Customer Reviews

Memories

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This is Ethel in her prime and the George M. Cohen songs are excellent.

You'll also hear her singing counter medley and harmonize with herself.

All that's missing is the ship or riverboat with this one.

One of the most coveted out of print Ethel Merman albums is her Musical Biography which was released in the mid-fifties by Decca Records. Why this album or her LP of old songs have not been released up to now remains a mystery. However, the wait has been worthwhile as the treatment given these recordings is royal. The sound quality of the remastering from the records themselves is incredibly rich and full with Merman at the top of her form. It's obvious that Decca Records was hoping to repeat the success of the huge Bing record set by giving Merman a similar treatment. However, where Bing Crosby's narration is warm and full of humility, Merman's is brash and self confident, much like the image she portrayed on stage and screen. But it's the singing we really want anyway, and Merman delivers in full force. This CD is a winner as it and should be part of anyone's Broadway collection for Ethel Merman certainly was the Queen of musical theatre.

If you like Ethel Merman (and I do), you'll love this reissue of "Memories"--songs from the 1890s to the 1920s. Miss Merman is in great voice and sings with her usual gusto. These songs were originally put out on a 12 inch 33 1/3 record and have been remastered and the quality is excellent. Also added are all the items with the Buddy Cole Quartet from the album "A Musical Biography"--also long out of print! Included is a very well done writeup of Merman's recording career and the background of these two albums. Great! Now if someone will just do this for the sound track recording of the movie "Call Me Madam"!