Search - Irving Berlin, Robert Emmett Dolan, Mary Martin :: Blue Skies / Rhythm on the River

Well conceived, but could be better

Pope | Wisconsin, United States | 01/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is the most complete soundtrack album available of Irving Berlin's BLUE SKIES. On the whole, it is pretty good. Sound quality is OK, but is showing its age in some spots. Listen to the Main Title to hear what I'm talking about. The only major downfall of this disc is the very sloppy editing. As these tracks were all lifted directly from a print of the film, fade-ins and -outs are utilized for each cut to make the best transition into a song from the dialogue that surrounds it. Most of these are done correctly, but some pieces fade in half way though the number as seen in the film proper, most notably in A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY. The choral verse we hear as the ladies are descending the stair is completely missing. And I don't understand why it was necessary to have a fade-in to the Main Title and a fade-out at the end of the FINALE. Those pieces could have been presented complete. Minor gripes though. I would love to have seen what Turner/Rhino could do with this if they had the chance. The score here is one of the biggest and best collections of Irving Berlin tunes, all extremely well performed, in a single motion picture.



A worthwhile disc--recommended."