Customer Reviews

Bing: His Legendary Years 1931-1957

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This is a beautiful sampling of the work of Bing Crosby during his best years. Wonderfully designed, wonderfully annotated by Will Friedwald (One of the most perceptive writers today on the subject of American pop music of the pre-rock era) and excellently re-mastered. The selections feature something for everyone: Lots of the big hits, for those who have no Crosby in their CD libraries, and a nice selection of the lesser-reissued tunes for the folks who already have enough copies of "Swinging On A Star" on the Crosby shelf. Listen, as Crosby's style matures over a period of 23 years, and as pop music itself morphs profoundly over the course of this remarkable man's reign (Bing fans and fanatics should know as well that Bing's ENTIRE recorded output, from 1926 to 1939, is available on a series of collector's CDs! check out the Bing Crosby Internet Museum website). In the meantime, this box is absolutely the finest collection of Crosby available on CD, and the perfect companion to Gary Giddins' great new book on Bing. grab it!

This 4 CD set (which covers songs released from 1931 to 1957) and its accompanying book with great photos and a superbly written appreciation of Crosby by Will Friedhold will take a place of honor in my music collection. I always thought Crosby was just "a good singer---someone who crooned, sang 'buh,buh,buh,boo,' acted in a few serious movies and in alot of silly movies with Bob Hope, and was someone who would not be remembered as an innovator or one of the greats." I was very, very wrong! Every single number on these CD's (approx. 24 per CD) is worth hearing and 90% of them, especially the ballads like "Dancing In the Dark" and a very cool arrangement of the usually hokey operetta number "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise," are unbeatable. There is no doubt that Crosby possessed one of the most beautiful bari-tenor voices--his voice is never less than graceful and beguilingly sexy, but he pays particular attention to lyrics in every song. There are classic songs like Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and Arlen & Mercer's "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"; there are novelty songs from WW2 like "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Town of Berlin When The Yanks Go Marching In"; there are duets with stars like Peggy Lee (a gorgeous song by Hoagy Carmichael called "Watermelon Weather") and Louis Armstrong ("Gone Fishin'"); there are songs from Crosby's movies, tv and radio shows; there are even Christmas songs. In each and every song, in each and every style (inc. Spirituals!!!) Crosby makes you aware that he cannot be shrugged off as a footnote to other popular singers. This set would be a wonderful gift for people who were/are his fans and a total revelation for people who have only vaguely heard of him or perhaps saw him on "The Late Show" playing straight man to Hope. Because it is on four CD's, the price is, of course, relatively high, but it is worth every cent. You'll be very, very happy that you bought this set. Bing Crosby is The Real Thing-The Genuine Article! Highly recommended!!!!!!

I bought this set some ten years ago, when I was a budding Bing fan, fearful that I might regret having dropped so much coin on an artist I wasn't thoroughly familiar with. After sampling a few tracks on each of the four discs, however, I realized there would be no buyer's remorse with THIS purchase.

If you want to familiarize yourself with Bing Crosby, this is the perfect primer, covering his most prolific and influential years as the world's most popular entertainer. "Prolific" is the key word here. You can't not like Bing Crosby's music, because he masterfully interpreted so many genres that there's literally something for everybody. Popular Standards, Jazz, Country & Western, Hawaiian, Folk, Irish, Christmas Carols, Gospel, even Light Opera - he sang them all as though they were the reason for his existence. And it didn't hurt that he had one of the most appealing voices in the history of recorded sound. This package offers an enticing cross section of that incomparable versatility.

The attractive and entertainingly informative booklet by the eminent popular music historian Will Friedwald (author of Stardust Melodies) complements the set perfectly.

Be careful - purchasing this collection could start you down the road to full-fledged Crosby fanaticism, as it did me. Now THAT runs into money!

Whether you are starting your Bing collection or want to add this unique set, you simply can't go wrong. The excellent reproductions are true compact disk quality. Nearly every song comes through distortion free. Due to the high quality of the recordings, Bing's beginning style is easily heard and shows his range in the smoother tones found in later recordings. The out-takes, and studio conversations are an added bonus.

This collection, while not complete, is one of the best and most comprehensive sampler's of Mr. Crosby's recorded output, extant. The Amazon.com reviewer has it wrong by the way: Bing wasn't "laid back" and his recordings are far more "multilayered" than Sinatra's. Listen to his1930s recordings, on the first CD in this collection. Several are filled with pathos, especially his rendition of "Pennies from Heaven," which many artists treat as a campy jingle. Bing renders it as the moody, Great Depression anthem that it was.

Crosby gave an impression of relaxation, but he was one of the hardest-working entertainers. He was a recording star, a star on radio, the number one movie box office draw in the late 1940s, winner of the Academy Award and a star (and pioneer) in television. He is responsible for audio recording tape, video tape and the ABC TV network; he sold more records than Elvis and the Beatles combined, regularly entertained the troops near the front lines in WWII, and was a product of a classical Jesuit education at Gonzaga University. If this is laid-back, then we can all relax! Sure, Bing made it look easy, that was his style, and he also made most of those who worked with him feel at ease too.

Crosby is THE Voice of the American Century, and if you buy only one compilation of his astonishing repertoire, make this thoroughly professional, beautifully-packaged CD set, your first choice.

This is an excellent introduction for those who don't have other Crosby CD's in your collection. It contains his standard hits which have been recycled time and again on other anthologies. Most Bing-ologists will have all these songs in their collection, some of them many times over. But if you are new to Crosby, this is an acceptable choice and I guarantee that you will become hooked on Bing's magnificent voice. It's a little weak on his earlier work and it does contain some curious omissions. Yet there are some stellar songs included as well, like one of personal favorites, "My Baby Said Yes..." adorable!

For the novice Crosby fan, this set is perfect for several reasons: not only does it give you a fine overview of Bing's career, the sound quality is exceptional. The packaging of the boxed set is excellent and it even includes a booklet with a synopsis of Bing's career and musical style, as well as an explanation of his tremendous musical impact upon the 20th century.

Other reviewers have complained about the sound quality on this set. I am puzzled at this criticism. I have most of these songs on casette, vinyl and some even on their original 78 and 45 issues. The sound quality here is quite acceptable and good on most tracks. This set will give you many hours of enjoyable listening and help you branch off into other Crosby CD's which includes his lesser-known vocals. Hopefully this collection will convince you that Bing's vocal mastery was unparalled. Then you can sample his earlier, jazz-influenced work during his Columbia years in the early 30's and branch off into his 20's work with the Rhythm Boys. But for the beginning Crosby listener, this is as good a choice as any. I highly recommend this boxed set. Enjoy!

Recorded music doesn't get any better than this. This boxed set convinces me I was born at least 40 years too late. The first CD of Bing's earliest recordings lacks some of the relaxed style that Bing was known for, but it's great history. The remaining three discs should be considered prescription medicine for any condition! I play the music in my car and I don't care if I ever arrive at my destination. The melodies and lyrics are magical with Bing's characteristic broken upper mordant, the famous "Crosby Cry". Pity that he's gone. For double the enjoyment, read the bestseller called "A Pocketful of Dreams". Pure heaven.

Hosted by Dennis Miller and originally airing on The Disney Channel, this 90 minute biography is told through the use of vintage clips from Universal Studio's vaults. Never before has Bing Crosby's life been portrayed in such a hip and stylistic way as to appeal to people of all ages. The Dennis Miller footage was actually filmed on Universal's backlot studio and incorporates much of the period feel of when Bing was in his prime. The show has a very quick pace and utilizes over 200 clips of Bing singing, dancing, loving, laughing, golfing and generally having fun with his good friend Bob Hope. Dennis Miller puts his own personal touch to the man and this story which makes for an extremely entertaining time. You will be surprised...and in the end a fan. It's all fun.

Box sets and greatest hits compilations are the audio equivalent of a Whitman's Sampler; there's a lot to choose from and you may not like everything in it. Those compiling box sets face the challenge of what to include and exclude which is complicated when the artist has as lengthy and prolific a career as Bing Crosby. Suffice to say it would be hard to get any two Crosby fans to agree on a track listing as they'll differ on interests such as which era, which genre, which styles, and other issues. Most of what's included here are some of his better known tracks from 1931 to 1957; his most productive years and a pretty broad span of time! There certainly are tracks here I'd exclude and others I'd have like to seen included, but "His Legendary Years" is a good survey of Bing as an artist during his years with the Brunswick and Decca labels, albeit an incomplete one. And like the Whitman's Sampler there's enough here to give you an idea of what you like and can pursue elsewhere. The recordings were re-mastered and sound much better than other re-re-releases and the accompanying booklet provides a nice amount of information on Bing and his career. A great starting point!

If there is a collection of Crosby songs that is better than "...Legendary Years..." I have not found it. This discography is a must have for any crosby fan. It includes songs that had been previously unreleased. It also includes some tracks that were done live. This collection truely illustrates Bing's uncanny ability as an entertainer. The best thing about his collection (in my opinion) is that you can purchase it and still be a Crosby collector, because it doesn't include all of his songs from his reign as radio's premiere voice. It is well worth the by, and I recommend it with all my sincerity.