Customer Reviews

Moments to Remember: The Very Best of the Four Lads

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

 

 

Easily the best Four Lads compilation CD, this disc is another excellent production from the independent Taragon Records label. With a generous 21 tracks, it covers the entire range of the Four Lads Okeh and Columbia output from the early 50's through their final top-100 single "Happy Anniversary" in 1959.

All the major and most of the lesser hits are presented here chronologically in superb sound quality given the vintage of these recordings. Tracks 15 through 21 are in true stereo with the remainder in mono. Included is a 6-page flopover liner notes outlining the group's musical history.

Quintessential fifties music gets presented here in its very best form.

With each previous release of Four Lads compilations I lamented the omission of some of their early hits and held out hope that someone would soon produce a more definitive album. Then, in 2000, Taragon came out with this one which is easily the best collection of their hit singles to ever hit the market. And yet, with 21 selections, even they stopped just agonizingly short of completing the picture for us completist junkies.

Don't get me wrong. I was delighted to see both versions of their first solo hit after working with Johnny Ray. The Mocking Bird, also known as Going Home, and taken from Dvorak's New World Symphony, was first done in 1952 with minimal accompaniement by Eddie Safranski and Ed Shaughnessy [# 23]. The same version charted again in 1956 [# 67] on the Epic label. Then, in 1958, they recorded it again, this time with Joe Mele & His Orchestra [# 32].

All the other early 50s hits are here too, from Somebody Loves Me [# 22 in 1952 with the Mitch Miller Orchestra] to Rain, Rain, Rain with Frankie Laine [# 30 in 1954], as are almost all their hits throughout the early years of R&R. Beginning with Moments to Remember, # 2 in 1955 with Ray Ellis & His Orchestra and kept from # 1 only by the phenomenal success of Mitch Miller's Yellow Rose Of Texas, right through to 1959's Happy Anniversary, which peaked at # 77 that November.

The sound reproduction is excellent on all tracks and there is a complete discography of the contents along with three pages of liner notes by Colin Escott.

BUT, whereas they give us both sides of the double-sided hits Standing On The Corner [# 3] b/w My Little Angel [# 22], and A House With Love In It [# 16] b/w The Bus Stop Song (A Paper Of Pins) [# 17] - both from 1956 - they omit the flip of No, Not Much - I'll Never Know - which hit # 52 on its own on February 1956, as well as The Fountain Of Youth which made it to # 90 in May 1959.

Those two, along with the "follow-along" hit It's So Easy To Forget which backed Who Needs You? in 1957, would have made this a 5-star 24-selection CD in the eyes of completist collectors everywhere. Even so, it is a wonderful collection of the songs of Canada's best singing group of that era [ahead of The Crew Cuts and The Diamonds] and for those not hung up on gathering ALL the hits, this is a 5-star CD.

For the record, the group came back in 1968/69 for United Artists to post two Adult Contemporary hits, A Woman reaching # 26 in December 1968 b/w Where Do I Go, and a cover of Gary Lewis & The Playboys'1966 # 1, My Heart's Symphony, which topped out at # 38 in June 1969 b/w Pardon Me Miss. Those remain singularly hard to find on CD.

Every hit song that the Four Lads made (except for a few that were really the Four Lads and someone else, like "Cleo and Me-O" with Jill Corey or "Cry" with Johnnie Ray) is included in this collection, including BOTH versions of "The Mocking Bird" (yes, two different versions charted, several years apart!)

It includes their biggest hits and some less-popular songs (like "There's Only One of You," my personal Four Lads favorite).

If you like the sound of this group, this CD is a must-buy. None of the other "best of..." collections compares to this one.

Great old songs by a great old group

My parents had an album of greatest hits by the 4 lads and I played it over and over again. When the group came to our local county fair a few years ago, I made plans to see them in person. Their harmony is wonderful and many of their songs are so upbeat that you just smile and smile as you listen to them. And this CD not only has all of the old songs I remember from my childhood but a bunch of others too. Great fun!!

The Four Lads were quite an impressive group in their time; and this CD gives us so much of their music that it's truly paradise for their fans! Even newcomers will be very impressed; they will not be disappointed. The Four Lads are at the top of their game on this CD; and the quality of the sound is excellent. The artwork is nicely done.

The album opens with the original version of "The Mocking Bird;" already they had a great sound and those drums add a lot to the music that plays while they sing so very well! "Somebody Loves Me" gets a faster tempo than I'm used to hearing; but it all holds its own very well. These guys never falter and that's grand. I love it! "Down by the Riverside" is most romantic and very easy on the ear; I could never tire of hearing The Four Lads performing "Down by the Riverside." The Four lads made it all seem so easy; but of course we know it really wasn't all that easy. Their talent always carried them through. I also like "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" an awful lot. The Four Lads were born to sing ballads like this--what a fine treatment they give to this song!

"Skokiaan" gets a very spirited arrangement and The Four Lads never miss a beat--great! In addition, "Rain, Rain, Rain" is awesome--this is all THAT good! "Moments to Remember" shines every bit as bright in their capable hands; the lush arrangement enhances the natural beauty of "Moments to Remember" and it's a major highlight of this CD. "Standing on the Corner" is a tune I first heard sung by the great Dean Martin; and I'm sure that Dean would have approved of their fine rendition of this song! "My Little Angel" is another extraordinary song; you're bound to like this if you haven't heard it already.

"A House with Love in It" is very pretty; it just plain sounds good. "Who Needs You?" uses the strings to great advantage as The Four Lads deliver this without a superfluous note. I'm very impressed. "I Just Don't Know" is a particularly well done number and that brass makes a great arrangement to go with their singing. "Put a Light in the Window" is also very spirited and it's songs like this that really show off the incredible abilities of The Four Lads.

"Enchanted island" has a type of Hawaiian flavor that I love to hear; The Four Lads deliver this faultlessly. "The Mocking Bird" features more terrific harmonizing by The Four Lads; and "The Girl on Page 44" is a good number. The CD ends very nicely with The Four Lads performing "Happy Anniversary." "Happy Anniversary" showcases The Four Lads squarely in the spotlight; wisely the musicians never try to steal the show from The Four Lads. All this makes for an excellent closing number on this CD.

The Four Lads brought so much joy to their adoring fans; and that's wonderful. Their fans will love this if they don't have these particular songs already; and this album is a great starter CD for people just discovering The Four Lads. Diehard fans may want to look elsewhere for more complete collections of their work--one possibility for these fans is the four CD set by The Four Lads released by Collectables Records.

Classic oldies and great-ies from a certain era by a major vocal group, containing one of the best high tenors in the business. Many of these songs are hard to find, even on iTunes. A true treat.

Excellent CD. By far, the best song is "My Little Angel". Most of the others are great too.

Brought back many wonderful memories. I leave im my computer and is is such good company as I work. The easy listening CD always makes the work go faster. How can you not love Hearing great music.

The four lads have long been amoung my favorite singers. This album compiles their best songs that we have all come to know and love. My favorite on this CD has got to be "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" because it is so funny. the four lads sing it in a way that i have never heard any others sing it. This is definatly a great CD to put you money into.