Customer Reviews

Burl Ives - Greatest Hits

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3 star:		(1)
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My parents made me a tape of this album when I was about three and I would play it repeatedly every day, mesmerized by Burl's... Burlness. Getting it on compact disc after all these years was incredible. Hearing his voice and his chords transported me back to my early childhood: I cried, I forgot how to walk, I may have soiled myself. Burl Ives sings of a time the world forgot. Buy this album and take a trip down memory lane.

I bought this album for my four-year-old son, and he loves it! He memorized "Jimmy Crack Corn" in no time and also likes the Posse song. I love "Royal Telephone" myself. Thank you, Burl! Your music lives on.

If you can find this compilation of Burl Ives classics, buy it even though the Millennium Collection is available as it is out of print, there are many songs on this comp that aren't on the Millennium Collection comp and then these 5 songs are on the Millennium Comp but aren't on this CD from 1996: Goober Peas, Wild Side of Life, Mary Ann Regrets (this one is very much missed on this CD), The Same Old Hurt, and Foggy Foggy Dew, plus some of the repeats from this CD have improved sound quality on the Millennium Collection. Highlights on this CD aside from the duplicates that also appear on Millennium Collection including A Little Bitty Tear, Call Me Mr In-Between, Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly), Blue Tail Fly (with the Andrews Sisters), Funny Way of Laughin', Big Rock Candy Mountain and Pearly Shells, are Royal Telephone (a wonderful gospel song), One Hour Ahead of The Posse (a great western song), Polly Wolly Doodle, True Love Goes On and On, Home On The Range, Beautiful Brown Eyes, the version of On Top of Ol' Smoky with the Percy Faith orchestra (the version on the Collectables Wayfaring Stranger CD is only Burl and his guitar) and many others. As I stated in an older review, this was planned to be called "The Best of Burl Ives" until MCA decided to change it to "Greatest Hits." This is a must have for all Burl Ives fans.

If you think of Burl Ives do you think of him as playing Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or as providing the voice of the snowman in "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"? I have to stop and remember that Burl Ives was a folk singer because this was primarily in the 1940s and early 1950s, before the folk revival exploded at the end of the 1950s. Ironically, by that time Ives was recording country music more than anything else. But Ives had stated off as an itinerant singer, which probably explains why his radio show on CBS in the 1940s was called "The Wayfaring Stranger" (which was also the title of his first book and one of his albums). His first hit was 1949's "Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)," which is included in this collection of his 18 greatest hits.

Of course, the idea of "hits" is a relative term here, but what you will find are "Call Me Mr. In Between" (#19), "Funny Way of Laughin'" (#10), "A Little Bitty Tear" (#9), "Pearly Shells (Popo O Ewa)" (#60), and "True Love Goes On and On" ("#66). But what you will find here are the pop versions of traditional songs that made Ives a national treasure, including his signature song "Big Rocky Candy Mountain." Then again, do you really remember anybody else with a recognizable name who sang "Blue Tail Fly," "On Top of Old Smokey," or "Polly Wolly Doodle"? The same might not be true with "Home on the Range" and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," but it is hard not to consider his versions definitive and not to think that his songs are meant to be enjoyed by more than just kids.

Really, the only required song this one is missing would be "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (#13) from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," but at that point we are talking about a Burl Ives Christmas collection, of which there are several out there for you to take your pick. But for the traditional songs he sang "Burl Ives: Greatest Hits" is the best collection out there. However, I will note that if you pick up the "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Burl Ives," you will find there are only seven overlapping songs and it does fill a few minor gaps here with "Wild Side of Life," "Mary Ann Regrets," and the Civil War song "Goober Peas."

I am very happy with this CD the songs have been what I needed and have been able to play them over the telephone to my grand children. Better than head thumping stuff

I grew up hearing Burl Ives' wonderful voice. Whether it was a 'simpler' time doesn't really matter. His sound - a wonderfully warm timbre floating on top of a solid technique - is classic. The arrangements are of their time. But whether you like them or not, you have to admit that it's all very well wrought. There are some timeless tunes and others that you may not have heard. If you like Burl Ives at all, I think this CD would please you. Most of the songs are good and the performances are excellent. Listen to the detail - it's all there.

Songs were what my dad was looking for. Very good compilation of Burl Ives' hits.

I have most of Mr. Ives recordings, but am looking for a real oldie, was on a 78 and had a song about "Gin makes Momma sin", or something like that, got rid of all old records and am trying to find a cd or cassette with these tunes on them, if someone out there knows of where I can get these oldies , please e-mail me dino1216@yahoo.com thanks

I think that folk music should sound true to the voice and the heart of the person(s) who perform it. Burl Ives' music shows nothing of the man. Burl was no Captain Kangaroo! All these songs are like Audio Treacle, listening to them is like swallowing a mouth full of syrup. "Polly Wolly Doodle!" "Blue Tail Fly!" There's no edge to this music!

That said, I will agree that this is highly suitable for children, assuming their parents can tolerate it. And I love Burl's rendition of "Lavender Blue, (Dilly Dilly)" even though it is a silly song. I guess I have a soft spot. I'll probably listen to this once a year, while I'm gorging on a big carton of ice cream.