Customer Reviews

French Military Marches

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

 

 

What would have been an otherwise exciting and stirring recording recalling all the pomp and circumstance of the French Military is completely ruined by loud crackling and popping in some of the tracks. In fact, the first time I listened to this CD (full of excited anticipation), I was in my car travelling down the interstate behind a truck which I thought was throwing gravel up on my windshield. It wasn't--it was the CD. I firmly believe that Amazon.com should contact the producer of this recording and demand that it be done over properly.

I was severely disappointed in this recording. I love military music of all kinds, but the unnamed group or groups on this recording failed to present this music adequately. On most tracks, the percussion was so loud that it was hard to hear the brass and winds, which was probably a good thing in a way in that both sections displayed serious problems with intonation and rhythmic integrity. From now on, I think I'll stick with recordings by groups which aren't unwilling to put their names on them.

DO NOT BUY.
This is a waste of money. It must have been recorded with a paper bag held over a single microphone. Absolute garbage.
Amazon should be ashamed of selling this.

It is obvious that whoever produced this record did so by dubbing an old vinyl version onto CD. There was no effort even use a good quality original or to clean up the noise. One track has so much hissing, popping and surface noise you can barely hear the music. From the sound of the band(s) I would guess the original was made somewhere in the 50's or 60's. Also, the varied quality suggests it was sourced from several different records. I have quite an extensive collection of military music and would date the original to that period. The boominess of the drums is because French military bands (and I believe this is such) have a very full percussion section. The reason the drums sound so overdone and the upper brass are tinny is because the whole recording is overmodulated. Again, I have many CD recordings of old analog originals, but this was made by somebody without professional equipment or production technique.

All the recording quality complaints from others are true. This CD plays OK with $30 boombox, but not on a serious Hi-Fi. But the music is really better than I thought. I was thinking French guys are good at love songs, which is absolutely true, but their marching music is even better than the German ones I just got (from the same company called Legacy International).

How bad is the recording? It seems like the music was played from LP, taped in a dark room, stored for 5 years, and then dumped on CD...

How good is the music? I still rate it 4 star even for the 0 stat recording.

While the music was indeed stirring, suitably imperious, and full of French martial pride, the recording was of a rather poor quality. The brass instruments sounded off key and very "tin" like. In the background I could hear what sounded like a static which reminded me of a record player. It was as if the CD had just been a direct copy from an old slightly worn out vinyl record. The poor recording quality makes listening enjoyment difficult. The music is great but the recording quality will most likely grate upon the ears. Timeless, good, stirring music loses its effect when accompanied by "fft..skip...ffft..skip...fft."

This is stunningly beautiful. This CD contains the essence of French military music. The remarkable orchestration serves very well one's imagination, the music is so lively that one's wandering spirit is absorbed in the contemplation of those powerful and moving hymns to the great Republique. I am a French citizen living in a foreign country, I am also a lover of military music. Far away from my native ground I oftenly found warmth and consolation in the most difficult time by listening this work of art. Defenitely a must have for every grounded soul!

This adds to my collection of international Collection of Military Marches. I have over 500 marches from all ovrer the world including Marches of World War II from Imperial Japan, and Nazi Germany which are very diffcult to come by. I have a Japanese LP Records, which there are only 100 left in the world. Most were ordered destroyed by General Douglas MacArthur at the end of the second world war in early 1946. The Japanese governemt and various Japanese veterans groups have offered a small fortune for its return. Amazing I purchase the rare LP on Ebay from Japan. The record album translated into English shows Japan winning the war. That is why they want it back. Pure Japanese Progranda of the time of July 1945, when we were winning the war, which ended after the United States decided to use Atomic Weapons, with General Curtis "Bombs Away" LeMay leading the charge. In the Japanese Album the Japanese claim they shot down his B-29 in May of 1945. Its good for a historical laugh or two. The Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945 and formally surrender September 2, 1945 on board the USS Missouri. Three Hundred (300) B-29's with General LeMay at the flight controls of the lead bomber flew over the USS Missouri just after the ceremory as a show of force and to tell the Japanese General "Bombs Away" LeMay was not dead, he is alive and well.

Thank You

Al Galaviz