Search - Various Artists :: Pure Nostalgia (1928-1941)

Perhaps the best oldies compilation

Sasha | at sea...sailing somewhere | 01/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As opposite of Austrian "Document" label that offers "collected work" of ancient artists - frankly,interesting but a bit much - British ASV is specialised in compilation of 1920 and 1930's music in a much "digestible" way.This wonderful compilation,with 79 minutes of music is a great introduction to a long gone names whose music still sparkle after decades.I had already used opportunity to hear Al Jolson,Eddie Cantor,Annette Hanshaw and Ruth Etting on their ASV albums,but there were other names I wanted to check and this compilation was a easy way to hear music before I order complete albums of somebody.What we have here is really fun music,even at the moments when ballads were supposed to be sad (Al Jolson chest-beating in the meantime became unintentionally funny).CD opens with young and awful-voiced Marlene Dietrich singing her signature song "Falling In Love Again" which sounds much much different than her later versions (later she honed it to a perfection,here she was just a young german woman who was falling in and out of pitch),and what follows is really glowing with humour.Maybe some listeners will recognise Cab Calloway's "Minnie The Moocher" from "Blues Brothers" movie.I loved great Paul Robeson and Fred Astaire,but lovely,happy "Louise" by Maurice Chevalier,brethtaking vocal acrobatics by The Mills Brothers,Ink Spots and wonderful "Leaning On A Lamp Post" by George Formby are highlits for me.And yes,West Indian singer-pianist Hutch sound like Nina Simone grandfather,same dead serious,wobbly voice!"

Good old-fashioned songs by the original artists

Sasha | 02/28/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you are into classic old songs, by the people that made them famous, this is the album for you. It's a load of all the great singers, who sang these great melodies, if your in the mood for Dietrich, Astaire, Maurice Chevalier, Glenn Miller, this is definetly the best I've heard from all of them."