Search - Various Artists :: Love Song Collection

The Quality Beat Goes on!

Dr. Glenn W. Briggs | KSC, Florida & Chengdu, China | 07/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is yet another magnificent and value-packed album to grace a collection that began with three others from this source. In other words, "...the quality beat goes on" for the avid mid-twentieth century music collector.



This three-CD album features the incredible variety and diversity that characterized popular music from this area, packed into seventy-five more wonderful songs in this series. The repertoire includes some of the biggest names in music and films from the fifties and "variety" is clearly the drawing card here. These are all the original recordings, and the transfer quality continues to be as good as it can get for songs this old.



The first CD commences with Perry Como at his best, singing "No Other Love," which was a virtual standard for the era, as was Tony Bennett's monumental hit, "Because of You." And the romantic "I Apologize" from Billy Eckstine, followed by one of the most mellow baritones ever, Vic Damone who delivers an obscure but excellent rendition of "Just Say I Love Her," are great representatives of the collection's diversity.



Other wonderful artists appear here, to include Tony Martin, the "Velvet Fog," Mel Torme, the incomparable Bing Crosby, and great ladies like Teresa Brewer, Jo Stafford, Patti Page, and Rosemary Clooney, whose "Half As Much" will put you in a mood.



There are also some terrific instrumentals presented here, such as Tommy Dorsey's "Stardust" and Artie Shaw's "Dancing in the Dark." Perhaps the best wrap-up commentary for the collection is provided by Nat "King" Cole, with "Unforgettable!""