Memorable Al, memorable music
J. C Clark | Overland Park, KS United States | 07/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Before Frank Sinatra or Dick Haymes or the any of the lesser names we do identify, there was Al Bowlly. Recording regularly throughout the 30s, working with all the major British dance bands, Al reshaped vocal music, changing the focus from one of the guys in the band (which Al originally was) to a fellow whose name we knew and whose face we recognized. Al was a remarkable vocalist who transformed many mediocre lyrics into delightful songs and took good material and made it immortal. (Or as immortal as anything can be in popular entertainment.) It is hard to realize what a product popular music was back in the 30s, when bands and bandleaders and singers tried to create a following but could not veer too far from the median. Some of the performances on these CDs are purely product, things that no one could have imagined anyone would be enjoying 70 years later. Those are quite listenable with Al and backup. But many of these songs transcend that and become sublime performances, with Al's warm voice and a team of crackerjack musicians creating three minutes of heaven.
Al was killed by German bombers; his career ending before popular music exploded as it soon did. And in those days, no one was looking backward. New, new, relentlessly new, and out with the old. Al's voice faded, but never disappeared, and as record companies later looked into their vaults they found treasures by the score. Remastered, these recordings from the 30s sound warm and intimate, with glorious vocals and superlative playing.
Every fan of Al's has their favorite performances, and no anthology could ever satisfy everyone. But this does a reasonably good job. Buy this as a starter and you're likely to dig deeper. I wish the arbitrary 20 tracks per bandleader hadn't been so rigorously enforced. Al recorded better cuts with Ray Noble than most of those with Geraldo, but, so be it. This is a reasonably priced, reasonably annotated, reasonably remastered set. The comprehensive Vocalion CDs do, to my ears, sound better, but I had to listen hard to identify the differences, and they are way more pricey. For the buck, this set delivers quite a bang!"
Wonderful, clear and no background hiss.
K. Dixon | Ardmore, OK United States | 05/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Apart from the music being wonderful as always, I was delighted to hear NO HISS in the background... just the beautiful clear voice of Al Bowlly!!"
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1