Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) - Glenn Miller, Brown, Lew
(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo - Glenn Miller, Gordon, Mack
That Old Black Magic - Glenn Miller, Arlen, Harold
With its unique sound and ebullient swing, the Glenn Miller Orchestra rapidly became the most popular band of its day. That sheer popularity is celebrated here in the remarkable string of No. 1 hits that the band recorded ... more »for RCA Victor from 1939 until 1942, when Miller decided to break up the band and enter the armed forces. Emphasizing sweet over swing, Miller created a unique, liquid reed sound by voicing a clarinet over the saxophones, often contrasting that effect with muted brass. Even a powerhouse swing tune like Erskine Hawkins's "Tuxedo Junction" took on softer hues in the Miller treatment, while the Modernaires vocal group added another trademark sound to such infectious songs as "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Miller's keen sense of public taste is apparent, from novelty tunes to superior ballads to his signature, "In the Mood." For anyone seeking a single-CD introduction to the Miller band, this collection has excellent sound and offers a window on the era. --Stuart Broomer« less
With its unique sound and ebullient swing, the Glenn Miller Orchestra rapidly became the most popular band of its day. That sheer popularity is celebrated here in the remarkable string of No. 1 hits that the band recorded for RCA Victor from 1939 until 1942, when Miller decided to break up the band and enter the armed forces. Emphasizing sweet over swing, Miller created a unique, liquid reed sound by voicing a clarinet over the saxophones, often contrasting that effect with muted brass. Even a powerhouse swing tune like Erskine Hawkins's "Tuxedo Junction" took on softer hues in the Miller treatment, while the Modernaires vocal group added another trademark sound to such infectious songs as "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Miller's keen sense of public taste is apparent, from novelty tunes to superior ballads to his signature, "In the Mood." For anyone seeking a single-CD introduction to the Miller band, this collection has excellent sound and offers a window on the era. --Stuart Broomer
"This is a great CD, don't get me wrong, but if you are looking for the *one* disc that best covers Glenn Miller's famous charts and signature sound, you might want to keep looking. At 23 tracks, it definitely delivers on quantity but the quality of the sound is only mediocre. Not a lot has been done to "clean up" the original masters (which actually might be a positive to many purists) and the sound is a bit distant and bright. There are also some notable exceptions, particularly "Moonlight Serenade," "Pensylvania 6-5000" and "Little Brown Jug." Of course, the movie soundtrack covers those tunes and is in stereo, though the sound is not as authentic as these recordings."
Glenn Miller - Chattanooga Choo-Choo
Valmai M. Luttrell | Huntington Beach, Ca United States | 08/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just received this Cd in themail I am so thrilled with it. These songs were taped in 1939 and around that time - the original ones. Anyone who listened to Gleen Miller during the World War 2 - must have this C.D."
Great songs and memories
G. Sawaged | Canada | 01/14/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Glenn Miller Orchestra is the most successful, and most well know of all the 'Big Bands'. 23 #1 hits spanning the period of May 1939 to February 1943, is an amazing accomplishment. I wasn't born when these songs came out, but growing up, I heard them played at my grandparents house a lot, and they bring back memories to me of those times. As a child I loved these songs and used to sing along with the vocals. It was also a thrill when my grandparents used to tell me stories of those times, of memories associated with these songs. My grandma, during WW2, hearing some of these songs in the background, while sitting in a bomb shelter in the midst of falling bombs, my grandads memories of being in the Royal Marines, and hearing these songs over the radio. I became spellbound, and to hear these songs now sometimes bring a lump to my throat for the memories they stir. This is truly a remarkable album, and all songs have been digitally remastered, so they sound wonderful."
Ghastly "Remastering," Avoid
Thomas Bumbera | Maplewood, NJ USA | 12/04/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"RCA/BMG's engineers apparently took fifth-generation tapes of these hits (two stars for the music alone) and then did a putrid job of remastering them. A good vinyl reissue from the 1950s would produce richer, fuller sound than this catastrophe. There are many Miller compilations produced after about 1997, when they finally learned how to remaster from 78 rpm. Seek them out."