Search - Ethel Merman :: The World Is Your Balloon: The Decca Singles 1950-1951

Great Ethel

Quincy | Fairfax, VA | 10/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a joy to hear this wonderful voice again, and what fun to hear these songs, so many forgotten over the years, some never heard. I especially loved the gem "Hawaii" by Sol Meyer and Jule Styne--and "Dearie"!!

Ethel Merman will always have a special place in the heart of musical America."

A mixed bag at best

Alan | New York, NY | 07/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Grateful though I am that Decca has issued this CD consisting of all the singles Ethel Merman recorded for the label in 1950 and 1951, I have to admit that most of what's here gave me little or no pleasure and that even the better tracks are no more than pretty good. I suspect that the only people likely to get much enjoyment out of it are the most diehard of Merman fanatics. I'm certainly a Merman fan, but most of this CD tested even my devotion to the Merm.



Most of the tracks are novelty songs that were probably little-known at the time and have deservedly remained little-known (though at least one, "(If Knew You Were Coming) I'd've Baked a Cake," was a big hit in its day). Even Merman is hard put to make these songs interesting, much less exciting.



Eight of the tracks are duets with Ray Bolger, and three are duets with Jimmy Durante. We all know from "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Harvey Girls" that Bolger was a great performer, but he comes across as surpassingly charmless on these tracks.



Fortunately, it's not all that bad. Merman does sing five good songs, all of which are from Broadway musicals of the period. The most famous are two from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" ("A Little Girl From Little Rock" and "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"). We also get to hear Merman sing "Love Is the Reason" and "Make the Man Love Me" from "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," and "The World Is Your Balloon" from the E. Y. Harburg-Sammy Fain flop "Flahooley." Merman does especially well with "Balloon," a low-key charmer of a song, even though it's not the kind of song for which she was best-known. It makes sense that Decca chose that song to provide the title of the CD.



The three remaining tracks, programmed last on the CD, are the duets with Durante. Again, these are novelty songs and not especially good ones, but Merman seems to have a rapport with Durante -- who can spin gold, or at least bronze, from dross -- and the tracks make pleasant enough listening once or maybe twice.



Anyway, consider yourself warned. I see that others have enjoyed this more than I did, but I really think this is a CD that will appeal only to an extremely limited audience. Maybe because I love Merman I'm giving it three stars, but I'm not sure it deserves that many. Apart from the historical interest, the best reason I can think of to buy this is so that Decca will continue to release Broadway-related reissues. Better ones than this."

Broadweay Sets The Standard

rty | nyc | 10/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ray Bolger and Ethel Merman were two of Broadway's "show stoppers" beyond compare. To be able hear these extraordinary peformers again makes this disc a collectors's item. I would recommend this disc both to people who saw and heard them live as well as to those youngsters who never had the opportunity."