Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Every once in a while I like to experiment with different kinds of music, and after hearing an instrumental version of the song, "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing", I decided to check out the Four Aces' vocal version. And I'm glad I did. I've heard most of these tracks before either as instrumentals or covered by other singing groups. Even so, the songs found on this CD are the definitive takes. My own highlights include: "Tell Me Why", "Perfidia", "Three Coins In The Fountain", "Stranger In Paradise", "Mr. Sandman", and of course, "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing". In fact, there's not a bad song on this CD. Each track is beautifully arranged and sung to near perfection. I guess you can't ask for more than that. Don't be put off by the fact some of these tracks were recorded in the early 1950s (this is pre-rock n' roll folks!). I was born in the 70s, and my taste in music covers a wide spectrum - from rock n' roll of the 50s right up to today's nu-metal. But I also love good music, and this is all you'll find on this CD. Recommended.

Jon.

The Four Aces' Greatest Hits may not have every last hit they ever had; but as a single CD compilation it's a pretty good one. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done. This is anything but elevator music!

"Tell Me Why" opens the CD with a beautiful number that features The Four Aces singing at their very best. They harmonize beautifully; and the individual lyrics lack nothing--it's all THAT good. ""Tell Me Why" is a hauntingly beautiful number that I'm sure you're going to enjoy very much; this is classic Four Aces material and it proves their talent right from the start. "Perfidia" gets a great treatment; this peppy little number shines bright when The Four Aces sing it--the Latin beat gets replaced with a pop beat and it holds its own remarkably well considering how big a change they made in the musical arrangement. "Three Coins In The Fountain" is a very touching, moving ballad that actually won an Oscar for best song in a motion picture in March, 1955; and The Four Aces do justice to this great classic pop vocal with their exquisite sense of timing and their excellent diction. I love it!

"You Brought Me Love" has a fine organ arrangement and The Four Aces perform this with panache; the melody is perfect and the music that accompanies these men fits in perfectly with their vocals. Again we hear The Four Aces harmonizing flawlessly; and the individual lyrics that are sung are equally impressive. Excellent! In addition, listen for "Heart And Soul: this excellent classic pop tune really brings back memories of hearing my parents hum this tune to themselves as they went about their household chores.

"Stranger in Paradise" never sounded better than when The Four Aces sang it; I love their rendition--indeed, I believe that their rendition of "Stranger In Paradise" is THE definitive rendition of this timeless ballad. I know you'll like this number; "Stranger In Paradise" is easily a major highlight of this album. The Four Aces make it look so easy--but we know it was their exceptional talent that allowed them to give us this false impression. Singing this well requires great talent; and that's exactly what The Four Aces had.

"Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" is another huge highlight of this album; The Four Aces were born to sing classic love songs like this one. The woodwind instruments add to the musical arrangement; and there's also "Heart" from the stage play "D*** Yankees." The Four Aces perform "Heart" with great style; and the backup vocalists sound great, too. The album ends with The Four Aces doing a sublime rendition of "Mister Sandman." "Mister Sandman" is a catchy pop tune from the 1950s that I always enjoy hearing; and The Four Aces do this so well it makes a very strong ending for this CD.

Fans of The Four Aces will consider this a must-have for their collections; and it also makes a great introductory CD for newcomers to the artistry of The Four Aces.

The Four Aces' Greatest Hits is a handsomely packaged collection of their music that is
superbly harmonized and very well recorded .
'Tell Me Why' and, 'The Gang That Sang "Heart of My Heart"' are two of my favorite songs of the early 1950's.

The Four Aces Greatest Hits is filled with the songs that take you back in time when life was so simple and carefree. I put this CD on and I'm swept away to my youth where I can spend some precious moments without a care in the world. CLASSIC ACES!

Samuel Johnson wrote "Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it. Martyrdom is the test." The reviewer who gave this CD only one star must be a real martyr.

All I can say is, if The Four Aces are as bad as he describes them, then there must have been a worldwide epidemic of tin-ears among the millions upon millions who bought their records, and listened to their songs on radio and juke boxes, to a point where they chalked up 45 hit singles from 1951 to 1959.

You also have to think that the reviewer must have a personal grudge against Peter Grendysa, who wrote some of the most comprehensive liner notes [seven pages of them] you'll ever find in a single-disc CD package. Add to that several nice photographs, one with the luscious Mamie Van Doren, and a complete discography of the contents, and you have a nice, neat package which gives you sixteen of those hits, along with two flip-sides: You Brought Me Love which backed Perfidia (# 7 in 1952), and I Understand which was the B-side of I'm Yours (# 21) that same year.

Another nine of their hits can be found on More Greatest Hits. If I have a gripe it's that neither this CD nor More Greatest Hits contains Two Little Kisses, one of two releases by the Palda Record Company [on their Flash label] which made it to # 29 in 1952, the other being Sin which was their first hit [# 4] in 1951 on Palda's Victoria label.

If you know and loved The Four Aces you won't be turned away by the negativity in that other review. If you don't know them, this is one of the best examples of old-time, street-corner harmony you're apt to hear. Buy it. Enjoy it.

Definately, if you like GOOD music, you should give this a listen. Especially, and I can't stress this enough, Al Alberts ! He was the lead singer of the group and his voice stands out timelessly. You can't ( well certainly I can't ) help but sing along with these numbers. I would have given so much to be in the audience ( and I was born in '45 ) when they did "TELL ME WHY", a number that stands out over the years. If you enjoy pre - Rock and Roll, you'll enjoy this. THE FOUR ACES ( with Al Alberts ). Thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the CD. It has all the songs that I enjoyed when I was younger and are now hard to obtain. Recommend this CD to anyone that ejoyed the music of the Four Aces,

This CD took me right back to the 50's. I was excited to find that they had gotten their start at a restaurant I frequented, many years later, in Pennsylvania.

I remember hearing the Four Aces when I was a teenager. This album brings back sweet memories. It has all the songs I like. I recommend this album for anyone who wants to relive the 50s.

As in another album purchased this rates a 4 because only a few of the tracks were missing from my inventory of 600 CDs. As a proponent of good music this is another artistical group that should bring back memories of an era when great music was common.

Angelo (USC)