All the best...the creme de la creme of the Glenn Miller orc
Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 05/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While I enjoy the music of the Big Band era I am hardly an expert. The Big Band era ended before I was born. However, like so many others before me I am partial to the Glenn Miller Orchestra. There were so many great tunes and sixteen of the best are included here on "The Unforgettable Glenn Miller and His Orchestra". To me it is truly amazing how this music has stood the test of time. Songs like "In The Mood", "A String of Pearls" and "Moonlight Seranade" sound every bit as good today as they did in the heyday of the Glen Island Casino (a popular big band venue in New Rochelle, NY) in the late 1930's and 1940's. Some of the other memorable tunes in this collection are "Chattanooga Choo Choo" from 1941 and the ever popular "Tuxedo Junction" which topped the charts for 9 weeks in 1940.
At the peak of his popularity in 1942, Miller decided to enlist in what was then known as the Army Air Force. He formed the war's most famous service band and spent the next couple of years entertaining our troops. Unfortunately, his plane was lost on a stormy December night in 1944 over the English Channel. His body was never recovered. Glenn Miller was an American institution. The Glenn Miller Orchestra boasted over 80 charted singles. And the overwhelming majority of these were Top Ten smashes. Glenn Miller is truly a dominant figure in the long history of American popular music. I think it is fair to say the no one CD can do justice to the man's remarkable career. But "The Unforgettable Glenn Miller and his Orchestra" is certainly not a bad place to start.. Also included is a thoughtful and informative eight page booklet highlighting the history of the band. Great memories for the long time fan and a terrific introduction for the uninitiated. I would particularly recommend this disc to younger listeners who have never explored the big band sound. Very Highly recommended!!!
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A must-have!
Kurt A. Johnson | North-Central Illinois, USA | 11/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Glenn Miller (1909-44) is often remembered as one of the greatest bandleaders and composers of the Big Band Era. This CD was put together by RCA in 1985, and is a collection of sixteen of Glenn Miller's greatest works, as performed by himself and his band during the 1940s! The tunes have not been digitally remastered, or anything like that, but the sound quality actually took me back to my childhood, hearing again my father's old records.Among the sixteen tunes are such classics as Moonlight Serenade, In the Mood, and Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree. The liner notes are practically nonexistent, which is unfortunate, as I would really like to know who the female singer is on Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (her voice is wonderful!). So, if you are a fan of swing music, or just want a taste of that 1940s sound, then I highly recommend that you get this CD. It's a must-have!"
Memories
lagalyon4 | USA | 06/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the best swing music that I have ever had. It reminds me of growing up and dancing with my parents and grandparents in the mountains. I had some of the most wonderful times of my life with this music on. Almost every song makes you feel so alive. This CD is essential for anyone trying to capture the roarin' 20s mood."
A great single disc sampler of Glenn's work
Bradley Olson | Bemidji, MN United States | 09/17/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD from 1985 contains 16 of Glenn's biggest hits including Chattanooga Choo Choo, Tuxedo Junction, Moonlight Serenade, String of Pearl and many others including, of course, In The Mood. The surface noise from the master discs of the songs on this disc in left intact for the authenticity of the recordings, because during the era these songs were recorded, magnetic tape hadn't been invented. This does have all 10 songs that are on the more familiar "Pure Gold" compilation from 1975, reissued on CD in 1988 plus these 6 additional tracks: Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me), Stardust, St. Louis Blues March, Serenade In Blue, Perfidia, and Juke Box Saturday Night. The songs are in their original mono on this CD also for the authenticity of the recordings while much of the Pure Gold series is in electronic stereo so if you are looking for a single disc of Glenn's signature songs and then some in the original sound quality (mono, surface noise intact, etc.), this is the disc to get."
Don't buy this collection unless you prefer scratches and po
Don F | 01/21/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Listen to the sample of Tuxedo Junction -- even on this remaster you can clearly hear the source LP scratches and pops. Compare the same song on Essential Glenn Miller (1995 or 2005)."