Customer Reviews

Vol. 20 - Bing Crosby: La Selection 1928-1945

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This is one of the best single disc Bing Crosby collections I've seen. It's got a great sampling of songs, ranging from his late 20's session days ("Old Man River," his first #1 hit) right up to the mid-forties. It's great to hear these old tracks with CEDAR noise reduction, as was used on this collection. However, it does tend to make the audio sound a bit muffled (and on some of the later tracks, such as "San Fernando Valley," extremely muffled). But the amazing lack of crackles and pops that the noise reduction provides, particularly on the late 20's and early 30's material, makes this disc well worthwhile. If you're looking for a good introductory overview of Bing Crosby's career, this disc is one of your best bets.

The song selection on this CD represents about the apex of all one-volume CD Crosby anthologies. If you're new to Bing Crosby and you're looking for just one single CD to purchase, then make it this one. Not only does it give you a fine overview of Bing's career, the price can't be beat. The packaging of the CD is excellent and it even includes a little booklet with a synopsis of Bing's career and musical style, as well as an explanation of his tremendous musical impact upon the 20th century.

The song selection is pretty decent, with some conspicuous omisions and an occasional curious choice for inclusion, but the sheer number of songs is amazing. Another prominent label has released a Bing complilation with an edited version of "Dinah," where the Mill Brothers are cut out of the song. No such foolishness here; the complete version of "Dinah" is included.

Other reviewers have complained about the sound quality on this set. I am puzzled at this criticism. I have most of these songs on casette, vinyl and some even on their original 78 and 45 issues. The sound quality here is quite acceptable and good on most tracks. This set will give you many hours of enjoyable listening and help you branch off into other Crosby CD's which includes his lesser-known vocals. I highly recommend this album. Enjoy!

The song selection is ok i suppose, but the mastering is terrible. But what more would yo expect from an import label without access to the original master recordings? If you want a great Bing Crosby compilation, it's best to go with one of the official releases by Decca/MCA or Columbia/Sony. If you prefer the Crosby from the early 1930's, get The Essential Bing Crosby: The Columbia Years" put out by Sony/Columbia. If you prefer the mid 30's to 1950's Crosby, there are countless options from Decca/MCA, the best of which is probably "A Centennial Anthology" which is a great 2-disc collection. The sound quality is far superior to anything you'll find on this set.