Walking to New Orleans [Box set, Original recording remastered]

Fats Domino | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 12, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
• 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: Capitol
• ASIN: B00005YU8W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,192 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In an art form characterized from its earliest days by sexually charged imagery, rebellious abandon, a fickle sense of fashion, and often disposable musical fluff, Antoine "Fats" Domino embodied none of the above. Long revered as one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, Domino scored nearly three dozen Top 40 hits from 1955 to 1963. Yet that success--second only to Elvis's during that era--belied a friendly, often low-key performing style and reverence of musical history that was ostensibly rock's very antithesis. The answers to that conundrum lie in the four 24-bit-remastered discs of this 100-track anthology, a rich chronicle of Domino's New Orleans boogie-woogie-bred R&B. If there are some distinct formulas at work here (the familiar lolling rhythms--and even lyrics--of "Something's Wrong" foreshadow at least two of his most massive hits, "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame," while the melody of the brief "You Done Me Wrong" can't help but recall Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee"), Domino has honed them to perfection, selling each song with a warm, understated voice that's a sharp contrast to his distinctively rollicking piano work. Indeed, it's remarkable how consistent Domino was over the near-15-year span of this anthology; if only General Motors had decided to keep building the '55 Bel Air as long. Suffice it to say that Domino's legacy continues to inform new generations of musicians and fans, and that this generous set documents one of the true cornerstones of modern American popular music. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Fats' incredible string of smashes for the Imperial label are here in force, 40 chart hits in all (100 cuts total) including nine #1 tunes. And they were (just to remind ya): Goin' Home; Ain't It a Shame; All by Myself; Poor Me; I'm in Love Again; Blueberry Hill; Blue Monday; I'm Walkin' , and I Want to Walk You Home . A music collection without a Fats box is a slim one indeed.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of music legend/pioneer's best work, July 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking to New Orleans (Audio CD)

Fats Domino is one of the most important figures in the history of pop music, creating a large body of work with Imperial Records that remains some of the most ground-breaking, entertaining music ever recorded. A pioneer and master of New Orleans rhythm & blues and early rock n' roll, this box set is a great introduction to his work.

This box set replaces the 1991 box set, "They Call Me The Fat Man," and in some ways, it's superior, in others, it isn't. The packaging is certainly poorer: a sturdy, neat box with jewel cases is replaced by a digipak wallet, and the nice photo on the front is now a cartoonish, tracing of the same photo with a cartoonish logo (this would've been more appropriate on a Happy Meal). What makes this set better is the sound and track selection. All but 18 tracks from the 1991 box set are duplicated, and the 18 'replacements' are a little better overall, emphasizing rhythm & blues over pop. Furthermore, the sound is much better and completely remastered. The 1991 box set was very poor. Despite using good sources, poor remixing and processing (in some cases, it seems like they were going for a fake stereo effect where they were unable to do any remixing) sabotaged a lot of tracks. That's not the case for this box set.

There is a cheaper alternative in the recent 20-track best of, which is more suitable for casual fans and those on a stricter budget. For committed fans, the 8 CD Bear Family box set is the best (and better sound despite the age of the set), being both complete and expensive. There's also a few Ace CD's from the UK that collect all the singles up to the late 50's (therefore missing the latter day hits), also in better sound but without the sped-up sound that was applied after the mixing stage (the original records had this sped-up sound, but Fats doesn't seem to favor it). Depending on how much music you want and how much money you've got, any of these are great introductions to a living legend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, February 17, 2007

By 

Martin L. King "zonule" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking to New Orleans (Audio CD)

you know, i love simplicity. i love fats domino's music because, to me, he had that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" style. i love that type of stuff when it is good...............and this is beyond that and then some. i STRONGLY recommend this box set. it is actually worth all the hard-earned bucks that you will be spending.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 9 #1 Hits From A Rock Legend, July 20, 2004

By 

L. E STOTTLEMEYER (KCMO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking to New Orleans (Audio CD)

16 RIAA certified million sellers( at time of their release) and 9 #1 hits on Billboards R&B charts-nothing else needs to be said.How dare a radio dj say this man never had a #1 hit when he hit that spot 9 times on BB's R&B chart. This is the essential Fats Domino collection- for the roots of Rock and Roll are contained within.