Let Them Dance: The Best of D.C. Larue
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 February, 1995)
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Reviews (3)

Good Compilation If You Like Blue-eyed Soul Disco
I was expecting DC LaRue to sound like boring pop-disco, but his grooves are soulful and funky.I'm glad this compilation has the 12 inch extended versions - not too many greatest hits comps go that far, since they only contain album or single edit versions.'Do You Want The Real Thing' from the Thank God It's Friday sountrack is presented here in all it's 14 minute glory (only 4 minutes on the soundtrack).Nice drum and congo break in there too!My favourite DC LaRue cut is 'Indiscreet' because of the exotic instrumentation, the syncopated drum groove, and the extended break.Unfortunately, the quality of that cut suffers after the 2 minute mark because of what sounds like tape squeal (couldn't they have baked the darned thing before mastering it?!).This poor quality is why I deducted 1 star.But overall, an entertaining compilation.

Best of D.C. Larue
I really like the rythem. Reminds of old school disco.

Good complation overall
A very good complation overall, with several 12" remixes before unavailable. I liked the complation overall. Several songs lacked the quality of "Cathedrals","Let Them Dance", "Do youwant the real thing". I was also disappointed that they left outD.C.'s most famous hit in the Americas, "Overture", a top tenrelease for the year of 1977. Overall, a good compliation ... Read more

Asin: B000001QJS
Sales Rank: 9493
Subjects:  1. Club/Dance    2. Dance Music    3. Disco    4. Pop    5. Urban   

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Cameo
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Audio CD (06 February, 2001)
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Reviews (2)

OWHHHHHHHH!!!
Cameo in a word FUNKY!back in the day couldn't turn down the Funk.still holds up still.the Original Cameo was something else.I Give Cameo Madd Juice for Holding on to the Funk in the 80's after aside from a few folks The Funk was all but Gone.Cameo was one of the very few still keeping it going on.they Hit Pop Pay Day in 86 with "Word Up" but in the Neighborhood they were Down long before Pop came there way.the tight in the Pocket Guitar&KeyBoard Grooves&Horns that Made Cameo Produce some of the Baddest Jams Ever!"Candy" has become a Trademark Jam in Movies over the last few years.neverthe less this is a cool Introduction to a Happening Band that always brought the Grooves.

Freaky Dancin!!!
they were one of the most successful RnB group in history maybe because i like their sweety sounds and their driving style is very funky.this album is must have.i assure you, you won't be frustrated. don't miss out and discover their funkiest world.Freaky Dancin!!!Knights Of RnB!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B000058TCR
Sales Rank: 41716
Subjects:  1. Funk    2. Pop    3. R&B   

The Ultimate Collection [1997]
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Audio CD (25 March, 1997)
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Editorial Review

After more than a decade with the Miracles, Smokey Robinson set off on a solo career, chronicled here. Often focusing on seduction rather than the heartache that was his bread and butter with the group, Smokey proved so effective that he managed to have a subgenre named after one of his albums--A Quiet Storm, here represented by a triptych including the title cut, "Baby That's Backatcha," and "The Agony and the Ecstasy." Sweet, occasionally sly, and beautifully sung, this music doesn't have quite the unforgettable quality of the Miracles' best, but every moment of it is pure Smokey. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (9)

HOT, AND STEAMY LOVE SONGS!!!!
This is an inceredible cd. It is very good and I enjoy a lot of songs on this album. This ia a nice cd with some of his nice songs but it is missing a lot of songs. In the 80's he had made an album called"Touch The Sky" and that album was dynamite. That album needs to be re-released or either they need to be added to one of Smokey's compilations. Tell Me Tomorrow, and I made love to you a thousand times are on that album and that was a real nice album I would recommend anyone who enjoys Smokey's seductive voice to purchase this album!!!!

After he left the Miracles to go solo
Smokey achieved considerable success as leader of the Miracles in the sixties and a separate Ultimate Collection (already reviewed by me) covers the best of his music with that group. This compilation contains the best of his solo music from 1973 to 1990 and the songs are mainly ballads..

Smokey never achieved consistent success as a solo singer but he scored top ten hits in the American pop charts with Cruisin' (1979), Being with you (1981), One heartbeat (1987) and Just to see her (1988). Many of the other songs here were lesser pop hits and were also major hits on the R+B charts. Particularly interesting among them are three tracks from his concept album, A quiet storm, these being the title track, Baby that's backatcha and The agony and the ecstasy. Let me be the clock finds Smokey using time as a metaphor - strange but it works well. Alone among all these fine songs, Being with you provided Smokey with a major UK hit, where it went all the way to number one.

Good as this collection is, I still prefer his earlier music with the Miracles. Nevertheless, this is a fine collection that easily justifies its five stars. You might even prefer his solo music. In any case, if you are looking for a collection of Smokey's solo recordings, this is the best collection I've come across.

Smokey's alright
I had never really been a big fan of Smokey Robinson's prior to ordering this CD.To be honest, I didn't like him at all.I have, alas, become a believer.This man's lyrics are soooo deep.I love the fact that I can listen to this CD and search for the deeper meaning in the songs.For instance, I never realized that in his song 'I've Made Love To You a Thousand Times,' that he was speaking figuratively and that it was a fantasy.But when I figured that out...OH MY WORD!!!! how seductive is that??!!!I believe that when he wrote Daylight and Darkness he had me in mind and didn't even know it.Baby Come Close, Quiet Storm, and Cruisin...all classics.Overall this is a very nice compilation.One that I'm glad I gave a fair shot to. ... Read more

Asin: B000001ANH
Subjects:  1. Motown    2. Pop    3. R&B    4. Smooth Soul    5. Soul    6. Urban   

Love Is the Message: The Best of MFSB
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Audio CD (31 October, 1995)
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Reviews (12)

Love is still the message
I have read most of the reviews and they all focus on TSOP (Soul Train Sound Track).Have you all forgotten Love is the Message.This is the ultimate dance record, what else is there to hustle to.No matter when or where I hear this song it invokes memories of happy times when I was about 11-12, 15-16, 20-38.This song unlike so many others has stood the test of time.The break when the song goes from a mellow jazz composition to a "this is my part!!" get up and dance beat that is unforgettable. While I agree that TSOP may have gotten more air play because of soul train, I truly believe more people recognize MFSB for their Love is the Message theme.

These is instruments!!
Today's music is like the grammar I displayed in the title, W-R-O-N-G. You could not put this BAND in music today because they don't understand that this is music.That there are real fingers playing pieces of strings and metal. Not a big board with buttons. They are following marks on a paper that are called notes. Not looping a mindless beat.There is a melody and a bridge.Not sound effects in its place. This is by far the album.If you want to remember when you used to sneak in the basement and play your mom and dad's records this is the album.If you want to relive the times when you wake up on Saturday mornings and watch Fat Albert and then Soul Train this is the album.THIS IS THE ALBUM.Go ahead and give your children a real music memory.

Great for the 70's, but now very dated!
If you blend disco, jazz and R&B music, you get "The Best of MFSB". While this music was quite hot and unique in the 1970's (from around 1973-1976) most of these tracks sound very dated and just plain boring today. Had their music been more influenced by jazz instead of disco, this CD probably would be a timeless treasure.

No one would argue that these were some of the most talented studio musicians around, providing that unique "Philly Sound" for such giants as the O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Teddy, The Intruders, The Three Degrees and others, however the music they recorded under their own name just doesn't stand the test of time, in my opinion. I bought this CD for just one song - "My Mood", clearly the best track MFSB ever recorded.This is a classic that is mellow, jazzy and still sounds as great now as it did some 27 years ago.

Other notable tracks here include "Cheaper to Keep Her", "TLC" and of course the million-selling theme song from the longest running syndicated TV dance show Soul Train, "TSOP". "Smile Happy" isn't bad, but it is an unnecessary remake of the original version performed by the group War on their "Why Can't We Be Friends" album. MFSB's version of the song just doesn't do it any justice. Also, this CD is missing "Touch Me In The Morning", an instrumental version of Diana Ross's classic.

Except for the songs noted above, this CD is a collection of dated, lackluster disco-jazz music. I strongly recommend Leon Huff's "Here To Create Music" CD instead of this one. It has the MFSB musicians performing, but the songs are much more jazzy and timeless than these. ... Read more

Asin: B000002AVB
Sales Rank: 18236
Subjects:  1. Disco    2. Instrumental Rock    3. Philly Soul    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Smooth Soul    7. Soul    8. Urban   

Essential Bob Dylan
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Audio CD (31 October, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Two discs of music don't exactly provide for a thorough overview of four decades of recording, particularly if the subject of the retrospective is one of the most important and prolific performers of his time. So The Essential Bob Dylan definitely skates over the leagues-deep oeuvre of Dylan, summarizing his monumental first half-dozen years in disc one and skirting over the following 34 years in disc two. Delving into Columbia's three Dylan greatest-hits packages (though curiously purging "I Want You," a genuine hit single in its day), Essential offers only a few surprises, opting for The Basement Tapes version of "Quinn the Eskimo" over the Self Portrait remake that made it onto Greatest Hits Volume II and tossing in "Things Have Changed" from the Wonder Boys soundtrack for completists. But this 30-track overview is designed with newcomers, not Dylanologists, in mind. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (96)

Bob Dyaln Is A Master
I love the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Bob Dylan was around then. His music is powerful. The song "Like A Rolling Stone" is masterful. I also love "Mr. Tambourine Man". The songs are awesome. My father introduced me to Bob Dylan's music. I read about him and he was a fascinating man.

I'm surprised that people haven't heard of Bob Dyaln, of course everyone now is listening to that brain numbing crap. This man was a true artist. He understood that he needed to be different. That's what singers now are missing. Years ago, artists were pure and wrote their own music. Today they buy it from song writers who write crap just to make a quick buck. I miss the pure music time. Buy this album because it'll show you true music.

Great Collection, but Only One New Song
Though there is a lot of great stuff on here, but with the exception of "Shelter from the Storm" which is from the Tom Cruise film "Jerry McGuire" and has a different verse than the version on "Blood on the Tracks," there is nothing new. Of course, if you own no Dylan records, this is certainly a fine place to start. Here you get five songs from his early acoustic period, five songs from electric Bob before his motorcycle accident, two of the three excellent songs he performed with Happy Traum for "GH 2", "Knocking on Heaven's Door" from the movie, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid", The best song from "Blood on the Tracks" and "Desire" and the best song from "Slow Train". And all of this blends into a fine listening experience, almost like these songs were meant to be played in this order.

This is a very good collection. You can't go wrong with it, but if you've been into Dylan for a while, you probably have all this stuff, except "Shelter," but you can get that on the soundtrack with a lot of other good stuff, so even though this is a five star collection, it really is for the person who has no Dylan records in his collection. I know it's hard to believe, but there are a lot of those out there, so this double disc set really does have a place in the world.

Jack Priest, Writer from the Darkside

Nod to Bob
This is the Essential Bob Dylan. Containing his best radio hits on two cd's, in pretty much chronological order.This is a nice place to start if you only plan on buying one Bob album ever, or you are on a limited budget and want more bang for your buck. This album combines 3 greatest hits albums plus adds some songs that would be placed on "Greatest Hits Vol. 4" (if there was such an album). If you plan on exploring Dylan's entire catalogue you should probably skip this. I am a huge Dylan fan (you will probably be in the same boat with me if you have a large collection of Dylan's stuff) these songs are the ones you end up skipping when listening to the studio albums they are on (because you've heard them so many times). Studio B sides are all a bit darker and more mysterious then the commercial common denominator A sides (contained here). But all in all if you haven't checked Dylan out...you should very soon. This is a good place to start. But for someone who wants to dive deeper 3 or 4 more dollars will get you either Bootleg 4, 5, or 6 (live versions (along with a bit of history) of most of these). Then you can get these songs when you buy the studio albums. ... Read more

Asin: B000050HTO
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Country-Rock    3. Folk-Rock    4. Political Folk    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Rock    8. Rock & Roll    9. Singer/Songwriter   

Hot Rocks
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Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Editorial Review

It's the rare greatest-hits album that takes on a life of its own. Generally, best-of collections are superceded by updated retrospectives. Hot Rocks is one of the rare exceptions to the rule. Originally released in 1972, it instantly became the Stones intro of choice, elbowing aside Big Hits, High Tide and Green Grass and Through the Past Darkly. Why? It happened to hit the racks when Mick and company were at their creative peak. The 21 tracks found here represent seven years of dizzying growth. From "Time is on My Side" through "Satisfaction" and "Let's Spend the Night Together," on to Sticky Fingers's "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses," Hot Rocks never lets up. The likes of Sucking in the '70s and Jump Back come and go, but this Stones overview will not be moved. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Very Good!
I'm not a huge Rolling Stones fan, but I do like a number of their songs very much, so I bought this greatest hits compilation and played it so much that the tape broke.Naturally, I then bought the CD.Highly recommend - even for the casual Stones fan like myself.

simply superb
hot rocks is the greatest box set from the stones it contains all their big hits.get this today.

risk
This is terrible! I hate this album! I hate it a lot! Listen to more bands like Pink Floyd...it makes you wiser! ... Read more

Asin: B000003BDJ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Jump Back: Best of 71-93
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Audio CD (30 June, 1998)
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Features

• Import
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (23)

Mixed Emotions
I buy a lot of compilations from bands that I really like, but don't necessarily want their entire catalogue. I really like the Rolling Stones. My parents listened to them, and they were always around while I was growing up. I had hoped that "Jump Back" would be the compliment to my collection that would give me a representative Stones' catalog.

Not so. I would say that my Stones' collection is still pretty incomplete after "Jump Back".

Granted, "Angie", "Wild Horses", "Brown Sugar", and "Start Me Up" were exactly the kind of tracks I was looking for. But "Jump Back" doesn't have enough of them.For example, I don't need "Harlem Shuffle" or "Beast of Burden". There are tracks out there that should have been on a Stones complilation and disappointingly are not.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just not the Stones fan I thought I was. Or maybe I'd be better off investing in their individual CDs after all. But after spending time with a Rolling Stones retrospecitve, I'd have hoped to have known one way or the other.

A very effective overview of the Stones' 70s and 80s output
"Jump Back" is a very well assembled and reasonably well annotated overview of the Stones' 70s and 80s output. The sound is excellent, and almost everything that the casual fan could want is here. 74 minutes of tough, raunchy rock n' roll, from the gritty "Bitch" and the swaggering "Brown Sugar" to the soulful "Waiting On A Friend" and the ballad "Angie".

This well assembled retrospective really shows the depth of the Stones' collective talents, blending rock n' roll, blues, R&B, and a little bit of country into a distinctive "Stones" sound, anchored by the greatest rhythm guitarist in the business, Keith Richards.
And this is a CD, right? So you can just program out the hideous disco-experimentalism of "Emotional Rescue" and the forgettable "Undercover Of The Night".

Compare this compilation with disc two of "Forty Licks" and you'll find that "Jump Back" blows "Licks" out of the water.
Coupled with "Hot Rocks: 1964-1971" (or the magnificent box set "The London Years"), this album provides the best career overview currently available.
If you don't want to spring for the Stones' original albums, this is the way to go.

save your money
A long-time, diehard Stoner, I bought this because (probably like a lot of others) I never fully replaced all my great old Stones albums with their CD successors, and missed a few of the old songs, especially cornball novelties like "Fool to Cry" and "Hot Stuff," from the great "Black and Blue" album. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed to find many of the songs edited and cut down. Why? I could understand in the vinyl days when you had x-amount of capacity on one side of a disc, but in the digital age there's no excuse for hacking off parts of these great songs. A less monumental annoyance: I can't explain why but the thing won't play in the iMac I have at work. I've played hundreds of discs on it with no problem but it keeps spitting out "Jump Back" and refusing to play. (Maybe the iMac doesn't like edited versions either.) I haven't had this problem with "Jump Back" on my PC at home, the car CD player, or my regular stereo, just on the iMac. ... Read more

Asin: B000005RR0
Sales Rank: 47678
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

The Best of Joe Cocker [Capitol]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 March, 1993)
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Editorial Review

Known for his crazy man gyrations, sandpaper and gravel voice, and a destructive alcoholism that imbued his songs with a desperate edge, Joe Cocker set forth with a British blues sound nearly impossible to beat. This collection features his later work. The demons controlled, he's transformed himself into an adult-contemporary singer who can deliver the pathos on cue. The simple elegance of his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," catapulted him back into the spotlight and his work since has been a graceful bow to that accomplishment. He's restrained these days but he still delivers that sad, lonely tune as only someone who's been there can. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Where Is "Love Is Alive?"
I agree this is not up to par with Joe's best stuff from the 60s and early 70s, but given that, they even left off his best song from this period, "Love Is Alive."That song really ROCKS and it is not here.Shame.

Mixed Bag Anthology
"The Best of Joe Cocker" contains the highlights of his career from after the period covered by his "Greatest Hits" album, so it must be noted that the version of "With a Little Help from My Friends" is newer and not the "classic" version.Cocker's later career was not nearly as interesting as his late 60s and early 70s peak.A song like the syrupy duet ballad "Up Where We Belong" may have been a massive hit, but it has little in common with the raw power of his best work.The album's best moments come early.The first three songs, "Unchain My Heart," "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "When the Night Comes," may be a bit heavy on the bombast, but they are quite tuneful and Cocker's never been in better voice.After that the songs are less memorable, with few standouts.

Overall, an up-and-down anthology from the latter part of Joe Cocker's great career.

Buyer Beware!
Having been a Joe Cocker fan in the late 60s and the 70s, I recently realized that I had no Joe on CD (only on vinyl). After picking up his greatest album ever ("Joe Cocker!") on CD, I ordered "The Best of Joe Cocker" to bring me up to speed. One of the main reasons for getting this CD was that it contained the LIVE VERSION of "Help from My Friends." However, after receiving the CD and listening to the first few notes of "My Friends," I realized that this was NOT the live version we all know and love. The classic live version of this song done at Woodstock (as well as the studio version on his 1st LP) makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck (the way the lead to "Stairway to Heaven" always does). This version is OK, but BUYER BEWARE - it is WAY less powerful than the Woodstock version. The rest of the album is OK, but all these songs are so overproduced compared those songs exhibiting the raw energy that his earlier work had. This was a disappointing buy. ... Read more

Asin: B000002UR2
Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Blues-Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Soft Rock   

The Hustle & The Best Of Van McCoy
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Audio CD (12 September, 1995)
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Reviews (10)

KEEP ON HUSTLIN
I UST TO LISTEN TO VAN MCCOY IN 86 WHENI WS 6 HIS MUSIC CONTINES TO INSPIRE THE DEEP SOUTH IN MY SOUL.

Fun !
Fun to dance to, if you like dances like the Electric Slide you will LOVE the HUSTLE

Van McCoy, the second best man named van ever.
second to van morrison. But here's the weird part, Mr. Mike McCoy is from Morrison Illinois, as far as I know. and Van Morrison, is a singer. and so is Van Mccoy. i wonder if there is anyone named mike morrison, from mccoy. that would be weird.

to be honest, i havent' listened to this, i just wanted to review it. i guess if you are a fan, there's probably a better collection out there. if you arn't, then don't buy it. ... Read more

Asin: B000001O6W
Sales Rank: 18772
Subjects:  1. Dance Music    2. Disco    3. Pop    4. Producer    5. Songwriter    6. Soul   

The Very Best of Benny Goodman
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Audio CD (07 November, 2000)
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Reviews (7)

My First CD... ah, what memories.
In the 4th grade, a friend of mine and I decided, for whatever reason, to take up clarinet. (hey, it was shiny! i couldnt help myself!) anyway, i bought this only knowing the name... and this is responsible for turning me on to the wonderful world of jazz. Anyway, 6 years later, This is still a frequently played album in the Isaac's Room. If you are at all interested in Swing, pick this up, you wont be dissapointed.

Stay Out Of The Daylight!

Isaac

How can this be a "very best" w/o "Don't Be That Way"?
Yeah, you can nitpick almost any "best of" compilation CD for the songs that should've been included; and most of us know that "Very/Best," "Greatest Hits," "Essential," and "Definitive," are mostly record label marketing terms...but I don't think it's a nitpick to ask the question in my review title: for my money, leaving "Don't be that Way" out of a "VERY Best of Benny Goodman" collection would be about like leaving, "Take the A Train" out of a Duke Ellington collection.

Most "best of" compilations, esp. those by the "big labels," are nothing more than enticements to get people to buy more albums, but this is one of the more blatant examples of that...esp. when you call up some of RCA's other Benny Goodman compilations, and compare the tracks that were included. If you have to go the "compilation" route--and there's nothing wrong with that, esp. if you are one of the majority of us who can't afford to fork over the big bucks for boxed sets of artists' complete recordings--skip this and search some of the other titles, like the two BG Greatest Hits (find them used or on sale), or the compilation Sing, Sing, Sing. Yeah, the documentation on the RCA Greatest Hits CD's is weak, but if economy is a consideration, isn't it mostly about the music?

My first CD,by the way, sorry about the confusion
what a infrangible album. it rocks my socks ... Read more

Asin: B000050G85
Sales Rank: 2503
Subjects:  1. Big Band    2. Jazz    3. Pop    4. Sweet Bands    5. Swing   

Glenn Miller - Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (16 April, 1996)
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Reviews (18)

Timeless
This is a must have CD for anyone who enjoys swing.The recording quality is good and it includes Glenn's most popular tunes.It's the CD I choose for relaxing or chasing away the blues.Glenn's timeless!

An awesome CD
A great CD. With great songs. Especially "In the Mood" which is such a classic song. I think Glenn Miller is one of the best. Get this CD.

A great bargain for music that may change your life!
If you're interested in listening to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, this is the best single disc to buy (if you want to spring for a bit more, look into the two-disc "The Essential Glenn Miller"). Priced at a budget of $10.00, the CD actually contains most of the big hits you would want from a Glenn Miller album: "In the Mood," "String of Pearls," "Pennsylvania 6-5000," "I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo," "Moonlight Serenade," "Tuxedo Junction," and "The Chatanooga Choo-Choo." They all sound quite good as well, with minimal hiss and crackle. Usually, the RCA "Greatest Hits" of Jazz series are poor buys, containing music from only a fraction of the musicians' careers that in no way represents their `greatest hits' (the CountBasie album and Louis Armstrong albums are especially weak). But this CD actually delivers the goods: Glenn Miller was an RCA-Victor recording artist for most of his career, so the label was able to put the best of the best on this single CD. If you're new to Mr. Miller, or big bands and swing in general, here's a great and economic way to get started.

The pieces on this album cover Miller's most successful period: 1938, when he formed his new band and suddenly became a sensation, to mid-summer 1942, when he joined the Army Air Force and formed a new military band. "King Porter Stomp" is the earliest recorded piece here, and shows Miller at his most jazzy. The latest recorded (July 1942) is the sweet, pretty number "That Old Black Magic" (with vocal by Skip Nelson & the Modernaires). In between is a treasure of riches of the big band era, many of which became famous morale-raisers during World War II. Glenn Miller's music was a crucial part of the soundtrack of American involvement in that conflict. "In the Mood," the infectious dance piece and probably the most recognizable big band melody ever, leads off this collection. Even today, this number gets everyone, from elementary school children to senior citizens, out on the floor. Everybody knows this piece, and everybody loves it. Another popular morale-raiser from the war is "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," sung by Tex Beneke and the Texas Modernaires. The band also swings with great sophistication on numbers like "String of Pearls" (which shows off the cleverness of Glenn's arranger/composer Jerry Gray), bounces around on "Little Brown Jug," and gets down low and swingy on "Tuxedo Junction," which Glenn borrowed from bandleader Erskine Hawkins after he heard his band play a version of it. Glenn's great vocal group, Tex Beneke and the Texas Modernaires (along with Marion Hutton) also sing two of the most popular songs of the era: "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" and "The Chatanooga Choo Choo." The band also plays some beautiful slow numbers on "Sunrise Serenade" and their theme song, the romantic "Moonlight Serenade." And don't forget the great start and stop number "Pennsylvanian 6-5000," which everybody loves to shout along with.

Sadly, Glenn Miller did not live to see the end of the war he helped America get through: his plane was lost over the English Channel in December 1944.

Glenn Miller, as others have pointed out, isn't music for just "the old folks." Young people are constantly falling under his spell, and his music is still enormously popular today with folks of all ages. This was part of Glenn's important appeal. He wasn't the best big band ever: there were many much harder swinging, jazzier bands around, like Count Basie's and Benny Goodman's. He wasn't a genius composer like Duke Ellington. He was only an average trombone player, not a virtuoso on his instrument like Tommy Dorsey on his trombone or Artie Shaw on his clarinet. But he achieved something important: he spread swing to all corners of the world, and to all ages, with his populist, happy, and fun style. His band members were incredibly talented, and they formed a tight group. They played pop music, certainly, but pop music that has transcended its era. And perhaps most importantly, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is a "gateway" band. His is often the first swing big band most people hear, and listening to them leads listeners into exploring this wonderful era in American music, when jazz was king. For me personally, Glenn Miller lead me to Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and through many twists and turns, to Miles Davis. I thank Glenn Miller immensely for that.

So buy this CD: it's less than ten dollars! You might find yourself on a new musical journey, and one day you'll also thank Glenn Miller for opening the door to a whole new world of music. ... Read more

Asin: B000003G2K
Sales Rank: 2614
Subjects:  1. Big Band    2. Big Bands    3. Jazz    4. Leader    5. Pop    6. Sweet Bands    7. Swing   

Tony Bennett - All-Time Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 October, 1997)
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Reviews (19)

one of the greats
This collection has been superseded by the Essential Tony Bennett, but for those on a budget it's a solid sampler of prime early Bennett. Tony Bennett is Sinatra's only true rival as a crooner so far as artistry goes, and sometimes I prefer him to Frank.What distinguishes Bennett from the rest of the contenders is the bluesy soulfulness of his singing.In the sublime "Shadow of Your Smile," for example, he sings with a depth and maturity that few have ever matched.It's a staggering performance.Almost as formidable are Bennett's renditions of nuggets like "Love Look Away," "Who Can I Turn To" and "Smile."Sure there are a couple clunkers in the batch, but who can complain when they are weighed against the gems.For anybody curious about Bennett's work, buy this CD and you'll understand why Sinatra hailed him as the best in the business.

OK, But Nothing To Swing About
You want great ballad singing? Buy a CD by Vic Damone, Mel Torme, or Matt Monro. You want great swing singing? Buy a CD by Bobby Darin or Frank Sinatra. You want singing that's not quite as good in either category, then perhaps Tony Bennett is right for you. This is an okay collection, but Bennett's raspy-voiced screaming is certainly not for everyone. Certain singers, like Bennett, assume that if you have a powerful voice (even if its tonality is unpleasant) you must sing all songs at the top of your lungs. Rarely do such histrionics add anything to a pretty melody or romantic lyric. Bennett likes to think of himself as a great "jazz singer" who performs the compositions of Jewish-American songwriters and black orchestra leaders. I guess this self-description makes him feel "hip." In fact, Bennett is often a screechingly annoying balladeer and on uptempo numbers his style is about as hip as Conway Twitty's. And all that screaming!!! Tony, your head is about to explode!!!!

Tony Bennett is a minor leaguer among major leaguers
I agree with the music fan from Potts Grove, Pennsylvania: Tony Bennett is a screamer with a grating, raspy voice who too often sounds like his head is about to explode. Bennett's "Greatest Hits" album has some nice tunes like "San Francisco" and "I Wanna Be Around," but many of the other selections feature Bennett's typical screaming at the top of his lungs even when the tune does not call for such volume and vocal histrionics. It's true, when I think back at watching him perform on TV over the years, his neck and face did grow red and contort as he screamed out lyrics. Like Barbra Streisand, Bennett must think that good singing equates with yelling and screaming. When he does keep his human vibrato under control, he sings a nice (although not great) ballad. He also does have good taste in the classic pop material he records, but his voice grows increasingly grating as you listen to it. With Sinatra, Darin, Martin, Crosby, Matt Monro, etc. dead, there are few classic popular singers remaining (Jack Jones and Vic Damone are the only two who come to mind)and so Bennett fills a necessary gap----but he is no Vic Damone or Jack Jones as a balladeer, nor is he a Bobby Darin or Frank Sinatra as a swinging belter of uptempo tunes. He is just there....tasteful but often annoying. Better invest in a pair of ear plugs before listening to this CD. ... Read more

Asin: B000002AJH
Sales Rank: 1552
Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Pop    3. Pop Vocals    4. Show Tunes    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal Jazz    7. Vocal Pop   

Dean Martin - Greatest Hits: King of Cool
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Audio CD (02 June, 1998)
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Editorial Review

A blatant bid to cash in on Dino's '90s cachet, Greatest Hits is still a credible collection of Martin's best. Its inclusion of material from both the singer's Capitol and Reprise years sets it apart; its 1998-specific liner notes--including dubious comparisons with John Denver and Jimmy Buffett--will date it as soon as the lounge craze loses steam. The disc charts, though not chronologically, Martin's entire career trajectory, from classy, jazzy crooner (early gems like "Powder Your Face with Sunshine," "Memories Are Made of This," and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" shine with uncluttered arrangements and big-band punch) to swingin', swayin' playboy (later cuts like "In the Chapel in the Moonlight," "Houston," and "The Door Is Still Open [To My Heart]," whose sappy '60s choral and orchestral backing somehow manage to stay out of his way). Repackage it any way you like, though--Martin's warm, velvety way with a melody remains timeless. --Sue VanHecke ... Read more

Reviews (39)

You Can Do Better
Like Elvis and Sinatra, there's simply too many Dean Martin compilations out there - making for a difficult task of separating the wheat from the chaffe.

King of Cool is ok, I guess, but nothing really separates this "Best Of" from the Pack.Frankly, the recently-released "Dino:The Essential Dean Martin" looks a lot more promising.30 songs - almost double the number of tracks on King of Cool - for under $14.Or, buy it from a seller on Amazon for even less.You can't go wrong.

As for King of Cool - it doesn't even appear to be in production anymore.Not a major loss.

Sure Miss Dean Martin!
Treat your children to real music.Maybe they'll grow up to appreciate what we lost when Dean Martin passed from our midst...

Italian Love Songs
Dean Martin and Frank Sanatra were the greatest Italian music artists ever! I love their music and my father who is almost 80, adores them. Their music lifts our spirits and brings back so many memories. You don't have to be Italian to appreciate their music. I feel that all their songs are relaxing as well as beautiful. ... Read more

Asin: B000006OHJ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop Vocals    3. Traditional Pop    4. Vocal    5. Vocal Pop   

The Essential Sarah Vaughan: The Great Songs
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (03 November, 1992)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Reviews (4)

Buyer information
This review is for the seller that I recently ordered my CD
from. The sellers' email address is csablosky@comcast.net.

I recieved the CD The Essential Sarah Vaughan on a timely
manner and the CD was in good shape.

Thank you. Guna :)

Classic Sara Vaughn
A real treat to listen to.Soulful, sassy, well composed, some of her great songs for sure - but not all of them.

Sarah and Orchestras
Great singers do not need big ensembles. Although this is a CD of high merit, the orchestra and jazz ensemble obsure the beauty, enchantment and (vocal)timbre changes that Sarah Vaughan so often exhibits in her works. Although I love vocal virtuosity, the vocal acrobatics presented here are a bit much; but, due to the quality of some songs selected, I will only assume, Sarah had no choice. Thank goodness the song "Feelings" was not written, as of yet (I think), during the time this album of songs was produced. However, for those who prefer big orchestras accompanying singers, this is the album for you. ... Read more

Asin: B000001DWI
Sales Rank: 51237
Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Jazz    3. Pop    4. Standards    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal Jazz   

16 Most Requested Songs
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (13 July, 1993)
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Editorial Review

Newark, New Jersey native Sarah Vaughan possessed one of the greatest voices in jazz, an instrument of operatic range. A child prodigy, she was featured singer and organist in Newark's Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She won the amateur night contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1942, and was singing with the Billy Eckstine band by 1943. Vaughan recorded with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946. By the end of the decade she was famous; 16 Most Requested Songs reflects Columbia's efforts to package her as a pop act. The best moments, such as "Black Coffee" and "The Nearness of You," are mixed in with a program of show-tunes highlighted by "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Summertime." --John Swenson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Out Of This World
Let me tell you. If ever god made anything better than this cd, hemust have kept it for himself, because this is the cream of the crop. If only one of Sarah`s cds, let it be this one. You`ll never get tired of hearing it and eachsong seems to be made to be fitfor her style. This recording is absolutely beautiful. This is a must have cd. Any collection of jazz wouldn`t be complete without it. I have heard these songs performed by many other artists but I like her versions best of all. This recording is truly magnificent!

A Must For Any Sarah Vaughan fan, best place to start
This CD is an amazing compilation of Sarah Vaughan's best interpretations of classics like Summertime, It Might As Well Be Spring, The Nearness Of You. Personally, the lady does the best cover of Black Coffee compared to a lot of jazz singers. She is definitely one of the most amazing jazz singers we have ever seen in a lifetime and I would say, she is in the top three for the century. ... Read more

Asin: B00000294I
Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Jazz    3. Pop    4. Standards    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal Jazz   

The Best of the Song Books
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (21 September, 1993)
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Editorial Review

Trying to cull a single-CD "Best of" from the 16-CD set of The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books may seem like a daunting task, but it's also foolproof. The complete set is a monument to the century's greatest songs and, arguably, its greatest singer, and this selection is a series of gems programmed to simulate a Fitzgerald performance, carefully sequencing joyous uptempo swingers and moving ballads. Recorded between 1956 and 1964, Fitzgerald's finest years, the CD includes arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Buddy Bregman, as well as a superb rendering of "I've Got It Bad" with the Ellington orchestra and Johnny Hodges. Balancing the orchestral settings are some intimate small-group performances, including a witty rendition of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" and Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." This is an ideal introduction to the "Song Books," a selection so good it will appeal to owners of the box sets. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (28)

The Great Songbird of the Great American Songbooks
Is there any song in the Songbooks that she did not record?

She was the First Lady of Jazz, she was a multi-Grammy awardee, she was a terrific and versatile singer who has worked with almost all of the jazz giants, the Count, the Duke, the King, the Goodman, the Gillespie, the Ol' Blue Eyes, and the list goes on and on, she has recorded thousands of songs, she was a melody's best friend...the legendary Ms. Ella Fitzgerald.

This is one of the best compilations of the Songbooks series. It features a repertoire of 16 classics.The Top Five tracks for me are: Gershwin Brothers' "Love Is Here To Stay," "'S Wonderful" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me"; Irving Berlin's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm"; Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered." My second choices are: Arlen's "Hooray For Love" and "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"; Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" and The Duke's "I've Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)." Not to mention two Johnny Mercer-penned lyrics, "Midnight Sun" and Something's Gotta Give." These two tracks were beautifully arranged and conducted by the great Nelson Riddle.

This CD is a gem. I highly recommend it. It's a great addition to Great American Songbook collection.

Ella at her best
It seems unfair to give this masterful collection four rather than five stars for what can only be termed religious reasons, but there you go.An outstanding CD, capturing Fitzgerald in all her perfection.If you love her, it's all here, but I find myself wishing she put more personality, more emotion, more soul into her music.In that spirit, I take one star and give it to Sarah Vaughan, my favorite jazz vocalist of them all.

The Best of the Best of the Best
It has been awhile since I have read all of the wonderful reviews for this CD. As the man who chose the songs, sequenced them and wrote the album notes, it is one of the high points of my career that so many of you love listening to this CD as much as I did making it. It was indeed a difficult assignment, narrowing down all the songs from Ella's songbook series to just these, but I hope I put in something for everybody. I agree that as a collection, there is no better representation of the best of singing, songwriting and musical arranging available.

Before I sound egotistical about it, remember that the reason the collection is so good is because Ella Fitzgerald is singing; Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers, Hart, Berlin, Ellington, Arlen, Kern and Mercer did the writing; and Bregman, Riddle, May, Strayhorn and Weston did the arranging.

What could possibly be better? ... Read more

Asin: B0000046R2
Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Big Band    3. Cool    4. Jazz    5. Pop    6. Standards    7. Swing    8. Traditional Pop    9. Vocal Jazz   

Louis Armstrong - All-Time Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 May, 1994)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Reviews (51)

Da good stuff ---
I am often amused by how seriously some folks write these reviews. Considering Mr. Armstrong's long career, isn't it a bit foolish to think any one album could have ALL his best -- just marketing hype. DUDE! take things in stride (more like ... all the best tracks MCA had that didn't cost that much to include ... huh?).

What can be said for sure is that there are many tasty numbers on this CD. I GET IDEAS is a really cute tune - paying great homage to how much a talented songwriter AND performer can "SAY" about human "relations" (if you will) without actually saying anything. Another less known treasure on this disk is THE DUMMY SONG. Really shows LA's playful side as does his take on that early 1900's hit CHLOE which has oft been lampooned for its overt sentimentality (think of it as the "Feelings" of the WWI era). Louie does a great job walking the fine line that makes for a great performance -- at one point he actually answers the chorus' baleful cries of "Chloe? Chloe?" <chuckle>. Check out Spike Jones for another classic "interpretation" of this old, old standard.

Seems to me the criteria that might have been used to pick these recordings were:
1. Lush orchestrations - most all these have those 50's string orchestral sounds you might hear behind Steve Lawrence, Judy Garland, Tony Bennet etc. IMHO very classic and tasteful stuff.
2. Good recordings - All the recordings are of "modern" quality.
3. Middle-of-the-Road - Everything here is G-rated and not even mildly controversial.

These criteria result in a "packaged" sound perhaps, but nice-to-da-ears. To round things out you will need earlier recordings with more bluesy material that have more of a anxious and raw edge. Look for one with BLACK AND BLUE (one of my all-time LA fabes) It will serve as a good marker for a "different" set of tunes.

Not the best Armstrong
I didn't find anything remarkable about this album.It seems that I have heard lots better Armstrong arrangements than what is represented here.I recommend Louis Armstrong Greatest Hits (RCA Victor) instead, even though it has fewer selections and totally different selections, except for What a Wonderful World.Even that song is slightly different on the other album.This is not a bad album and it may claim to have Armstrong's All Time Greatest Hits, but there are better Armstrong albums out there.Gone Fishin' is a pleasant enough ditty but I don't know that it belongs on this album.This album is a little disappointing because it could have been so much better.As one reviewer pointed out a 2-CD album would have been nice and more inclusive of some of the great Armstrong songs.Where is Basin Street Blues, St. Louis Blues, Mood Indigo and Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?

Amazing CD; the definitive greatest hits
Armstrong ("Satchmo") is always great but this collection catches him somewhat older, wiser, and with a merry twinkle in his eyes. The recording quality is decent (being from the 1950s). Armstrong recorded a million interpretations of each jazz standard but this CD does capture some of the best ever. Warning: after you've heard this CD a few times, you fall in love with these versions so much that every other version out there ---by whichever artist---will always seem to fall short.

My personal favorite is the stunning La Vi en Rose. If heaven has any background music playing, this must be it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002ORZ
Sales Rank: 1148
Subjects:  1. Classic Jazz    2. Dixieland    3. Jazz    4. New Orleans Jazz    5. Pop    6. Swing    7. Traditional Pop    8. Vocal Jazz   

Teddy Pendergrass - Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (31 March, 1998)
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Editorial Review

"Let's take a shower together." Between Al Green and Luther Vandross, and way before South Park's Chef, came Teddy Pendergrass, the king of the soul seduction masters for a half-decade after his mid-'70s departure from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Greatest Hits gives the solo Pendergrass his due with 15 signature rubdowns. The greatest of the great, 1980's "Love T.K.O.," ends the album's survey of TP's Philadelphia International years; two songs cut for Elektra after the singer's paralyzing 1982 auto accident round it out. If you haven't heard these enticing tunes or thought about the man they called Teddy Bear in years, this is a reminder you need. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (13)

5+ Stars!
Teddy Pendergrass is great. He's got such a great, silky smooth baritone voice. I think more younger,up and coming recording artist should listen to the mastery that this man accomplishes in every single song that he sings. He has such a unique style that I haven't necessarily heard today's new R&B/ Soul male artists pick up on. Best songs include "Turn Off The Lights", "Close The Door", "Love TKO", "Can't We Try", "Joy", and all the rest of the songs on the CD! 5/5 stars and more stars if I could give more!

Phillys Teddy Bear
What a talent ole Teddy P was. Back in the day he was another of the Lover Man-type artists, and although I wouldn't put him on the same level as Marvin, Barry, or Al, he did some great work with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and as a solo artist had a nice style all to himself. This is a cool collection of some of his best work, and for me the highlight is still `Love TKO', what a great track that is. But throughout it's all strong, and if your craving a chunk of that classic Philly-styled soul, this is a must.

If you want to get into Teddy this is a cool introductory piece, all on one disc, recommended listening for any people who love their ole time true soul music.

Greatest Hits T.K O
This is one of the very best greatest hits albums ever. I really just got into Teddy P. two years ago when I heard "Turn off The Lights" on an almost daily basis on the local old school R&B station here in Atlanta. It was like the song was following me around. So, I bought this album for that song alone and hoped there might be something else on here that I would like. Every day another song from here would start sticking in my head, until finally I was in love with the whole album. I can't believe I never got into Teddy before, or that I never realised he was the lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. I've heard that he is touring again despite being in a wheelchair from a crippling car accident back in the early 80's and that his magical voice is as powerful as ever. I definately want to see this legend in concert and hear these classic songs live. Guys like Keith Sweat had to whine and beg the ladies for some lovin', but not Teddy P. He demanded to be rubbed down in some burning hot oils, baby, and he would do the same for you. Now turn off the damn lights and let's get it on!!! ... Read more

Asin: B00000634P
Subjects:  1. Philly Soul    2. Pop    3. Quiet Storm    4. R&B    5. Soul    6. Urban