Still more "Hard to Find" Quality
Bud Buschardt | Dallas, TX USA | 04/30/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Eric/Hit Parade Records has given us another quality CD with the original single versions that we heard on the radio or bought in the stores back in 1958. This particular issue involves the pop chart songs that our parents could tolerate when compared to the rock'n'roll and rhythm'n'blues songs we as teens generally favored. In 1958 while the smaller labels were still recording in mono, the larger pop labels had started recording in stereo. Over one half of the songs on this CD are presented in true stereo. Many are truly hard to find on CD in stereo, some appearing in that form for the first time. Especially of note is the Playmates single version of "Beep Beep" that is edited like the single and also runs a faster speed than the commonly found longer and slower speed LP version. Probably the only stereo song that I can think of that is missing is Tony Bennett's "Firefly." Most of Tony's CDs have a 1:30 re-recording instead of the original 45 version. Other than that, if you enjoy 1958 pop and stereo, I think you will enjoy this CD.
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Another exciting volume in the series
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 04/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hit Parade Records of Canada rolls out its next installment in its "Hard to Find Jukebox Classics" series with a collection of mostly hard-to-find pop tunes from 1958. Represented here are tunes from the established recording artists that vied for the record-buying public dollars with the newer teen-oriented guys and gals in that music battleground year.
True to its reputation, Hit Parade digs deep to capture many tunes that have seldom, if ever, been available on legit CD. Long-lost gems in the likes of Johnny Nash's "As Time Goes By", Ken Copeland's "Pledge of Love" and "Dream" (in stereo!) from Betty Johnson whet the appetite of the serious collector as well as the casual fan. A few more familiar tracks from Paul Anka and Jimmie Rodgers are interspersed here but the main attraction is the wealth of rarities that have been a long time in making it to the digital domain.
Hit Parade has done an admirable job beyond the generous 26 tracks. Sound quality is top-notch with several of the tracks in stereo (3,5,9-11,13,15,16,22,26) with one stereo rerecording, a debatable choice if one were to nit-pick. The only other anomaly here would be the inclusion of tunes from 1957 and 1956, that while welcome in themselves, are technically beyond the range of the subject year. Rounding out the package is the 12-page liner notes booklet with pics, illustrations and background on the included artists and recordings.
Hit Parade has once again lived up to its well-deserved reputation with this new collection. Avid collectors and casual fans alike can delight in this new volume and look forward, hopefully, to more in the future."
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1