Customer Reviews

The Doo Wop Box, Vol. 2

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought both Doo Wop sets - 202 Vocal Group Gems, and I'm not in the least bit disappointed. These groups and their songs brought back so many good memories of my growing-up years in Staten Island, New York City, in the '50s. I'm 62 years old and still can remember my childhood pal telling me all about the "Moon Dog Show," carried by a New Jersey (Newark, I think) radio station. It was a black oriented music station playing something called Rhythm & Blues. We listened to our radios late into the nights - without our parents knowing about it - and began to "connect" with the new sounds in no time at all. Entering high school in 1952, we were at the right place and time for the Rock 'n Roll explosion soon to come. Allan Freed had yet to "hit" the town, but the groups surely had. We were rocking and bopping throughout our four years, and of course, were members of a doo wop group of our own - The Seniortones of Port Richmond High School.

Rhino has done an outstanding job of compiling these songs and putting together two great 79-page books to go along with the collections. Listening to the originals always means so much more in that what those sounds bring back in terms of good feelings and vibes is just a bit difficult to describe. Anticipating a sound here or there from the originals is also a treat, something definitely missed with so many other collections purported to be "the best," etc. These collections ARE the best. Whether listening to the "A" or "B" sides, you just cannot escape being brought back to another place and time when life was defined quite differently for all of us. For so many of us back then, it was the music that helped us cope and propelled us into what was to come. Looking at the pictures of the groups and catching up on the assorted memorabilia and recording details adds yet another dimension to these collections - great idea!

As these years have passed on by, I still find myself drifting back to my favorite sounds - before (and in spite of) the "pretenders" - before Elvis - before Frankie Avalon (ugh) - before the "pop culture" ran the real Rhythm & Blues based Rock 'n Roll aground. Thank you, Rhino, for putting these groups and their songs all together for us in what will be a cherished keepsake of so many years gone by.

Still well worth having for dedicated Doo Wop nuts, but not quite as good a value overall as the first box set, especially in the pre-1958 selections. The quality level of these tracks is just a tad lower overall, though Rhino does pick up a few of the well-known and a few of the obscure later gems they probably tried unsuccessfully to get the first time around. Still a first-rate booklet and first-rate sound. If money's no object, you'll enjoy both box sets.

Because all of the really famous songs went into the first Doo Wop Box, the selection here runs to the obscure but very deserving regional hits that in many cases are superior to the "hits". Many of the cuts here I never heard before this, and they really have to rate among my all-time favorites now. One of the best music purchases I have ever made!

I own both box sets I and II. I love them both equally. Keep in mind their was little more than a handful of doo-wop hits that can be called 'noticeable' like some of the previous writers state. To fill a box of this size ( 101 songs) there would definetly have to be a lot of songs that are not familiar to non hardcore doo wop fans. I am familiar with all the groups and songs on both boxes but then I'm a hardcore fan/ researcher/lifelong spooky basements and attics collector. It would cost you thousands of dollars to own all the songs on dwbox II so buy it whether you know em or not.

It is true that the first Doo Wop Box Set had the more well known songs,but this second Box Set contains all the rare and hard to find doo wops. Trying to separetly find all the songs contained in this wonderful collection would take forever, so it's very convenient that all the treasures of the doo wop world are contained in this box set. The info book that comes along with the music isn't as good as the original one, but it's got great photos and stories. How can you go wrong with the Penguins' Memories of El Monte, or the Admirations' Bells of Rosa Rita?!! It's just an all around great collection!

I loved the first Doo Wop Box (I); for those of us who remember the really early, great groups and singers, it was a thrill to play each cassette. To think that they were able to find enough of the old records to make an entire new box; II. As with Box I, it comes with a thick booklet, crammed with pictures and info on each group/singer. And, the remastering makes the tracks sound new and probably better than the old 45's they came from. Almost beyond belief..!

Most of the great classics of the genre are on the first Doo Wop Box, so Volume II has far fewer readily familiar titles to its credit. But if anything, the relative obscurity of most of these songs makes the second collection fresher and rootsier than the first. It definitely reaches deeper into the doo-wop canon.

Although few of this collection's songs were hits, many of the artists were successful elsewhere in their careers. There are lots of one-hit wonders represented here with their non-hits, quite a few of which have held up better than their more famous song(s). There are also at least two great entries in the "before they were famous" category: "Bad Girl" by the Miracles (about two years before "Shop Around" put them on the map); and the delightfully lush "Dear One" by the Scarlets, featuring a pre-Five Satins Fred Parris. Speaking of the Five Satins, the less famous of their two hits, "To The Aisle," is also here.

The collection is a pretty good mix of ballads and uptempo numbers, but it's heavier on the ballads. There is a surprising number of jazz and pop standards from long before the rock era (it's easy to forget that doo-wop didn't start out as proto-bubblegum!), but some of these are among the collection's best. Standouts include The Larks' "My Reverie," The Moonglows' "Secret Love," and the album's finale, The Classics' "Till Then." A more uptempo entry, The Four Tunes' rendition of "Marie," is less convincing but a lot of fun.

Of course, plenty of the ballads are in the more familiar '50s rock and pop style: The Vocaleers' "Is It A Dream," The Hearts' "Lonely Nights," Robert and Johnny's "We Belong Together," and especially The Five Keys' "My Saddest Hour" are sure to conjure your favorite necking-in-the-backseat scene (as are dozens of other songs included here; those are just my favorites). There are quite a few fast songs thrown in as well, to keep things from getting too misty. My favorites among these are The Cleftones' "Heart and Soul" (did you know that song had words?!), The Falcons' "You're So Fine," "In My Heart" by The Timestones, and The Spaniels' fast but still silky rendition of "Stormy Weather."

And there's more where that came from in all of the above categories. If you liked the first set, don't be gunshy about this one just because you don't know as many of the songs.

I own all three of these box sets from Rhino. First, let me say that Rhino has done a very nice job once again in taking these aging masters and making them sound like they were recorded today. I like this set a little more than the first simply because there are true rarities throughout the set. The booklet is also very good and informative. If you are looking for some of the best sounds of the 50's and 60's, this is a great place to look. Vocal harmonies are second to none. This also has the original version of "A Thousand Stars" made popular by Kathy Young & The Innocents. The original was done by the Rivileers. It is actually better, and I never thought I could say that about this particular song. Pick this up and I do think you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Many of these songs are not commonly found on other CD collections. They are all the original versions and are of excellent quality. A couple of them are the same songs as on a Time-Life doo wop CD I bought over 10 years ago and the difference in sound quality is amazing.

The difference between DWB#2 and DWB#1 is that DWB#2 contains lesser-known, but by no means less enjoyable tunes. Even thoguh I was born in 1964 and thus did not expereince listening to Alan Freed's show or seeing these groups at the Brooklyn Paramount, I still love the hell out of this music! Lots of fun stuff. Dig the atmospheric "Woo Woo Song' by the Valentines and "Love Potion #9 by the Clovers. Enjoy the silliness of the original "Rubber Biscuit" by the Chips. Chafe somewhat at the politically incorrect "Ling Ting Tong" by the 5 Keys and "Japanese Sandman" by the Cellos. Smile at the streetcorner style of "Zoom Zoom Zoom" by the Collegians. Enjoy "Memories of El Monte" by the Penguins ("Earth Angel II?"), and the Frankie Lymon clone "Rendezvous With You" by the Desires. But enough of that-just buy the damn thing and love it!