Search - Gordon Macrae :: Never Till Now

GREAT SOUND, GREAT SELECTION

SALOON SINGER | 05/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was greatly impressed by the sound quality of this set and by the selections which include everything from inspirational to cowboy to Christmas to duets with Jo Stafford and backing by fine arrangements and choral singers. I'm surprised at how the price has dropped but I suppose it's due to Gordon's obscurity. I've also bought the Sigmund Romberg and Golden Voice collections and the Oklahoma sound-track. Gordon was a one-of-a-kind singer who was just too good for the pop market as Van Alexander once said. As a result of his extraordiary versatility, he never established a strong identity within a single genre of music. Also, the cowboy songs and operetta are evermore obscure with the passage of time.

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Never till now

F. O. Foreman | New Zealand | 08/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buying this cd set is one of the best things I have ever done. In my opinion Gordon MacRae is the best singer that ever was or ever will be. In these discs, He sings a wide range of songs which brings out his talent for treating each one in his own special way. It is a treat to have these old favourites in one album in this 2-disc set. Gordon MacRae is equally at home singing pop tunes, show tunes , gospel & western. For those who have never heard the songs from his old LP [Cowboys Lament] You have a treat in store for you. Those songs have been loved by my family over the years. Then there is a bracket of duets from Gordon Macrae & Jo Stafford. They are delightful. I fully recommend this 2-disc set to anyone who loves great singing. enjoy."

Classy and versatile singer-actor

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 12/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Better known as an actor than as a singer, Gordon MacRae had an excellent baritone voice with which he was able to sing a wide variety of material. This double CD isn't a definitive collection of his music as it omits some of his biggest hits, but there is much here to enthuse about and the absence of those hits, which can be found elsewhere, is not important.



The set includes all the tracks from Cowboy's lament, these being the final 12 tracks of the first CD. Cowboy songs were very popular in the forties and fifties, with Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Frankie Laine and others having plenty of success with such songs. Marty Robbins continued the tradition into the sixties, but his recordings marked the end of an era, although there has been some revival of interest in cowboy songs more recently, sparked by Michael Martin Murphey's excellent series of albums in the nineties. Gordon recorded his only cowboy album in 1957, following his portrayal of a cowboy in the musical Oklahoma the year before. Gordon's interpretations of such classics as San Antonio Rose, Red river valley and Tumbling tumbleweeds are masterful, while the more obscure tracks are well-chosen.



The first 15 tracks on CD 1 and the first 12 tracks on CD 2 showcase Gordon's solo music away from the cowboy album. Gordon performed excellent versions of famous songs (Peace in the valley, Stranger in Paradise, Some enchanted evening), but there are plenty of other songs that aren't famous but are well worth a listen.



Jo Stafford features strongly on the remainder of second CD. As anybody who follows my reviews knows, I am a huge fan of Jo's music but there's a lot of material here that I haven't got on any compilations of her music. Here, there are all eight tracks from the 10 inch LP, Sunday morning songs (tracks 13 to 20), while tracks 21 to 26 are Christmas songs. Some of them come from a Christmas EP that Gordon and Jo recorded together, mixing solo tracks with duets, but looking at Pat Fullerton's comprehensive website devoted to Gordon, it looks as if Jasmine have found some extra recordings to go with those on the EP.



Despite the omission of some obvious tracks, this set provides an excellent starting point for anybody new to Gordon's music, while it is also likely to appeal to more committed fans, especially as (unlike his duet partner), there isn't too much else available on CD."