite a value, as well. I have thrown three seperate parties using these CD's in the past month and I have received nothing but praise from my guests. WONDERFUL!



2. I have a large variety of Xmas music but found this set disappointing. Disk 1 is ok, and the other 2 are fair. Some of the recordings are poor as one of the other reviewers mentioned. Other Xmas music will probably deliver a better value.



3. I swore I would never buy a LaserLight anything again. They have to be the worst of repackagers. Horrible mastering, ugly artwork, no liner notes of any sort and absolutely no thought to the material. Alas, I didn't check the label before I clicked. Only one of the CDs is a 1940s compilation. A Sinatra/Crosby compilation and a Glenn Miller Christmas collection are discs two and three. Half of the Sinatra/Crosby disc is from an old broadcast (actually I think it is from their Christmas special - if so. it isn't even 40's). The quality is really, really bad. The Glenn Miller disc is actually a radio program and unless there is a secret Christmas message in Little Bug Jug, the Christmas label is a bit deceptive.
   
   Check out the offerings from ASV - their discs are always high quality.



4. This is the greatest Christmas music..I look forward to listening to it every year! It recalls the WWII era in the most touching way - sentimental favorites like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I'll Be Home for Christmas are mixed with some more whimsical tunes like It Happened in Sun Valley (my personal favorite)... It swings and warms and evokes great emotion...I can't say enough...

   It is something that I think everyone should have in their collection at Christmastime!!

1 comments about Jazz and Velvet.

1. This box set is amazing from start to finish. All of the early years in a nice new digital sound and remastered. Buy this set it will make you smile. The Velvet Fog was the true ace of the Great American Song

2 comments about C'est Si Bon: Satchmo in the Forties.

1. A short simple WOW! This is an absolutely glorious collection of Armstrong classics. Should be in everyone's music collection.



2. I can't believe I've gone this long in my life without owning this fantastic collection of Satchmo in the Forties.
   Do you like pure jazz?
   Do you like the big band sound?
   Do you like blues?
   Do you like the New Orleans sound?
   Do you like awesome trumpet playing?
   Do you like Louis Armstrong?
   It's all here. Some of the best music you'll ever own. I just recently purchased "C'est Ci Bon" and can't be bothered with listening to anything else.
   The two renditions of "Rocking Chair" are worth the purchase price alone. As with many other cuts this one features the vastly underrated Jack Teagarden along with Satchmo.
   Other featured performers include Billie Holiday, the Mills Brothers, Barney Bigard, Earl Hines, Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. A veritable who's who of the mid century music industry.
   Of course Armstrong is the star attraction and I have to revise my previously held views and say that this was when he was at this best. He was, by comparison, rougher in the Thirties and blander in the Fifties. His voice, his horn playing and his arrangements are at their best in this set. Enclosed with the set is one of the better insert booklets you'll come across, replete with background information, full discography and pictures.
   Great music and a great bargain.

1 comments about A Fine Romance - The Love Songs of Frank Sinatra.

1. "It takes a long time to heal a broken heart. It's happened to all of us and never gets any easier. I understand, however, that playing one of my albums can help." ~ Frank Sinatra ~
   
   Perfectly-said! It's absolutely true. Playing one or two or all of his albums works wonder. Let it out! Pour your sentiments out by listening to his music.
   
   One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Frank Sinatra as a singer is his ability to convey the true essence of a song effectively. He praised the songwriters of yesteryears and believed that "they were of a different nature." These are his thoughts about some of the greatest songwriters of all-time.
   
   "Sammy Cahn is always there for me; he has written some very poignant lyrics in his career; touching and loving type of songs. "All The Way" is a marvelous song."
   
   "Cole Porter had that marvelous clip type of rhymes."
   
   "Larry Hart wrote the most sophisticated saloon kind of songs; there was always a bit of bittersweet and sadness in them."
   
   "Johnny Mercer had great humor in his music."
   
   "What is this about Gershwin? He gets your ear and you can't stop listening?"
   
   "Every one of those men, all the songwriters, are so responsible for my career."
   
   This two-CD-set is an absolute musical gold mine with fifty of the most-loved and biggest hits of Frank Sinatra recorded from 1953 thru 1999. The impressive track listing includes the greatest songs penned by the most brilliant lyricists/composers of all-time: Sammy Cahn & Jim Van Heusen, Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields, Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler, Erroll Gardner & Johnny Burke, Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Bart Howard, Duke Ellington, Larry Hodges, Harry James & Don George, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Gene Lees, Michel Legrand, Harry Warren & Al Dubin, among the many others.
   
   The lyric of a song is very vital to Frank Sinatra and according to him the "written word is first; always be first. Not belittling the music, but it is really a backdrop. To convey the meaning of a song, you need to look at the lyric and understand it."
   
   Among my highlights on this wonderful compilation of the very best Sinatra songs include the following.
   
   "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Moon River" (Nelson Riddle, Days of Wine And Roses, 1964)
   "They Can't Take That Away From Me" (Neal Hefti, Sinatra And Swingin' Brass, 1962)
   "I've Got A Crush On You" (Nelson Riddle, Nice 'N' Easy, 1960)
   "Let's Face The Music And Dance," "You'd Be Easy To Love, "A Fine Romance," "Let's Fall In Love" and "You And The Night And The Music" (Johnny Mandel, Ring-A-Ding Ding, 1960)
   "Night And Day" and "Misty" (Don Costa, Sinatra & Strings, 1961)
   "More" and "Fly Me To The Moon" (Quincy Jones with Count Basie And His Orchestra, It Might As Well Be Swing, 1964)
   "The Very Thought Of You" (Robert Farnon, Great Songs From Great Britain, 1962)
   "Like Someone In Love" and "My Funny Valentine" (Nelson Riddle, Songs For Young Lovers, 1953)
   "Watch What Happens" (Don Costa, My Way, 1969)
   "Wave" (Eumir Deodato, Sinatra & Company, 1969)
   "Loved Walked In" (Billy May, Sinatra Swings, 1961)
   "It Had To Be You" (Billy May, Trilogy: Past, Present & Future, 1979)
   "I Have Dreamed" and "Bewitched" (Nelson Riddle, Concert Sinatra, 1963)
   "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars" (Claus Ogerman, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967)
   "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Call Me Irresponsible" (Nelson Riddle, Sinatra's Sinatra, 1963)
   "Somethin' Stupid" (Duet with Nancy Sinatra, Billy Strange, The World We Knew, 1967)
   "All The Way" (Duet with Celine Dion, David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock, All The Way, A Decade of Song, 1999)
   
   "I sang so well because I felt the lyric
   Here and here and here [touches his forehead, his heart and his stomach]
   Whatever the man was trying to say in the song -
   I'd been there. And back.
   I knew what it was all about." ~ Frank Sinatra ~
   
   This two-CD-set is a perfect addition to any Sinatra collection and I graciously recommend it. It includes a very informative liner notes with rare photos of the Chairman of the Board. The editorial research was done by Charles Pignone, a friend of the Sinatra Family and the author of "Sinatra Treasures."

No comments about 3 CD Box Set.

3 comments about Best of the Song Books: The Collection.

1. Ella Fitzgerald's Best Of The Songbooks is an excellent three CD set that really highlights the very best of the songbooks Ella sang by Cole Porter, The Gershwins, Harold Arlen and many others. The sound quality is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done. This is a must have for Ella Fitzgerald fans who don't want to have the expense of buying all her songbooks which can be quite pricey.
   
   The first CD starts with "Something's Gotta Give:" this tune shins bright as Ella swings so well to make this tune sparkle! The big band arrangement makes this number even stronger; and Ella also does a great job on "Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered" with an elegant piano arrangement. Ella's voice is as clear as a bell and she aces this easily--god for her! The First Lady Of Song proves that she wasn't ever a slacker. "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" also has a big band arrangement that I really like; and there's Ella swinging brightly on "The Lady Is A Tramp." "The Lady Is A Tramp" is a major highlight of the first CD and I'm sure you'll like it very much. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" features Ella Fitzgerald squarely front and center as she delivers this without a superfluous note; and "Hooray For Love" never sounded better than when Ella Fitzgerald sang it!
   
   The second CD continues the great hits. "Laura" gets a sublime interpretation from Ella Fitzgerald; and the lush musical arrangement really impresses me quite a bit. "Laura" is nothing short of a stunning ballad that never fails to move me. "It Was Written In The Stars" has great brass while Ella sings; and "How Long Has This Been Going On?" sounds fresh and new when I hear Ella sing this classic love song even if the lyrics aren't the happiest I've ever heard. "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me" has an elegant piano arrangement to accompany Ella who aces this like the pro she always was and still remains! There's also "Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good);" Ella performs this with panache and I love every note of it! "Trav'lin' Light" is a number I first heard when Billie Holiday sang it; and when Ella Fitzgerald sings it still sounds new and exciting to me.
   
   The third CD has plenty to make us happy, too. "From This Moment On" has a strong upbeat melody that is very catchy and Ella sings this flawlessly with great feeling; and there's also "All The Things You Are" with its great use of the brass as Ella Fitzgerald sings this to perfection--and beyond! "I'm Beginning To See The Light" shines like a new masterpiece when Ella performs it so very well; and "I Remember You" has a sensitive yet energetic treatment from Ella. Similarly, "Just One Of Those Things" sparkles brightly when Ella Fitzgerald delivers this ballad without a flaw.
   
   In short, Best Of The Songbooks by Ella Fitzgerald is packed full of incredibly timeless number by so many composers and lyricists that I am baffled as to why this is currently out of print--I hope that changes soon! I highly recommend this for fans of both the great Ella Fitzgerald and classic pop vocals.



2. Ella's voice is legendary, and that legend is well deserved. The songs are all classics, and the instrumentals backing them up is superb. What else is there? This box set is flawless.



3. Ella's songbook collection is some of (if not) the best recordings of American standard music. This cd is really the best of the best. One of the Best Singers singing the Best Music of our time. This is and essential collection everyone should have.

3 comments about Chronicles.

1. I received my CD's on time in perfect condition! I love all the songs on these CD's. Thank You.



2. I'm proud to admit that my very first album as a child was Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual" (1965). Tom's music is just as cool today as it was when it first came out! Even though it is covered with scratches, I still have the original vinyl of "It's Not Unusual" and a turntable to play it on. Now, after all these years, I finally have it on CD! And the sound is spectacular! Crisp, clean, absolutely incredible. THANK YOU UNIVERSAL!
   
   This box set contains three complete Tom Jones albums in their original configurations:
   
   "It's Not Unusual" (1965)
   "What's New Pussycat?" (1965)
   "A-Tom-Ic Jones" (1966)
   
   If you're a Tom Jones fan -- especially of his incredible mid-sixtes music -- this is a MUST BUY!



3. O my god!! Just a while ago i was thinking about all the albums i have and would love to put into cd's but knew that i couldnt get these songs again ANYWHERE!. Lone and behold!!! I LOVE this set!!! I remember my sister playing ALL of these songs in her bedroom so loud!! Listening to these CD's i was amazed on how i didnt forget the lyrics. I really did AMAZE myself being almost 40 years old. If any of you had these albums way back in the 70s's,..you will LOVE it now on CD!! I DO NOT LEAVE my house without this set too play in my car. Just brings back a beautiful time period and that powerful, wonderful voice of Tom Jones!!! I dont care how old i get, I love this mans voice and music. Notice the sound of the instraments. You just dont get or hear this kind of music anymore!!! A MUST HAVE to any Tom Jones fans!!!

No comments about Best of Disco.