Customer Reviews

Fred Waring Memorial Album

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I also was disappointed with this album. I was expecting the beautiful choral arrangements of the late 40's and 50's also. That is whatI wanted - some of those most memorable arrangments that I use to listen to on the radio as a child. Where can I get those?

The album was a disappointment to me. I recalled the wonderful choral arrangements I had heard in the days of my youth (late 1940s, early `50s) and wanted to hear again. This album precedes those days by at least ten years. Recorded from 1928 through 1932, the album contains "20 Hot Hits" from Waring's stint as a big band with choral group. The genre is big band jazz with vocals. While well remastered, the audio quality reflects the recording technology of the day. Outstanding for that period, perhaps, but not the work for which he became so well known. Not in MY memories, at least.

This CD is a fairly early compilation of the Fred Waring style many of us from the baby boomer generation (I'm actually a year too old (ugh!) to belong) are only just discovering -- a young guy with a young band having a great time and making very lively, sometimes downright funny, music. Although this CD is dated 1995, I suspect that the transfers were done earlier, since 16 of the 20 cuts were released on an LP with the same artwork. (Actually, the version of "You'll Get By" on the LP was a vocal one, whereas on the CD it's strictly instrumental.) The sound, unfortunately, betrays the lack of sophisticated noise-reduction equipment in the restoration process: lots of subtle clicks and other surface sounds are present on many of the tracks. The transfers are at least generally free of distortion, and boosting the bass and treble yields acceptable sound. Many of these tracks are available in superior sound on "The Collegiate Years", "The Broadway Years", and the "Greatest Hits" CD. There are, however, several cuts which are currently available nowhere else. Not to be missed (IMO) are "Good For You", "Red Hot Chicago", "I Heard", and "Young and Healthy". The final two tracks are odd ones, in that they are medleys of songs. "Dance Medley" consists of "You'll Get By", "Muchacha Mia" (not available anywhere else), and "Fit as a Fiddle". The final cut is excerpts from what I take to be a Broadway show, "Flying Colors"; it's not very interesting because of the shortness of the excerpts.
Notes include a decent attempt at keeping track of personnel on each of the cuts. The artwork is actually superior to some of the better-sounding efforts.
Musically, then, this is a rather good selection of mostly up-tempo Fred Waring from the late 20's/early 30's. The sound quality renders it marginally obsolete, but it will do for those of us who want the selections otherwise unavailable.

There are three Fred Waring musical periods and fans of one usually do not care for the music of another. 1) First period is my favorite - this is the Fred Waring who had a hot twenties band. This album has hits from the end of this period. If you are looking for the choral music of Fred, BEWARE, this album has music from way before that time. 2) Fred Waring abandoned th eoutdated twenties style and took up choral music. It is well done but not my cup of tea. 3) Fred Waring is most remembered by Baby Boomers for his Christmas albums (that were a big hit in the late fifties and sixties). These albums are good background music for decorating the tree but it will be a shock to many of these listeners that Fred had one of the hottest bands back in the twenties. Fred's band was the one with musicians dressed in college letter sweaters - yes, THAT one. This album is a treat for twenties fans - the transfers are just fine to my ears. BUT THIS IS NOT FRED WARING OF THE VOCAL CHORAL GROUP. That came much later. By the way, THIS is the same Fred Waring who invented the Waring blender - the household appliance that was once as popular as the George Foreman grill is today. Quite a guy!

Wow, this was a neat "find". A recording of Waring's Band mostly from the late 1920's...before he focused mainly on choral music. There's some neat stuff here, a lot of which reminds me of the Paul Whiteman Band from the same era. Buy it, You'll like it!!!

Even though this music is before my time, I absolutely love it. I think "infectious" is the word I would use to describe its appeal. I've had the feeling I should be hunting for a real short skirt, a cloche, and some long beads! My favorite cut - "Glorianna." Buy it - you'll love it!

Fred Waring began recording with his Pennsylvanians in 1923, and this album provides a selection of his Victor recordings between March 1928 and November 1932. It is perhaps unfortunate that the title of the CD does not make that clear, which would have prevented people buying it under the misapprehension that it included either his later choral arrangements or his Christmas songs. On the other hand, if you want an excellent dance band playing hot tunes from the late twenties/early thirties then this should appeal.