Songs of the Depression: Boom, Bust & The New Deal [Box set, Import]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 23, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Bear Family
• ASIN: B00002830G
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,975 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Hittin' the Ceiling - Smith Ballew Orchestra

2. I'm in the Market for You - Ambrose Orchestra

3. Happy Days Are Here Again - Casa Loma Orchestra

4. Eddie Cantor's Tips on the Stock Market [Monologue] - Eddie Cantor

5. A Cottage for Sale - Hotel Pennsylvania Music

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. There's No Depression in Love - Vincent Rose Orchestra

2. Now's the Time to Fall in Love [From: Palmy Days'] - Victor Young Orchestra

3. I'm an Unemployed Sweetheart - Lee Morse

4. I Got Five Dollars [From: America's Sweetheart'] - Emil Coleman Orchestra

5. I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store) - Paul Specht Orchestra

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Supper Time [From: As Thousands Cheer]

2. Banking on the Weather [From: Crooner]

3. A Shanty in Old Shanty Town

4. (Here We Are) Rolling in Love [From: The Old Fashioned Way]

5. I'd Rather Be a Beggar With You

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. What Have We Got to Lose? (Hi-Ho-Lack-A-Day)

2. Stringin' Along on a Shoe String

3. When My Ship Comes in [From: Kid Millions]

4. If I Had a Million Dollars [From: Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round]

5. Our Penthouse on Third Avenue

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

4-CD LP-sized box set with 160-page hardcover book brings to light the explosion of creativity that miraculously took place during the rough years of 1929-1941. 88 songs in all featuring artists Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Lee Morse, Gene Kardo, Connee Boswell, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Mills Brothers & many others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great selection that is well-organized and well-produced., May 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Songs of the Depression: Boom, Bust and the New Deal (Audio CD)

This set provides songs about the depression and they are arranged in chronological order. All the well-know songs are here but not always in the best-known versions. This is actually a wise choice. I suspect the producer assumed that the average purchaser already had versions of many of these songs and deliberately chose some alternative recordings. Some of these alternatives are good and some are not. I found it curious that the producer was critical of some of his own choices. One wonders why he would criticize his own selection rather than choose a better one. The book that accompanies the discs provides a discography for each song and a short essay that places it in the context of the depression. The essays are breezy and lack depth. There are a few howlers in the comments, but for the most part they are enjoyable. The mastering on some of the selections is questionable, but overall the job has been done well. Surface noise is sometimes high but my ears tell me that it was left so that the sound of the original recording would not be obscured. This is a terrific set albeit a bit pricey.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't spell Freedom without FDR, October 16, 2006

By 

Sean Tanner (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs of the Depression: Boom, Bust & The New Deal (Audio CD)

If you're even considering this superb box set, you probably don't have to be sold on the idea of owning four cds worth of pop from the 1930s. As you can see from the track list, these songs range from million sellers like Bing Crosby's reading of "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" to a rare early version of Cole Porter's now standard "Love for Sale" to songs people haven't heard for 70 years. The bulk of the songs are from 1929 to 1933, with about 20% coming from later in the decade. They are mostly Tin Pan Alley pop, sometimes by the cream of that crop (Gershwin, Porter, Arlen, Berlin, etc). Each track is well annotated, with a paragraph or two on the performers, writers, and performance. Often, you get a brief analysis about the music and the themes, peppered with the author's decidedly left-leaning/populist historical views (not surprisingly, as he is writing about a time when "Small Government" had failed us miserably). When appropriate, he groups songs thematically- like songs about money, songs about work, songs about selling your body for sex, and so on.

In short, this is a typical multi-artist set from Bear Family, a label known for top of the line production, remastering, and packaging. No regrets here.