Search - Benny Goodman :: Very Best of Benny Goodman

Essential Benny Goodman.

Anthony Accordino | Massapequa Park, New York United States | 02/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to believe that back in the 1930's music purists of the time considered Benny Goodman a rebel. Music was meant for listening while sitting. Along comes the king of swing and couples are dancing wildly up and down the isles of the paramount Theater in NY and everywhere else starting a new era for modern music. A foundation that led to the Rock N Roll Era. "The Very Best Of Benny Goodman" Is a very affordable overview of Benny's absolute prime. The sound quality thanks to remastering is fantastic and with 20 tracks it makes a fine collection for those who are considering purchasing a Goodman cd for the first time. Some great tunes are stuffed into this package like "And The Angels Sing" featuring vocals by Martha Tilton, "Stompin At The Savoy", "One O 'Clock Jump", "Bie Mir Bist Du Schoen" and of course the Louis Prima Classic "Sing Sing Sing" Featuring one of the greatest drummers of the day Gene krupa. This cd should be mandatory listening for the younger generation so they can appreciate the birth of modern day music as we know it. In some strange way all the kings and queens of modern music, Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and even Frank Sinatra can thank the king of swing Benny Goodman for paving the way."

The King Of Swing At His swingingest!

Comic Online | 03/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd contains original studio recordings of Benny Goodman's peak period: 1935-1939. Although I own many of these tunes on other Goodman cd's, this is a great compilation! Along with big band arrangements featuring Benny's best sidemen, vocalists Helen Ward and Martha Tilton are featured. Add the BG quartet, also an eight minute version of "Sing, Sing, Sing! If you are a swing fan this cd is a must!"

How can this be a "very best" w/o "Don't Be That Way"?

Into | everywhereandnowhere | 04/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, you can nitpick almost any "best of" compilation CD for the songs that should've been included; and most of us know that "Very/Best," "Greatest Hits," "Essential," and "Definitive," are mostly record label marketing terms...but I don't think it's a nitpick to ask the question in my review title: for my money, leaving "Don't be that Way" out of a "VERY Best of Benny Goodman" collection would be about like leaving, "Take the A Train" out of a Duke Ellington collection.



Most "best of" compilations, esp. those by the "big labels," are nothing more than enticements to get people to buy more albums, but this is one of the more blatant examples of that...esp. when you call up some of RCA's other Benny Goodman compilations, and compare the tracks that were included. If you have to go the "compilation" route--and there's nothing wrong with that, esp. if you are one of the majority of us who can't afford to fork over the big bucks for boxed sets of artists' complete recordings--skip this and search some of the other titles, like the two BG Greatest Hits (find them used or on sale), or the compilation Sing, Sing, Sing. Yeah, the documentation on the RCA Greatest Hits CD's is weak, but if economy is a consideration, isn't it mostly about the music?"