Customer Reviews

The Best of the Capitol Masters: 90th Birthday Edition

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The recordings sound very modern. You can't tell this wasn't recorded yesterday; just listen to the samples. Les Paul had an inimitable guitar style. The man was the master, and teamed with the easy, lilting style of Mary Ford AKA (Iris) Colleen Summers (who started out in Western music), how could they not score? This music, while a product of its era, is timeless. This is perfection. This is the stuff dreams are made of. I usually review Classical music, but what can be more classic than this?

I only regret that a box set is not available, since I love everything that Les Paul and Mary Ford ever waxed. A particular favorite of mine that is missing is the Hawaiian love song, "The Moon of Manakoora". It is every bit as beautiful as the version recorded by Alfred Ahola Apaka, the crooning voice of Hawaii, and is recorded better. There are other notable omissions that I won't tire you with here, but this is the best set available until a box set is released. Absolutely wonderful music making. Curl up to the fire and warm with it; You'll love how it gets you in the mood.

This must be one of the best CD's available letting new comers to LP&MF hear some of their best tracks from the 50's and they have not dated since then. Unfortunately CAPITAL in their wisdom have omitted others which should have been included. I can name but a few:- La Rossita - Mac the Knife - Three little words - Magic Melody - Hold me in your arms - Old Mexico - What is this thing called love - Walking & Whistling Blues - I'm Jealous - By the light of the Silvery Moon - Chicken Reel. and I'm sure there's more. So it looks like we'll have to wait till Les reaches his 100th Birthday before we see a Box Set.
I am tempted to wait - that's if I can manage to live as long as Les. He's doing great, and I hope he will still be playing when he reaches 100! Well done mate!

Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford are legends in jazz music. My favorite track on this disc is "I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World." Nobody could play the electric guitar as masterfully as Les Paul. Mary Paul's voice is so sensual on the track "I'm A Fool To Care." I love this track. "Tennessee Waltz" and "Vaya Con Dios" are classic romantic tunes. These tracks makes me think of someone special. "In The Mood" is another excellent song that puts me in a great mood. "Bye Bye Blues" is an uptempo track that stands out as one of the best here. "I Really Don't Want To Know" is a pretty song. I love the tenderness in Mary Ford's voice on this track. This disc is filled with great music.

Today we lost one of the fathers of rock & roll. The man that gave us the solid body electric guitar, multi-track recording and arguably the most iconic musical instrument of all time, the Gibson Les Paul model.

The man was a true innovator and an artist. He will be missed.

Bought this for my Mom who digs this type of music. She's 82. She said she waited til my father went out and cranked up the CD and sang along with it-etc. She said it's a good recording and has most of the best songs that she likes. Guess it's a good thing-

After watching Les Paul - Chasing Sound on PBS recently (American Masters Series) I ordered this album so I could once again listen to their phenomenal talent, and I wasn't disappointed.

Thank you Les for letting me share your talent by listening and appreciating your music. I get goosebumps listening to it!

If you are just a casual fan and have never bought a Les Paul recording before, this is the one to buy. It is a great assortment of Les solos and duets with his wife, Mary Ford. It has all their biggest sellers and even includes an excerpt from their radio show.

If you are even considering this purchase, there is a 100% chance you will love it!

Mary Ford's voice is like an instrument and Les's guitar is like ... well if God could reinvent birds to sing jazz they would sound like this.

Joel

If you are over 50 or just enjoy great guitar, you have to enjoy this totally awesome CD from Les Paul and Mary Ford. Treat yourself to the amazing talents of these two amazing performers. This CD demonstrates what a musical genius Les Paul was and still is.

I'm just *slightly* too young to have known the various aspects of Les Paul.

I'm a guitarist and so had known that he invented the electric guitar -- though I've learned recently that he really didn't. Fender came out with the first electric guitar, and Paul worked with Gibson to perfect it.

Being a child of the sixties, I wasn't aware that Paul and Ford had quite a few hits earlier on, including a radio and a TV show. I believe I was aware of their music, but I had not put it into perspective.

This album does that. The music is great, and the liner notes by Paul tells you much about what you'd like to know about each song. Anyone who is interested in music from today through the 1930s should grab this reasonably priced album.

Les Paul is the godfather of everything in popular music that arose from the mid-1950s to today. This album tells you why. I only hope (riffing off a recent PBS special) that I'm alive at his age as he is now!

-- David