The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection) [Original recording remastered]

20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection (Series), Bing Crosby | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00000I8LF
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,681 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bing Crosby is the gold standard against which every vocal stylist of the pre-rock & roll era (even Sinatra) can be judged. His assured, intimate style changed the way popular music was sung, and his casual mode of dress--the hat, the pipe, the sweater--made him the era's definition of cool. Just so, he was staggeringly successful as a recording artist, with over 300 hits and nearly half a billion records sold. Reducing that to the dozen songs heard here must have seemed a comically impossible task. Yet the selection is a good one, coming mostly from the World War II era and just beyond, when Crosby's popularity was at its zenith. The set shows off Crosby's versatility--one minute he's a jazz singer ("Swingin' on a Star," "Play a Simple Melody"--a duet with son Gary), the next an emotional crooner ("I'll Be Seeing You," "It's Been a Long Long Time") and the definitive interpreter of timeless classics ("White Christmas"). Brief though it may be, this is a surprisingly satisfying collection. --Daniel Durchholz

Product Description

20th Century Masters: Complete track listing: Swingin' On A Star, I'll Be Seeing You, White Christmas, Pennies From Heaven, It's Been A Long Long Time, Dear Hearts And Gentle People, Don't Fence Me In, MacNamara's Band, Play A Simple Melody, Far Away Places, Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy, Around The World (In Eighty Days.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not enough gems here, January 26, 2008

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

20th Century Masters: The Best Of Bing Crosby (Millennium Collection) gives us twelve tracks from one of the greatest crooners of all time: Bing Crosby. The material here is excellent. Unfortunately, however, we only get twelve tracks; and I cannot fathom how they could pick any twelve tracks and slap on the title of the "best" of Bing Crosby and think we'd mistake it for a complete and thorough retrospective.

However, as I said, what we do get is very good--we just don't get enough of it. The album starts off with Bing singing "Swinging On A Star." The backup vocalists sound great but they always let Bing have the spotlight. Bing never misses a note and his voice never sounded better, either! "I'll Be Seeing You" is a beautiful, romantic and touching number that Bing delivers with great sensitivity and panache. The musical arrangement makes good use of the brass.

Listen also for Bing's unbeatable "White Christmas;" this melancholy ballad still moves me with its beauty and I always enjoy hearing this number--even in January!

"Don't Fence Me In" features Bing singing his best and he delivers this so well. The Andrews Sisters accompany Bing and the horns make this a splendid number "Play A Simple Melody" has a fine, catchy melody that stays in your mind after you hear it and Bing does this to perfection.

The CD ends with Bing singing "Around The World (In Eighty Days)." Bing shows off his full set of pipes and no one could ever sing this as well as Bing does.

The liner notes are somewhat sparse but we do get the song credits and the artwork is nice.

Bing Crosby true blue fans will not be pleased with this CD; they are better off looking for box sets of CDs by Bing. This album is really for the casual fan who isn't too concerned about having a real retrospective of Bing's artistry.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Skimming the surface, August 2, 2000

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

There is simply no way to condense Bing Crosby's prodigious musical catalgue into 12 songs and these are far from his greatest hits or strongest vocals. It's almost insulting. Bing's great songs from his golden era of the 30's and early 40's comprise 12 great songs in *one* year.

But is you just want to sample the incomparable magic of Bing, then this is a good pick. The songs selections are thankfully of early vintage, when Bing's voice was indeed a compelling musical instrument. But if you're seriously interested in understanding and appreciating Bing Crosby, please consider buying the better 4-disc collection offered on Amazon.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best of THE best., June 10, 2000

By 

Lisa Marcell Harper (Utah, Usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

If you love Bing Crosby then this is the one for you! Bing sings his heart out on this recording.His mellow style is just the thing to soothe.