Search - Bing Crosby :: United Artist Sessions

Bing triumphant throughout, but why use inferior alternate t

El Comandante | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 10/24/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First off: Grab it while you can! This is essential Bing, rejuvenated vocally, artistically and commercially for these 1970s sessions, elegantly produced by Ken Barnes - who seemed to have a magic touch with veteran performers. (Check out Ken's other LPs from this period with Johnny Mercer and Fred Astaire.) Unfortunately, you had to do some real sleuthing to find these in US record stores during the 1970s. (During the 1974-76 period covered here, Sinatra was hardly recording, Bennett was struggling to get his short-lived Improv label off the ground, and stores had virtually zero interest in carrying what is now revered as "classic pop.") If you weren't able to get the original United Artists LPs, this 3-CD set will do nicely. I do have qualms about the amount of "new", alternate material being remixed into the original tracks. To my ear, none of the inserts (sometimes little more than an 8-bar phrase or less by Bing here and there) equal, much less surpass, the original choices Barnes made for the UA LP issues. "Looking at You" is especially harmed by the use of lesser Bing, as are some of the Bing-Astaire duets ("Pick Yourself Up"). The good news is that the bonus material (outtakes from Bing's historic appearance at the London Palladium, or studio chatter) is highly entertaining. "The Complete United Artists Sessions," while not precisely a substitute for the original UA recordings, is a must-have just the same. Combine this with "Feels Good, Feels Right" and "Seasons" for a picture of just how dedicated and truly great Bing Crosby was during his final years."

The Best Of Bing

Christopher Bales | Terre Haute, IN | 08/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always enjoyed Bing Crosby's rich and deep basso-baritone voice, but I sometimes found some of his earlier recordings' sound quality annoying. When I found this set on Amazon, I ordered it right away, and now that I have it, I very seldom stop playing it. All of his duets with Fred Astaire are excellent, and the live recordings and re-recordings of his music are all incredible. However, what I like even more is the then-modern music covers. With songs like 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again', and 'What I Did For Love' he showed that no matter what the era, no matter what the material, he could master it. Frank Sinatra did the same thing with excellent results, though Bing often employed more modern sounding instuments including distorted guitars and electric bass. It is very different than the classic Crosby that most are used to. However, the set is priced extremely well and I reccommend it to anyone that likes Bing Crosby, or to anyone who simply enjoys great repeated-listening music."

Great set!

music fan | 04/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Crosby's voice. I could listen to it all day-it's such a wonderful, mellow baritone. This is a great set, and even though Crosby was in his seventies when he recorded it, his voice is as great as ever. The sound quality is very good, and I especially love his duets with Fred Astaire and Bob Hope-they're so much fun to listen to."