Good Selection, Terrible Sound
M. Beck | carmel, in United States | 06/21/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"This should have been great. The song selection, the graphics and notes are first rate. The problem is that the remastered sound is AWFUL. I have the Proper sets on Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills, and the sound is good for budget sets. On this set however, the sound is so bad that it makes much of it unlistenable. The reproduction is most annoying on the artists voice, where it's almost always distorted. It's sad that you have to spring for the expensive Bear Family set to get this material done right. Material this important needs to be treated with more care."
Can't Go Wrong With This
luckyoldsun | New York New York | 08/26/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For a 4-CD box, this is incredibly low-priced and incredibly compact. It's so easy to take to keep in the car, and you can throw in a Lefty disc when there's nothing good on the radio. If you only know Lefty--like I did--through is Columbia/Sony and ABC CD releases, this gives you a new perspective on the man and some great new material to listen to. (One thing I discovered is that when Merle Haggard does Jimmie Rodgers, he's really doing Lefty doing Jimmie Rodgers!)
In response to what another reviewer wrote: Considering that these are 50-plus-year old recordings, the sound quality is fine. I have not tested it against the $200 Bear Family Box (which I don't have.) I've just listened to it on a Toyota Camry standard sound system and it's great."
Honky Tonk Legend
Tom Without Pity | A Major Midwestern Metropolis | 12/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a review for the Proper Box set of Lefty Frizzell's
recordings from roughly 1950-1956. He was recording for Columbia
Records then and these were Lefty's first professional records.
They were also his first exposure to the national listening public
and needless to say, he was remarkably successful.
This four CD box set sounds okay on my playback system which is
nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
I don't pretend to be an expert on country music or Lefty Frizzell
but I found these sides to be very enjoyable and Lefty's voice
really has an authentic tone to it. It sounds like the man was singing
about what he lived and knew. That's what my ears tell me, anyway.
I especially liked the material on the first disk which contains Lefty's
signature hits, "I Love You A Thousand Ways," and "If You've got The Money Honey,
I've Got The Time," along with a couple of other charted cuts.
And disc four shows Lefty as he absorbs some rock 'n roll influence and does
quite well with it. Also included are live performances from a couple of Navy recruitment
shows, really fine singing and playing. You get to hear what he must've sounded like in a
live performance situation.
I should mention that the various musicians that Lefty recorded with are uniformly
top grade. They all do fine jobs and help to make all 86 recordings included on this Proper
Box set immensely enjoyable. I give this box set five stars with pleasure.
"
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1
