Search - Merry Macs :: Mairzy Doats

A Great CD for music lovers

08/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Merry Macs were the first quartet to break out from barbarshop to Pop singing. Using tight harmony based on orchestration combined with rhythm and a little dance the Merry Macs woke up the singing world. This album brings back a lot of the great memories of the wonderful music from the 40s. Music that is pleasing to the ears and has a great beat. For shear pleasure, this is worth it for twice the price."

Mairzy Doats

Thomas C. Menear | Middletown, PA USA | 02/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a deejay, this music is a must for any collection. The music is vintage and provides a look back at days gone by. The disc quality is excellent and will provide many hours of listening pleasure. Thank you for having such a quality product at an excellent price."

Fine CD compilation of The Merry Macs

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 09/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Merry Macs enjoyed huge success in the first half of the twentieth century; they harmonized to perfection and they accompanied many great artists of the day. This CD gives us twenty four numbers featuring The Merry Macs including four ballads that showcase the work the group did with Bing Crosby. Great!



The track set begins with a children's song entitled "Pop Goes The Weasel." The Merry Macs make it sound like a song that would appeal to any adult with their fantastic massaging of this ballad. The sound effects are amusing. "I Got Rings On My Fingers" picks up the pace; this faster paced ballad gets the royal treatment from The Merry Macs as they handle subtle changes flawlessly; I was impressed and they reminded me of The Boswell Sisters who could also change tempos very, very quickly. Great! "La Paloma," on the other hand, showcases The Merry Macs as they croon this number to perfection. The arrangement makes great use of the percussion and "La Paloma" becomes a masterpiece when The Merry Macs perform it!



"Ma, He's Makin' Eyes At Me" is a classic ballad with a quick tempo; the upbeat melody belies the uncertainty of the character's feelings for their lover. The horns in the musical interlude work wonders for "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes At Me." Good number! "Johnson Rag" has a fantastic 1940s big band beat to it as The Merry Macs deliver this without a superfluous note. "I Get The Blues When It Rains" has a great musical arrangement; and "The Way You Look Tonight" takes it nice and slow as The Merry Macs perform this classic, sweet love ballad as only they could.



The next four tracks feature The Merry Macs working with Bing Crosby. "You Made Me Love You" sports a faster than usual tempo and The Merry Macs support Bing Crosby as he delivers this flawlessly. Bing's voice was never better and The Merry Macs provide the perfect accompaniment for this number. "Dolores" again has The Merry Macs supporting Bing Crosby as he croons "Dolores" flawlessly. Great!



"Deep In The Heart Of Texas" sports a 1940s country beat; and "(I Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" again shows what The Merry Macs could do with a fine country ballad of the big band era. "Mairzy Doats And Dozy Doats" gives us another fine number; this children's song is another example of how well The Merry Macs could inject "jive" and a touch of 1940s jazz into a children's song and make it a great song for adults.



Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. "Laughing On The Outside" gives us a number about unrequited love that The Merry Macs perform with panache and great sensitivity. "Laughing On The Outside" provides a strong ending to this album.



The liner notes include an essay by Peter Dempsey; we also get the recording dates and credits for each song. The artwork impresses me.



The Merry Macs deservedly enjoyed much success when they were a group in the first twentieth century; and this CD documents very well just how special they really were. I highly recommend this CD for fans of The Merry Macs and fans of big band type ballads. The four tracks with Bing Crosby and The Merry Macs enhance the value of this CD.



Enjoy!

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