Customer Reviews

1930s Recordings

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My reason for not giving this five stars is due to the large number of alternate recordings of duplicate songs, but this is really due to the utterly documentarian approach the folks that put this CD together followed. Every single recording from the Mills Brothers earliest years are here (in stunningly good sound), presented in chronological order, which means that the listener is subjected to multiple recordings of "Caravan" and others. If you are a Mills Brothers fanatic (as I am), this is an indispensable set to own. If you are a more casual fan, pick up one of the greatest hits CD's listed here.

JSP has done it again! I'm a big fan of their CD box sets--I've got the Jelly Roll Morton set, the Louis Armstrong set, and the Carter Family set. They're all excellent! This one is no exception. The remastering is by John R. T. Davies, so naturally, the sound is superb. From the earliest 1931 recordings through the 1938 sessions here, the recordings are crisp, clear, and rich-sounding. Each piece is a gem. The Mills Brothers voices blend so smoothly together, I could listen to their records for hours. And with this 5-disc box set I *can* listen for hours! Each disc is packed full, and I appreciate having the alternate takes. Occasioanlly on these discs, the Mills Brothers are joined by Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Alice Faye, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Dick Powell, and a few others. The liner notes are good, and for five CD's, you can't beat the price. My only complaint--and it's a small one--is while the recording dates and master numbers for all selections are given, no indication is made of the original record labels or numbers.

What a great collection of music! I knew very little about the Mills Brothers prior to buying this set, and pretty much found this item by accident (you know how it is on Amazon). But I have purchased JSP sets before, and was familiar with their high quality and value. So I took a chance on the Mills Brothers, and since getting these I've listened to the set over and over, I never seem to get tired of it. Yeah, a few of the songs are repeated now and then, but it's all good. I have to say that this is one of the best music purchases I've ever made. I'm just glad that CD's don't wear out.

Like all box sets, this may be too much of a good thing, but a good thing it is, too, and a lot of great music is included herein at a tremendous price. The Mills Brothers would soldier on into a proto-doowop pop group in the 1950s, but it's these early days that were really interesting, when the brothers were initially billed as Four Boys and a Guitar. Their act was not only swinging (and funny) group vocals in the manner of the Boswell Sisters. The Mills Brothers could also replicate the sound of an entire horn section with their mouths, creating the effect of a jazz ensemble with only their voices. With complex, contrapuntal charts like Ellington's "Caravan" or Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark", or complex wordplay like "Nagasaki", the effect was exhilirating, and it's happiness that would remain the Mills Brothers stock-in-trade throughout the decade, whether on their own or providing vocal backup to the likes of Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong, who are both represented here. While this set is too much to digest in a single sitting, smaller helpings are sweet and help nourish the soul.

I am a big Mills Brothers fan and thought I just couldn't live without this 5-disc set of their earliest recordings. Frankly, I've become bored. The producer decided every recording, in chronological order, even those recorded twice, three times, even four, should all be included. I've struggled to listen all the way through, and am still working at it; after all, I paid $60 bucks for this set. At the same time I purchased THE ANTHOLOGY (1931 to 1968) which is nothing short of delightful. That's the one I recommend!

For the true aficionado of the origination of scat and acapella singing! These four brothers (a few years later 3 sons and a father) were international stars in a matter of months after getting known in the US. One can hear the influences on later performers from Scatman Crothers to Dave Van Ronk in these recordings.

I like the fact that it is all in chronological order so the listener can hear the slight nuances in each take of the song. This may led to some redundancy in the song list but for the practiced ear it makes this collection all the more amazing!!! Hearing the song as it develops in each take is really a treat for for anyone who truly loves music. Sort of like a Grateful Dead fan hearing a song that the Dead had done 80 times but knowing exactly which show it was that the version they are listening to was from. Hah!! Who would have thought that the great Mill's Brothers would have had a reference to the Dead in a review!!?? The Mill's Brothers were far greater and more original and far more talented!

This 5 CD box set is worth the price for the pure joy of listening to these wonderful artists in their early days before the actual instruments came in to the picture. If you know anyone that plays a horn, sings acapella, or loves hearing great music then this is the gift to give them!!!!

This was a gift for my 93 year old Uncle and he LOVED listening to every song. We were pleased to be able to find this item at such a good price..