Search - Bing Crosby :: Crooner

Here is the track listing. An excellent compilation from

DodgyUSA | Jamaica Plain, MA United States | 08/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Disc 1:
Rose of Mandalay
(Anyone can see with half an eye that) I'm crazy over you
My kinda love
My Angeline
Little pal
Oh! Miss Hannah
Orange blossom time
Waiting at the end of the road
Southern medley
I'm sorry, dear
Can't we talk it over?
I found you
Snuggled on your shoulder
Starlight (Help me find the one I love)
Love, you funny thing
Shine
"Face the music" medley: Soft lights & sweet music/On a roof in Manhattan
Shadows on the window
Paradise
You're still in my heart.

Disc 2: Lawd, you made the night too long
Waltzing in a dream
Happy-go-lucky-you and broken-hearted me
Lazy day
Let's try again
With summer coming on (I'm still without a sweetheart)
Love me tonight
Some of these days
Linger a little longer in the twilight
We're a couple of soldiers
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Sweet Sue
Let's put out the lights and go to sleep
I'll follow you
Someday we'll meet again
On a street of dreams
It's within your power
I'm playing with fire
Try a little tenderness
You're getting to be a habit with me
Young and healthy
You're beautiful to-night, my dear.

Disc 3:
I've got the world on a string
My honey's loving arms
What do I care, it's home!
You've got me crying again
Someone stole Gabriel's horn
Stay on the right side of the road
Here is my heart
Learn to croon
My love
I've got to pass your house to get to my house
Blue prelude
I would if I could but I can't
Shadow waltz
I've got to sing a torch song
There's a cabin in the pines
The last round up
Home on the range
Let's spend an evening at home
May I?
Little Dutch mill
Shadows of love
Ridin' around in the rain
Give me a heart to sing to

"

The best of Bing at the peak of his vocal power

Mark Emanuel | St. Louis | 04/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so what if I just missed living in this era by 50 years? It's no big deal really, anyone with the slightest appreciation for pop music history could put this box set on their radio (oops, I mean iPod) and immediately recognize the voice of ol' Bing. His voice is that timeless and classic, of which nothing else need be said (after all, praise for Bing has been scribed countless times for more than 80 years now). What is fascinating about this collection is the history of the era- in the span of 3 CDs (or 4 vinyl records if you're lucky enough to locate this set in that format) one can hear Mr. Crosby happily croon at the end of the roaring 20s Jazz era, through the beginning of troubling times in the early 30s, to the height of the Depression ("Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" is so brooding and dark that Bing's anxious and exhausted tone invites goosebumps). Bing's singing deftly defines each time period with a mood in each song that's palpable even today.

It's not just Bing singing on these tracks; it's the voice of a nation entire. Even though most of us weren't around then, one could easily play this box set and receive a college level lesson in American pop culture history through the middle of the Depression era. The liner notes are amazingly well researched: a read-along with each track reveals other performers with names like the Dorsey Brothers, Paul Whiteman, and Guy Lombardo. It's Bing and Company, really- and they were performing not to set the mood for the audience, but to parallel it. It was during this era that Bing's voice became that of a generation; it's unlikely that a single entertainer could ever again accomplish what he could, and through this compilation we get to experience the beginning of the most successful career for a single entertainer, ever.

Although many Baby Boomers (and subsequent generations) associate Bing Crosby's vocal style with songs released during World War II and later, they are largely unaware that Bing's greatest vocal performances came during the early 1930s, of which this box set highlights admirably. "I've got to sing a Torch Song" and "Home on the Range", recorded in mid-late 1933, showcase a singer at the very top of his game. Never again will Bing sound so pure and in control of his ability.

The mastering and cleanup of each track, although using late 1980s technology, is superb even by today's demanding standards. It is not a stretch to say that the audio quality on these tracks supersedes many of those that appear on the MCA compilation released 5 years later- despite the relative youth of Bing's MCA (then Decca) recording sessions. Recording with high fidelity was non-existent in the early 1930s so don't expect any of these tracks to amaze your ears, but the tracks lack the annoying clicks, hiss, and scratches that many old 78 RPM records contain.

Although Bing Crosby's original fans are departing this world at an increasing rate, limiting the key target demographic for this compilation, one can hold out hope that Columbia will re-release this now out-of-print gem in the future. A future that will no doubt introduce new listeners to the legacy and musical greatness of a youthful Bing Crosby."