Customer Reviews

Remember Pearl Harbor - Songs That Won the War

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This CD contains seldom heard songs, radio commercials, and even a clip from FDR's famous "Day of Infamy" speech. A wonderful time capsule of WWII in the Pacific, beginning with Pearl Harbor. The country hit by the Sons of the Pioneers about the battle of Iwo Jima is almost never seen in the usual big-band only type of compilations. A fitting finish to the CD with the song, "Let's Remember Pearl Harbor", rounds off the tribute. Overall, a great collection of rare recordings that sum up the era!

Listening to this CD is, for the most part, a genuine pleasure. Purchasers should be aware that it contains remastered recordings "from original V-Disc radio transcription recordings," so they should not expect original commercial releases. The sound quality can be tinny at times, but doubtless the compromised sound quality of the sources has been compensated at best as possible. As noted by other reviewers, this disc also contains other snippets from broadcasts, including a soundbyte from an FDR address, a commercial for Kraft Foods, and a PSA for "Tire Registration Week."

One should be aware that the CD's producer, Rod McKuen (yes, the singer/lyricist and writer of LISTEN TO THE WARM) has taken the "producer's privilege" and recorded his own vocals to "We Mustn't Say Goodbye"; his essay contained in the CD booklet offers far more personal nostalgia than information about the songs and recording artists.

"Remember Pearl Harbor" is a marvelous compilation of songs from the World War II era. Rather than a shoddy budget compilation, the album features songs that are seldom heard - no "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" here. Even the versions of more well-known songs such as "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and "I'll Walk Alone" are not the seldom-heard originals - "Chattanooga" is a hillarious rendition in Spanish by Carmen Miranda. "A Fellow on a Furlough" and "He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings" are both lovely ballads, and Florence Desmond's double entendre-laden "The Deepest Shelter in Town" must be heard to be believed. There are also some great swingers - "Rockabye My Baby, There Ain't Gonna Be No War" and "That's Sabotage" are both highlights. The producers have also included a sprinkling of original radio commercials and speeches from the war that add to the effect of immersing oneself in the era. I do not hesitate to recommend this disc to other fans of big band/swing era music from the WWII era -- in fact, I don't think anyone should be without it.