Ultimate Collection [Import]

Les Paul & Mary Ford | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Laserlight
• ASIN: B000AUZUFA
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,908 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Blues Stay Away from Me

2. Bye Bye Blues

3. Chicken Reel

4. Cryin'

5. Deep in the Blues

6. Don't Cry, Baby

7. Frankie and Johnny

8. How High the Moon

9. I Wish I'd Never Seen Sunshine

10. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

11. In the Good Old Summertime

12. It's a Lonesome Old Town

13. Jazz Me Blues

14. Johnny Is the Boy for Me

15. Just One More Chance

16. La Rosita

17. The Lonesome Road

18. Mammy's Boogie

19. Mockin' Bird Hill

20. Moon Over Manakoora

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All their Hits are here...., March 20, 2009

By 

Brian Lee Hart "Brian Lee" (Newark Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite CDs of the of Les Paul & Mary Ford ever recorded/ This CD has been out of print for many years. As a popular radio Dee-Jay, I use this set often on my radio show. A real good look at the early fifties. Almost all of their hits are in it.
If you like the oldies as my listeners do, it's hardly found anywhere else, this set is number one. I have to give it 5 stars!

Brian Lee Hart
WVUD FM, Newark Delaware

4.0 out of 5 stars Great to hear Les and Mary again!, September 22, 2010

By 

Joyce E. Beeman "Grandma JEB" (Auburn, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

It was great to hear Les and Mary again. Wonderful to enjoy their innovation. I was prompted to order this CD after viewing a DVD titled "Chasing the Sound" which tells the story of Les Paul's creativity and love of music. At 90, he was still playing at the Iridium Club in Manhattan just for the fun of it!

5.0 out of 5 stars A Consumer Reports "Best Buy"!...not really, but..., May 19, 2010

By 

airplanz (Denison, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

...this CD offers more bang for the buck than any other Les & Mary compilation you're likely to find. Bought this to replace the duo's hits on my self-destructing old Time/Life "Your Hit Parade" cassettes of early 50s American Pop. Only song not covered is the effects-heavy novelty guitar instrumental "Nola" but that's okay because there are three other zany pieces of the same genre that I hadn't heard before. Audio quality is digitally-remastered great on all but two of these selections. "Just One More Chance" apparently missed the cleanup process, sounds like it came directly from a crackly old 78 record. Also, Les has a spaghetti western/border town/Marty Robbins-like instrumental titled "La Rosita" that sounds like a prankster is jacking with the volume control thruout the song. Might just be me, but early 50s was a time of experimentation with effects so maybe it's supposed to be that way.

Les has a few slower-paced blues instrumentals that are a nice departure from his usual manic style, all tastefully done like the master he is/was.

Mary's overdubbed voice is sensational, and on most songs Les is careful not to upstage her talent. She could bend notes as smooth as glass, check out Mary's vocals on "It's A Lonesome Old Town" and see if that's not the greatest smoky torch song in recording history. Oh yes - for you Patty Page fans - listen to Mary sing "Tennessee Waltz", the similarities of their overdubbed voices is almost scary! Only song that seems out of place is Mary's "Silent Night", sounds like it was recorded as an afterthought to fill up an album side.

Of course, most of the songs are Les and Mary together, performing in their trademark point-counterpoint style. For guitarists that want a decent sampling of Les Paul's guitar techniques and early 50s pioneering effects innovations they will certainly hear it here, and maybe pick up a new lick or two as well :)

To summarize, this 30-song single disk is not for the LP&MF purist, but should fill the bill nicely for most everyone else.