Customer Reviews

Centennial Anthology of Decca Recordings

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I bought 9 copies of this - one for myself, one for each of my seven siblings, and one for my parents. Growing up, we had lots of Bing Crosby music in the house (along with various other wonderful artists). I gravitated to Bing, and my siblings remember that - and were tickled to receive these 'samplers' during in Bing's 100th year. Why? Because, while Bing wasn't their favorite, he was *A* favorite of theirs, yet they had nothing of his on CD! The variety of themes reminds us how vast Bing's repetoire was.

The song selection is a perfect introduction - or re-introduction, if necessary - to Bing's Decca years. The sequencing is perfect for the casual fan, and the notes are informative and educational without a hint of preachiness.

This collection is a MUST for any general music lover - it'll broaden their senses and their knowledge of America's first true entertainment superstar. My thanks to the team who put this gem together!

For years, I have been searching for a comprehensive collection of Bing Crosby's Decca recordings. Since his career at Decca spanned a quarter century, and because he was such a prolific artist, it seemed that I might never find what I was looking for. But this collection, released in 2003 has it all.
Here you will find a compendium of Crosby at his absolute best.
You'll hear the great standards such as "Stardust" and Pennies From Heaven". You'll enjoy tunes from his movies including "The Bells of St. Mary's", and "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra".
Hear several of his classic Irish recordings as well as a few numbers with the Andrews Sisters. Then there's Bing with some country and westerm cuts and oh so much more. Included in this 2 CD package are a number of his biggest hits that I have not seen on other collections including "June in "January", "Moonlight Becomes You" and one of my personal favorites "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." The recordings are of very high quality and the set is accompanied by a neat 20 page booklet containing some very informative liner notes and interesting photographs. Although my first reaction was that this collection was a bit expensive I am happy that I purchased it. If you are a huge Crosby fan, break down, just this once and grab this one. As a record collector for nearly 40 years I have long since learned that when you see an item this good, you'd best get it while you can. Very highly recommended!!!

This is a pleasing 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 Bing, this is an acceptable choice and the sound quality is very good. It's a little weak on Bing's earlier work and it does contain some curious omissions. Yet there are some stellar songs included as well, like one of personal favorites, "Sioux City Sue..." adorable!

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.

These two cd's are fantastic. Excellent quality with beautiful songs. A good edition. I'm on my way to purchasing all the Bing Crosby cd's which will probably take a lifetime. But this edition put a good dent in the time it'll take to acquire them all.
It has charming information in the pocket sleeve about the different genres that Bing participated in. Little details about his music history.
It's quite nice to read, while you listen.
PERFECT.
I recommend this 110%. A thousand even.

Real good selection of song for those new to Bing. For fans with a few Crosby CDs already, be prepared to look elsewhere. Jasmin Records has a great "Going Hollywood" set of 4 volumes with 2 CDs in each volume. Also look for the Bing Crosby "Through the Years", a 6 vol., single CD series that covers the 50s with authority and great sound.

A nice, sweeping, but also quite affordable, 2-CD overview of Crosby's Decca years, fifty songs drawn from his commercial heyday in 1934-57. Including golden oldies such as "Swingin' On A Star," "Don't Fence Me In," "White Christmas" and others, as well as plenty of tunes that are probably far less well remembered these days. For a modern audience the early material, particularly the opening tracks of Disc One, may seem a bit rinky-dink... But, of course, that's a big part of the charm. These recordings trace Crosby's growth away from his jazz roots into a cleaner-sounding, smooth pop formula, but while swing dyanamos like the Venuti-Lang duo or the Dorsey Brothers (who he worked with in the '20s and early '30s) might not be backing him here, Bing still had some serious jazz chops to draw on. Sweet stuff from the king of the crooners; a real delight for fans of old-style Depression-era pop. Recommended!