Search - Vaughn Monroe :: On the Moonbeam/Down Memory Lane

On The Moon Beam/Memory Lane Revisited

Daniel Mugan | Little Neck, New York United States | 06/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This new release is actually the re-release of two of Vaughn Monroe's most popular albums of the mid 1940s entitled, "On the Moon Beam" and " Down Memory Lane". Those were both first recorded on 78 rpm's and later made it to 45 rpms. As if that were not sufficient, the company compiling selections for this CD, also include two songs from yet another Extended Play (EP), "Something Sentimental" and the "Anniversary Song".On the Moon Beam" was released at a time when Vaughn Monroe's records were the biggest sellers among RCA Victor artists and when Vaughn was credited for "..doing more to popularize the moon than the Mount Palomar Observatory"!And popularize the moon is just what Vaughn, joined on a number of the tunes with the Moon Maids and Moon Men, does in the first part of this CD. The contributions of the chorus are significant in "Moonlight And Roses", "Shine on Harvest Moon" and "Blue Moon". Vaughn solos nicely on "Paper Moon" and especially nice renderings of "Moon Love" and "Moon Glow". Also standing out is the Latin -tempoed, "The Moon Was Yellow". Included is VM's signature, "Racing With The Moon".As for the memory portion, again Vaughn is joined with the chorus in "Roses for Rememberance", and "Easy to Remember". Monroe does a solid job on "Memory Lane", and the wistful, "Thanks for the Memory". Dinah Shore is brought to mind when Vaughn sings her hit, "Easy To Remember". So also is one reminded of Al Jolson's hit, "The Anniversary Song" which Vaughn enriches here with a nice orchestral arrangement.Its good to see Monroe's recording becoming more and more frequent as manifested by the number of new releases now available. Although some of the arrangements, by today's standards seem "dated", Monroe's singing talents show through and make this a worthy item for collectors of this kind of music to have and enjoy."