5 comments about Everything Under the Sun.

1. A fantastic and complete collection (not including solo material) of all the Walker Brothers output-the sound is amazing-I find myself putting the first 2 discs on repeat-the wall of sound meant to be on these recordings is finally here and justice is done--I highly recommend this to you-if you've only heard "Sun Ain't Gonna Shine" and wonder if the rest of the material is as good-it is-the last 2 discs are the reunion discs, which I am not particularly into-but despite this, it's worth it for the first 3 discs which are fantastic...great package and photos, info....UltraKillerKool...Greg Prevost



2. The Walker Brothers were one of those sixties groups which straddled the pop divided between what you mum and dad were listening to and the new sounds emerging out Britain and Mowtown. Looking to the past they drew inspiration from the present. However for most fans (ie. girls) it was their sexy good looks that got much of the attention. By '67 it was all passe and the brooding good looks were not enough to sustain a career.
   
   With the passage of time one can fully appreciate their acheivement of producing quality material for what was largely a juvenile market. I think it was this ability the merge the old and the (then) new that gives the material, with its formal structures, its strength today... and of course Scott's voice, probably one of the greatest voices of our time.
   
   The box set features all of their releases (the 60's and no so good 70's) and some unreleased material, most notably different versions of the Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore. But what makes this indespensible is the freshness of the sound mix. Too often in the past releases of 60's music have sounded dull and lifeless. The engineers have done a great job on this one.
   
   The sun is gonna shine forevermore on this one.



3. At last, all in one place, the collection I had always been hoping to find. Every hit and album track from their entire recorded career is present. From their earliest 1960's recordings through to their final 1970's reunion recordings...all the great hits as well as the more obscure album tracks. The collection is nicely boxed, with photos and biographical text, and the analog tracks are nicely restored to their full orchestral, wall of sound, glory. A must for every Walker Brothers fan.



4. Either you have the six solo Walker Brothers LPs (or maybe the first three sixties classics) or you don't have any of them, so of course you'll need this. If you're a fan already the 13 unreleased bonus cuts, while a mixed bag (even Scott Walker isn't going to cut James Brown or Wilson Pickett, though you don't cringe), are priceless - "Lazy Afternoon" (a great theater song from the time when Scott appeared on Broadway as a child actor) or the very best "Shadow of Your Smile" recorded by anyone.
   
   There's more than a full CD of Scott's first Brel-inspired compositions spread over the set; and the three 70s CDs are hard to find now, which all have moments, in particular the third with Scott's bizarre composing genius first blooming.
   
   The packaging and booklet are fun, very 60s fanzine circa mod London - though a bit more information might have been shoehorned in.
   
   Though John can sing there is not one song you wish Scott hadn't done instead - I was crushed John was the vocalist for Randy Newman's "Marie". Scott should do a Nillson-ish Newman album.
   
   The packaging as with the reissue of the Scott box set provokes one complaint - the fifth CD wedged into a cardboard page is not a good idea, I'd suggest the overlapping method used for the Faces box. To keep it from harm, move it to a jewel case.
   
   Scott has one of the very great voices in pop history - and it's exactly the same today as then, eerie. He and Dusty Springfield - heaven. Real pop art, unlike that Warhol imposter. If you have any interest at all in that era and style, pop for this. Bowie wishes he could croon like this. Scott is Johnny Mathis and Captain Beefheart rolled into one. This is the Mathis side.



5. What more can you say, it's all the Walker Brothers material, it's crucial. In terms of the non music aspects, the cds come in a hilarious booklet that says "WOW! OUTTA SITE! FANTASTIC 5 DISC SET!" on the front. It's cheesy as hell and it warms my heart.

5 comments about The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971.

1. More than 30 years after Stax-Volt last published, at last I have my hands on all three volumes of 'The Complete...'. The individual volumes have some great music, not all of which found its way around the world. Hearing great music for the first time long after the label's demise is a mixture of elation tinged with regret. Yet the breadth of the three volumes is astonishing and encompasses a range of talent, unique yet all related through the label (of course) and mostly through the session/backing musicians. If you can, buy all three volumes of this amazing collection and then turn the music up. And see how quickly your smile turns to a broad and happy grin. Enjoy.



2. I heard this set before I was exposed to the legendary 1959-1968 Stax/Volt volume one box set. With the exception of Otis Redding, I am more impressed with music here than in volume one. The loss of Otis Redding and the fallout of the distribution deal with Atlantic clearly sent the label into a tail spin. However this forced (or allowed) other talents to rise up, like Isaac Hayes, and the label sought acts like the Staple Singers, who found their sound in Memphis. This is also when the black power/black consciousness movement starts to influence the music. There's more message music -- some of the best and funkiest message music recorded -- and apart from a few tracks, you're not really beat over the head with it. (One exception may be John KeSandra's "(What's Under) The Natural Do," ... it's a bit cheesy with 30 years of history from the time it was recorded, but it's a song with a sense of humor that also makes a statement.) The volume 1 set chronicles a label trying to find its sound and put together a string of hits. That music can't be denied in any way, shape or form. But this set is when the hits start coming fast and furious ... yes, they're largely hits on the R&B chart, they're hits none the less. And plenty of artists crossed over into the pop chart as well, the detailed track listings make that clear.
   
   For what it's worth, this is when Albert King put together a string of hits, and they're all represented ... a bit odd for a straight-up blues guitar player to find a home at Stax, but that's the beauty of this label, they made it all work.
   
   Of course, you've really got to be into soul music, and this era of R&B, in particular, to invest in a set like this. If you've already paid for any of the Motown "complete" sets or some of the philly soul compilations, then I would highly recommend this (and volume 1) without reservation.



3. In May of 1968, Stax was in a dilemma. The distribution deal with Atlantic Records ceased to be since Stax opted out of the Atlantic/Warner
   merger. Thus, they lost the lion's share of their back catalogue to Atlantic plus Sam & Dave, who were merely loaned to Stax and were initially Atlantic artists, not to mention Otis Redding from the December '67 plane crash that took his life. A prominent figure in the Civil Rights movement had also been brought down: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it was in the Memphis area. With so much on their plate, it could have been the end of the line for Stax.
   
   However, with the mighty audacity and go-power of Al Bell, Stax was going to start from scratch and rebuild their catalogue under their new distributors, Gulf+Western. Their first record on the new label with the finger-snap logo (replacing the stack-of-records) was provided by none other than Booker T. and the MG's; it was a Caribbean-influenced number called "Soul Limbo." It was a hit right off the bat. With more hit singles following, Stax was off to a promising rebirth.
   
   Much of the earlier part of this 9-disc set that chronicles 1968-1971 sounds like a direct continuation of the first set. Though, it isn't long when the Stax sound begins to change gradually with the influences of Stax's new order of business and mass production including more outside production from the North and in places like Muscle Shoals. The changing times also affect the tone of the music as it becomes more funkier but somehow loses its down-home grit that was omnipresent in the first set. With new producers at hand and the aim for assembly-line production, the sound on this set begins to become permeated with polish and gloss. The new artists that came during this period like the Emotions and the Dramatics were saddled with this ordeal and lyrics to many songs were gravitating more towards social and domestic awareness.
   
   Nonetheless, the Stax veterans, namely Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Albert King, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor and Booker T. & the MG's still managed to keep Stax's primal grittiness intact. The Bar-Kays were reformed by the two surviving members and as a result they increased their level of funkiness. Isaac Hayes goes from Stax session musician and principal song writer and rises to stardom as one of Stax's most successful artists ("I Stand Accused" is his best work, period. The sound clip provided here on this page is awesome). The Staple Singers provide moments of inspiration and renewed hope. With the absence of Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, that initial high-power energy is sorely missing and it wasn't long when Booker T. & the MG's were drifting away from Stax. That's the gap that these swarms of new artists like the Soul Children, Margie Joseph and Ernie Hines were aiming to fill, and do great jobs in their own respect, but you'll know something is still noticably missing.
   
   At 216 tracks among 9 CD's, each containing more than 70 minutes of music and showcased in crisp, meaty stereo sound, Vol. 2 is definitely worth the listen. Though, I found that on the first box I could categorize all the songs into those that I loved/really liked and those that I could at least appreciate. On the second box, it's about the same, however there were about six tracks that I just didn't care for such as The Nightingales "I Don't Want to Be Like My Daddy", and Jeanne & the Darlings' "It's Time to Pay for the Fun", and Calvin Scott's "Shame on the Family Name." So, 6 out of 216 isn't bad, now is it?
   
   Still, being an avid Stax fan, there was much to enjoy on this second set.
   It's R&B; it isn't afraid to express itself and the lyrics are still down-to-earth and didn't have to be created from hard, exasperating efforts.
   Everything from Booker T. & the MG's, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Albert King, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes and Johnnie Taylor and many of the Soul Children's material were my favorite tracks and obviously there are too many to mention. I also enjoyed songs from renowned artists who had brief stints with Stax like John Lee Hooker, Barbara Lewis, The TSU Toronadoes, Darrell Banke, Jimmy Hughes and even Delaney & Bonnie of "Never Ending Song of Love" fame. On disc three, you'll hear MG guitarist Steve Cropper sing(!) on "Water" as he plays guitar alongside Pops Staples and Albert King. The first three discs and the last one on their own were the strongest in the set; everything spread out in between those mentioned still contained a lot of great songs and rare gems but in the midst were some weaker and uninspired numbers.
   
   Granted, Stax was in the swing of things during this time and the sound became funkier and yet still glossy making the first set (particularly the earlier parts of it) sound primitive. The new beginning was an opportunity to use the new recording equipment acquired and here that is quite relevant. Chart success, in comparison, was about the same with less than half the singles presented being able to make the charts with everything else failing to even make a dent despite the arrival of subsidiary labels like Enterprise (mainly a jazz division), Respect and We Produce.
   
   The next chapter in Stax's golden history awaits you; R&B music was in its last golden years before disco took over. The end of those magic times came with the close of Stax records. Meanwhile, all involved in R&B and particularly southern soul was riding high at this point. So, if the first Stax set left you starving for more, this second set should satisfy you plenty if not overwhelm you.



4. So you probably already own the first box if you're looking at the second box. You're thinking that you already have the majority of the hits , and you do. You're thinking that you want this , but you aren't quite sure. Look , you picked up the first box , you probably LOVED it...pick up the second (and the third). You will hear songs that you never heard before , but that is what makes this box so enjoyable. It's like finding a new radio station circa 1968-1971 , playing songs that could have made the top 10...but didn't. You will not regret putting it in your shopping cart.



5. It's amazing how many hidden gems are mixed in amongst the more well-known songs in this fantastic 9 disc box set. From Darrell Banks' "Just Because Your Love is Gone" to the Newcomers' "Open Up Your Heart (and Let Me In), this is simply a treasure-trove of soul / r&b delights. If you like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Dramatics, etc, you will love this set....good for dancin', good for romancin'!

5 comments about Oldies But Goodies: 250 Legendary Hits.

1. After reading many of the reviews, I just wanted to mention that the sound quality is excellent. Digitally remastered and sounds better than anyone could have remembered. Secondly if this is not your kind of music i.e. you dont like oldies or fun 50's music this is NOT for you. For the rest of you out there, this is better than most collections out there for the mere reason that it covers so much and sounds so good
   
   You will be the hit of any party with this collection seeing as you have over 200 songs and they are so much fun.....This collection was made and produced by Art Laboe, and if you dont know who that is, just google him and find out..



2. THIS UNIQUE OLDIES BOX SET BRINGS BACK MANY MEMORIES OF MY YOUTH. I GREW UP LISTENING TO THE SAME SONGS AND ARTISTS FOUND IN THIS COLLECTION. NIGHTIME WOULD FIND ME LYING IN BED WITH MY TRANSISTOR RADIO PRESSED AGAINST MY EAR. I GREW UP LISTENING TO THE EXACT SAME MUSIC FOUND IN THIS OUTSTANDING COLLECTION. I BUY TONS OF MUSIC BUT THIS BOX SET WILL ALWAYS REMAIN MY MOST WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT.
   
   FM DJ FROM THE MIDWEST



3. I bought one of these for a Christmas present for my brother and one for me. We're both connoiseurs of this music.

   When all was said and done, there is most certainly some good stuff here, and it's fairly representative of that era. But quite frankly, there are way too many 2nd and 3rd rate cuts included to make this set worth owning.

   I played mine so few times that I don't even know where it is any more. I'm especially sorry I gave one to my brother for Christmas. He deserved better.




4. This fantastic oldiescollection represents the"soundtrack of my life"! Every song is proofthat rock-n-roll is hereto stay!A must for every collector! Rock on,



5. I found only Vol. 3 of the boxed sets (78 songs, though the box says 80) in a retail store. Some of the artists are not the ones I remember, but perhaps they were the first to record a particular song.

5 comments about Kiss.

1. Essencial. If you belong to kissarmy you have to got it. Simple as: You wanted the best, you got the best.



2. MY girlfriend love this product very well shipped got it earlier than expected thanks so much it made her day



3. I just read an interview with Gene saying that Kiss would release another box set of rarities. I wonder why they just didn't put everything in one set. This set is a waste for the most part. It does have some really interesting live cuts, demos, and alternate takes. But for the most part it is a best of collection. The problem is that the people that would buy this are Kiss fans and already have all the hits from the albums and multiple greatest hits packages over the years. This box set should have just been the rare bits and pieces.



4. This box set is great has demos, previously unreleased songs, live versions and of course the normal songs all on 5 disks.



5. Highly recommend this Kiss item. Any true fan will want this. I was amazed that most of the music that didn't make it to their albums actually sounds like a cross between the Beatles and Led Zep. Great music and a must have!

5 comments about Live/1975-85.

1. Live albums. Some artists shine. The live recordings show why they are so popular when they hit the road. Others should run screaming when their record label or their manager suggests a live project! Springsteen is one of the former. He and his band have always had a reputation as a killer live act. Live 1975-1985 shows that their reputation is well deserved.
   
   By the time these cds were released just before Xmas, 1986, Springsteen had made seven records, including one double. This is sixteen sides of music. Each was a classic. There are about forty songs on this live collection. If you subtract five non-Springsteen songs we are left with thirty-five live songs. That would be about two songs for each LP side! Thus, these three discs should contain la crème de la crème. Discs one and two certainly get us off to a great start. The cuts are primarily from concerts heard between 1975 and 1980. Unfortunately, thereafter, for me at least, the set runs out of steam a little as we are given seven songs from Born in the USA - my least favourite of his first seven records. However, all in all, I shouldn't quibble with the song selection. After all, my favourites are not necessarily yours.
   
   The singing and the playing are, as one would expect, first class throughout. Bruce is always in good voice. The E Street Band is as tight as it is in the studio. The balance between vocals and instruments is mixed perfectly. The base and drums rumble deeply, the piano tinkles brightly, the vocals are clear, the guitar solos are crisp. All is in balance. The pacing of the songs, often so screwed up in live performances - too damned fast - is right on. Several songs are actually slowed down to great effect (e.g. Thunder Road).
   
   Live albums are often only for the diehard fans. This set is an exception. If you own no other Springsteen records and you are looking for an introduction this would be a great start. I cannot honestly say that I am a huge Springsteen fan. Although I have nearly all of his releases I do not think about him the way I think about, for instance, Van Morrison or Elvis Costello. Having admitted this, I must also admit that every time I spin a Springsteen record I am surprised by my reaction. I start to listen and expect to enjoy the experience. I end up believing that he is one of the great talents of all time.



2. This album has taken all the best live performances and put them into one album... since they are all live the have woven the tracks from one to the other seamlessly so this album seems like a live concert...
   great album.



3. The BOSS is the best in the BIZ. I love his music and I finally wore out the cassette copy of this music I recieved from my sister back in the early 90's. I am sure I will listen to this CD for decades to come.



4. 
   I ordered the boxed set of Springsteen Live: 1975-85. I had this set on casette years ago when it came out. I literally wore it out.
   This item was delivered to me promptly and I am well on my way to wearing it out....Thank you .....Velma



5. The product arrived in good time and was exactly as described. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again from this vendor.

5 comments about Just for the Record....

1. If you want to listen to just her songs, don't buy this set. It's nothing but Barbara Streisand running her mouth!
   Play the music and shut up, Barbara!



2. Barbra Streisand is one of the best artist of all time. What a great job they did with ...Just for the Record. It is a musical biography. For those of us who first listened to Streisand's music in the 70's and 80's is a thrill to listen to her recordings from the 60's. In fact, the 60's part of the collection has become one my favorite cd's. I love to listen to my favorites -- The Way We Were, Evergreen, A Piece of Sky and found that I have been missing out on so many other beautiful, funny and amazing songs Streisand has performed throughout her career. Another excellent part of this collection is the dialogue from the awards and her introductions to the songs from Yentl. If you have an appreciation for true musical talent and are tired of listening to so called artist that are currently out there, this collection is perfect for you. Now, if only they would do a similar collection in DVD using the interviews and musical appeareances she has done for television. That would be wonderful, not only for her fans, but for those who will see proof of why Barbra Streisand is legendary. Amazon's service was excellent, I received the package 3 days after I purchased it.



3. Released as a career retrospective in 1991, this collection of rarities, never-before-available tracks, and so on is fantastic. It has some remarkable tracks that any fan shouldn't be without.
   
   Disc one has many early 60s recordings, such as a beautiful version of "Moon River" (pre-Movie Album), "Miss Marmelstein" from her turn in I Can Get it For You Wholesale, and the highlight of the first disc, her beautifully harmonious duet with Judy Garland, "Get Happy/Happy Days are Here Again." The second disc continues with the 60s, and we mostly get tracks we probably own elsewhere ("People," "Don't Rain on My Parade"), though it is interesting to hear some acceptance speeches from her Emmy and Best Actress Oscar wins. The 70s disc is probably the best disc, since it features not only wonderful never-before-released tracks, such as "The Singer," but also movie songs never available on a Barbra album, like her great cover of "You're the Top" for What's Up Doc, or the soundtrack version of "The Way We Were." The 80s disc, however, is the worst one, since it is almost all rehashed material from past albums, like "Over the Rainbow" from One Voice, or a bunch of tracks from the Broadway album. But it's still a great disc, if only for her duet with Neil Diamond at the Grammys in 1980, one of the biggest performances in the ceremony's history.
   
   This set is a great collection, but is not for the casual fan, or the person looking to discover her. There are better best of collections out there for them. This is, in fact, a truly great retrospective of Barbra Streisand's beginning, middle, and end (though she wasn't finished just yet). All fans of the singer should have this. It isn't perfect, but there is very little bad you can say about it.



4. What a grand collection this is of the legendary Barbra Streisand, full of unreleased verisons of Barbra's classics, landmark events in her career, unreleased studio and live tracks, original demo recordings, TV appearances, never-before-released show tunes, live nightclub performances, award nights and duets with Judy Garland, Ray Charles, Neil Diamond and more. This collection is approximately 4 hours long all together, it comes with a collector's book of rare photos and a song-by-song personal commentary by Barbra. "Just For The Record" covers every song that had a important impact in Barbra's career up to the point of releasing this boxset. The collection includes Barbra's first song that she recorded at 13 years old called "You'll Never Know". It also includes live songs from her first appearances on TV shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Johnny Carson Show", "The Judy Garland Show" and many more. It also includes Barbra winning the best actress Oscar for "Funny Girl" and winning the Oscar for best song "Evergreen" which she wrote. It includes Barbra winning the 1965 Emmy for "My Name Is Barbra", Barbra singing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Neil Diamond at the 1980 Grammy Awards. This collection also includes Barbra's famous songs most of them live versions like "A Sleepin' Bee", a live solo version of "Happy Days Are Here Again", a live "Cry Me A River" and many many more that Barbra is known for. Demos include "What Are Doing The Rest Of Your Life (duet with: Michel Legrand), "Evergreen", "Papa, Can You Hear Me?", "The Moon And I", "A Piece Of Sky" and even a score from "Nuts" that Barbra composed herself. This is a must, a absolutely for any Barbra fan.



5. This collection is a must have for any one who considers themselves a true Barbra Streisand fan.
   From the beginning of her career to the height of the eighties, it's all here.
   Truly one of the best gifts I have ever received.
   There is NO one like Ms. Barbra Streisand - No One!

3 comments about 100 Golden Oldies of the 50s, 60s & 70s.

1. Don't expect the original recordings, like I foolishly did. They pulled these artists out of retirement homes and put this collection together. Poor quality recordings and worse sounding voices, arrangements are flat.



2. THESE ARE ALL COVERS. None of these are performed by the original artists or bands.



3. Don't waste your money thinking you are getting the original recordings. Most are poorly recorded live performances or re-recordings that don't hold a candle to the original. I have had this with other artists in the past and was sorely disappointed. The phrase "ripped off" comes to mind. All of these compilations should say definitively whether or not they are the originals.

1 comments about Mick's Picks, Vol. 4: BB King's Blues Club 09/09/07.

1. This is the fourth in the new, brilliant series of Jefferson Starship liverecordings, "Mick's Picks". And this is time it's an almost brand new show, from 9/9/07, at one of their favorite venues B.B. King's Bluesclub in N.Y..Where quite a few of their peers still draw capacity crowds, Paul Kantner & Co. seem happy to play adventurous and inventive Music for smaller audiences.
   
   The show is primarily chosen for it's unique setlist. Starting off with a series of Airplane classics, mainly from "Surrealistic Pillow", and it's of course always a treat to hear these legendary psychedelic songs in new, fresh arrangements. Then drifting into a string of those gorgous, latin-tinged Marty Balin lovesongs, a genre few masters better than him. In fact Marty is in great form throughout, as leadvocalist that is, for his harmony vocals aren't excactly spot on (and the same goes for Paul).
   
   Second set starts off with some material from Paul's soloalbum, including the firts ever liveversion of "Millions" (from the legendary "Sunfighter" album) and "Your Mind Has left Your Body", perhaps the most intelligent and profound song ever written about the entheogenic experience. And then drifts into a string of Starship hits.
   
   Diana Mangono makes some of those beautiful Grace Slick songs come alive, notably "Lather" and "Fast Buck Freddie". David Freiberg shines on Quicksilver's "Pride Of Man" and his own wonderful ballad "Harp Tree Lament", set to one of those poignant and touching Robert Hunter lyrics. While the versatile Slick Aquilar plays some stellar lead, a great technician with a strong psychedelic sensibility.
   
   There's not much jamming, and the show certainly isn't flawless, with some false starts and some serious 'trainwrecks', but it's LIVE, creative, funnny and deeply fullfilling.

1 comments about Singles, Vol. 1.

1. Made in EU in 2003, Serial# ELVISBOX-101, Playing Time 75:06

   Are you a Costello completist? If you are, there's no doubt you'll buy this 12-disc box set!

   The 28-tracks included here (disc 2 also contains an "uncredited" alternate version of "Alison") are basically taken from EC's first 12 singles, each in a replica picture sleeve (including disc 11 with the inside-out jacket of "Accidents Will Happen", which also contains 2 tracks that made up disc 9, the giveaway single for some attendees of the Dominion Theatre concerts of 1978).

   This little "chest" includes a 12-page booklet that gives a track-by-track history of each of the singles.

   An obvious attempt at "cashing in" by the record company, this box (the first of 3) covers the 1977/03 to 1980/01 era of EC's singles, but the whole thing would have fitted on a single CD.

   For completists only, since almost all tracks are available on some compilations or remastered re-issues.

   You'll have to decide whether the 4 tracks making their first appearance on CD are worth the price tag ?!?

3 comments about Swing Time! The Fabulous Big Band Era 1925-1955.

1. This is hardly a definitive collection - how can there be an ultimate swing set with only three discs? - but it IS a great collection for the novice, or just for the collector.
   My favorite disc is disc one, which gives an overview of the roots of swing from the 1920's and early '30's. Some hoppin' tunes here, the kind of Jazz that had parents fretting over the music their children were listening to. Yes, that's something that many younger folks are not aware of. This period in time was the beginning of the teenager as a rebellious sort, and that continued on until the Great Depression put an end to the frivolousness of their ways - driving fast and wild in their automobiles, wearing outrageous clothes, crazy bobbed haircuts, diggin' these hep cat grooves while dancin' as if they were possessed. And you thought that the teen's of the 1950's were out of control! My grandmother and her sisters were part of the roaring twenties scene and turned their mother's hair white!
   The Great Depression and the unrest in Europe of the 1930's didn't stop the swinging sounds that came out of the big American cities. The youth of the day needed a release, and the edgy music of Swing was IT. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Chick Webb, and so many more kept the sounds coming and the kids alive, allowing them to forget their troubles for a few minutes while Tain't What You Do, Let's Dance, and Stompin' At the Savoy played on.
   Of course, WWII soon came to America and, although there were some swinging cuts, for the most part the music began to ease on the jumpin' and jumped on the vocal sounds instead. This set, however, shows us that, although the smooth Frank Sinatra may have been king of the jukeboxes during the war, the hep sounds still did abound with Take The A Train, Caldonia, and Let Me Off Uptown.
   This collection is a great starter set as an introduction to a musical form that was, in its day, every bit at wild as rock and roll was in the 1950's. There are glaring ommissions (no Sing Sing Sing?) but neat trivia tunes such as Hot and Anxious by the Baltimore Bellhops, which is where Glenn Miller 'borrowed' the rif for his In The Mood (also on this collection).
   A worthy set that's worth your buck.



2. Consider this three CD set from Columbia as a sort of start-up kit into the fabulous world of Big Band music. I'm one of those souls who always feel they were born in the wrong era and for a nostalgia nut like me these recordings still give off a vibe both jazzy and innocent. This was a time when men and women made music without the use of any technological recording wizardry and through a combination of craftsmanship and sheer moxie created a sound that was the "rock" and "rap" for whom some call the "greatest generation." There's a youthful exhuberance here. Just close your eyes when you here the first cut of "Sweet Georgia Brown" by the California Ramblers (featuring future Big Band stars Red Nicols and Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey) and you soon realize that your hearing not your granddad but guys in their twenties and thirties letting loose and sharing in what was primarily a Black American art form.
   
   "Swing Time" is a wonderfully designed package that includes a lavish booklet featuring both history and enlightening analysis of the era from writer Michael Brooks. Some musicologists will no doubt gripe about what may or may not be included here. No matter, for my untrained ears these 66 cuts speak for themselves brilliantly. .



3. 5 STAR for the music and 1 STAR for the reproductions.

   The music is the greatest! However, the quality of the CD's were horrendous. I have records that are 50 years old, played hundreds of times, that sound better! No matter if they used CEDAR or any other method of restoration, they sound lousy to me!!!