Bing - The Legendary Years
Review
This is the only disc, or set of discs, I own where I can say I love every selection on every disc. I can't even say that about Elvis. More about Elvis later...
A bit about how I came to this set of CDs. I grew up with White Christmas, the song and the movie. I occasionally heard another song by Bing Crosby, and I always loved his voice. I got on a kick over the last year or so of picking up some of the singers my parents listened to while I was growing up - Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, Dean Martin, et al. I came across this 4 CD set on Amazon, read the reviews and added it to my wish list. It sat there for many months until I decided one day to just bite the bullet and buy it. I can now say it is worth every penny!
I put on CD 1, and it didn't sound like the Bing I knew. So I stopped it and put on CD 2. That sounded more like Bing. As I was listening, I remarked to my husband how Bing's voice was almost completely absent of any vibrato, and how he seemed to have two different voices - a chest voice and a head voice. He reminded me of Elvis that way, and I became convinced that Elvis must have grown up listening to Bing Crosby. I felt that Bing was Elvis's vocal predecessor.
I started reading the excellent booklet that came with the set and read about the earliest tracks of the CD, so I went back to CD 1 and listened to the whole thing. What a revelation! Here was young Bing, and I was very surprised to hear a very rapid vibrato on a lovely tenor voice, with only occasional glimpses of the deeper baritone he later became famous for. There were times I could swear I was listening to Dean Martin! Again, I figured Dean must have grown up listening to Bing Crosby.
In the booklet, Will Friedwald talked about how important the words were to Bing. I wasn't really sure what he meant until my husband, who was discovering Bing with me, commented that he bet that Bing was difficult to accompany as he sung in almost a "singspiel" voice, a kind of talk-like singing. Then I realized that the cadences Bing used in singing were the cadences one would use in speaking those words. Ah, now I understood Friedwald's comments, and also understood that this is why Bing comes across in such an easy, casual, pleasant-to-listen-to and utterly delightful manner.
Once I was over all the analysis (I admit to being something of a student of the human voice, it fascinates me), I sat back and listened to all four discs and by the time I was done, I was just in love with everything about them. Bing, his beautiful voice and easy delivery, the beautiful music, the peek into a bygone era where the term "political correctness" hadn't been conceived of, and where music was just plain fun! I only wish there were more discs in the set! Well I'll just have to find some more!
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Bing - His Legendary Years 1931-57
Box Set, 4 CD
$64.64 $64.64
$14.99 $14.99
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Bing-His Legendary Years 1931-1957
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Track Listings
Disc: 1
1 | Where The Blue Of The Night (Meets The Gold Of The Day) |
2 | Out Of Nowhere |
3 | Just One More Chance |
4 | I'm Through With Love |
5 | Crazy Quilt: I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) |
6 | At Your Command |
7 | I Apologize |
8 | The Band Wagon: Dancing In The Dark |
9 | Stardust |
10 | The Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young) |
11 | Two Cigarettes In The Dark |
12 | Here Is My Heart: With Every Breath I Take |
13 | Here Is My Heart: June In January |
14 | Here Is My Heart: Love Is Just Around The Corner |
15 | Mississippi: Soon |
16 | Mississippi: Down By The River |
17 | Mississippi: It's Easy To Remember |
18 | Red Sails In The Sunset |
19 | Silent Night, Holy Night |
20 | I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' |
21 | Rhythm On The Range: I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande) |
22 | Pennies From Heaven: Pennies From Heaven |
23 | Swing Time: A Fine Romance |
24 | Waikiki Wedding: Sweet Leilani |
Disc: 2
1 | Waikiki Wedding: Blue Hawaii |
2 | Ready, Willing And Able: Too Marvelous For Words |
3 | Double Or Nothing: It's The Natural Thing to Do |
4 | Double Or Nothing: The Moon Got In My Eyes |
5 | Mr. Dodd Takes The Air: Remember Me? |
6 | Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) |
7 | Don't Be That Way |
8 | Swing Low, Sweet Chariot |
9 | Sing You Sinners: Small Fry |
10 | Sing You Sinners: I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams |
11 | Mexicali Rose |
12 | You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby |
13 | Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) |
14 | George's White Scandals: Somebody Loves Me |
15 | What's New? |
16 | Sierra Sue |
17 | Trade Winds |
18 | Only Forever |
19 | New San Antonio Rose |
20 | Humpty Dumpty Heart |
21 | Deep In The Heart Of Texas |
22 | Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie |
23 | When My Dreamboat Comes Home |
24 | Holiday Inn: White Christmas |
25 | Holiday Inn: Easter Parade |
Disc: 3
1 | Holiday Inn: Be Careful, It's My Heart |
2 | Adeste Fidelis (O Come, All Ye Faithful) |
3 | Road To Morocco: Moonlight Becomes You |
4 | Sunday, Monday Or Always |
5 | Mississippi Mud/I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain |
6 | Pistol Packin' Mama |
7 | I'll Be Home For Christmas |
8 | San Fernando Valley |
9 | 'Close The Door Joe, We're Making A Disc' |
10 | Swinging On A Star |
11 | I Love You |
12 | I'll Be Seeing You (Rehearsal Glimpse) |
13 | I'll Be Seeing You |
14 | On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe |
15 | Song Of The Fifth Marines |
16 | (There'll Be A) Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin (When The Yanks Go Marching In) |
17 | Don't Fence Me In |
18 | (Yip Yip De Hootie) My Baby Said Yes |
19 | Let 'Em Eat Cake: Mine |
20 | Here Come The Waves: A-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive |
21 | The Road To Morocco: The Road To Morocco |
22 | You Belong To My Heart (Now And Forever) (Solamente Una Vez) |
23 | It's Been A Long, Long Time |
24 | Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's An Irish Lullaby) |
25 | I Can't Begin To Tell You |
26 | Day By Day |
27 | MacNamara's Band |
28 | South America, Take It Away |
Disc: 4
1 | Alexander's Ragtime Band |
2 | The Spaniard That Blighted My Life |
3 | Whiffenpoof Song |
4 | Now Is The Hour (Maori Farewell Song) |
5 | But Beautiful |
6 | Galway Bay |
7 | Far Away Places |
8 | Sing Soft, Sing Sweet, Sing Gentle |
9 | Dear Hearts And Gentle People |
10 | Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy |
11 | Play A Simple Melody |
12 | Sam's Song (The Happy Tune) |
13 | Harbor Lights |
14 | Autumn Leaves |
15 | The Lemon Drop Kid: Silver Bells |
16 | The King And I: Getting To Know You |
17 | Gone Fishin' (Live) |
18 | In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening |
19 | Watermelon Weather |
20 | Thanks For The Memory |
21 | Around The World In 80 Days: Around The World (In Eighty Days) |
22 | The New Moon: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise |
23 | Gigi: Gigi |
24 | Where The Blue Of The Night (Meets The Gold Of The Day) |
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 6.22 x 12.52 x 1.61 inches; 1.57 Pounds
- Manufacturer : Geffen
- Original Release Date : 1993
- Date First Available : December 7, 2006
- Label : Geffen
- ASIN : B000002OPK
- Number of discs : 4
- Best Sellers Rank: #38,310 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #15 in Tin Pan Alley
- #95 in Classic Broadway Vocalists
- #222 in Traditional Jazz & Ragtime (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2008
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2002
This is a handsome collection whose attractiveness alone justifies the price. It's guaranteed to delight the ardent Crosby fan (even a large, tinted, "glamor" photo) as well as the musical scholar (complete documentation as well as a biography and appreciation by musicologist Will Friedwald). But an equally useful, in some ways more practical and accessible, collection at less than half price is the import that goes under the title "It's Easy to Remember."
What's most revealing about these early recordings is that before 1950 Bing sounds like more than a "crooner" (i.e. a mellow baritone serving up tuneful ditties that are easy on the ear). Often in his earlier work he seems to mine the emotion, urgency, and dramatic tensions in the lyric. Listening to him sing "I'm Through with Love" or "Soon" borders on the revelatory, demonstrating that the complex, reflective interpretations of Sinatra owe more than is generally thought to the artistry of his predecessor.
What's most revealing about these early recordings is that before 1950 Bing sounds like more than a "crooner" (i.e. a mellow baritone serving up tuneful ditties that are easy on the ear). Often in his earlier work he seems to mine the emotion, urgency, and dramatic tensions in the lyric. Listening to him sing "I'm Through with Love" or "Soon" borders on the revelatory, demonstrating that the complex, reflective interpretations of Sinatra owe more than is generally thought to the artistry of his predecessor.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2002
Recorded music doesn't get any better than this. This boxed set convinces me I was born at least 40 years too late. The first CD of Bing's earliest recordings lacks some of the relaxed style that Bing was known for, but it's great history. The remaining three discs should be considered prescription medicine for any condition! I play the music in my car and I don't care if I ever arrive at my destination. The melodies and lyrics are magical with Bing's characteristic broken upper mordant, the famous "Crosby Cry". Pity that he's gone. For double the enjoyment, read the bestseller called "A Pocketful of Dreams". Pure heaven.
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
I used to listen to this music from the local library on cdrsI made as I worked in a factory... The music is timeless and Bing Crosby sing in all variety of songs as he and Louis Armstrong and others got America and the world through the depression and the worst war in history WW ll by the skin of our...
P.F.
P.F.
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
nice
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2013
I bought this set with high hopes but most of the tracks are dismal quality and impossible to listen to. I know the recordings are old but most of these sound like they were recorded over a cellphone off scratchy 78s.
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
This collection is the "core" group of Bing Crosby songs. Very nostalgic and easy listening. The quality of these digitized recordings is excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2014
Good quality. wes trying to find autobiographic collection , was on 5 lps, however this collection is great & very enjoyable