Finally A Charming Collection
01/27/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Collectables Records rather dramatic recent improvement over past years when it was the low-rent district of re-issue labels still has a ways to go (is it really necessary to have their website prominently placed four times in this package, including on the disc itself???), but they've finally gotten their act together as far as remastering, hiring the great Little Walter DeVenne, increasing the amount of songs per disc and upgrading their packaging to respectable levels. They still don't include a discography, recording and release dates, or sidemen which is vital to this era of music, and while the two pages of liner notes by Victor Pearlin attempt to fill in the blanks, an extra page with the necessary recording info would've been easy to compile and include - hence the one star deduction.That said, this is the first Charms collection that legitimately qualifies as a Greatest Hits disc and for that fans have to be grateful. You get a full twenty-five songs, from their somewhat ragged beginnings in '53, when the group is woefully out of tune behind then-16 year old lead Otis Williams (who even then sounds fully confident) to the dawn of the next decade, a period in which vocal groups reigned thanks in part to their contributions including the massive 1954 hit "Hearts Of Stone" which made them stars.Because Otis Williams was always the focale point of the act, the Charms actually went through many incarnations through years, most of which are addressed here in chronological order. Only two latter year minor hits from the early 60's aren't included, which is strange considering they too were cut for King Records (the rest these came out on DeLuxe, a King subsidiary). But otherwise this disc is the most in-depth look into the career of the Charms and has a great cross-section of material that was their trademark, as they hit with everything from the pop balladry of "Ivory Tower" to the uptempo "Two Hearts" in mid-decade when white America was turned on to these sounds.The Charms were unique among R&B vocal groups however in that while they found themselves frequently covered by white pop acts, as was the practice of the day and looked back upon with disdain today for "stealing" the thunder of the black originals, the Charms actually were often found covering other artists themselves. Their biggest hit came from the Jewels (a looser, rougher, but more atmospheric version), and the Charms smoother, polished style plus greater distribution made it, not the original, the crossover hit. They also snatched half the action on the Five Keys novelty "Ling Ting Tong", swiped "Bazoom" from Leiber & Stoller's studio group The Cheers, and even cut a version of Patsy Cline's country hit "Walkin' After Midnight", doing uniformly good jobs on all of them, but perhaps detracting from their legacy amongst R&B purists.By the end of the disc they show that while they might not have been the most groundbreaking group they were always very capable and had many equally stellar originals that went unheard by most. The great "Don't Wake Up The Kids" shows them goofing on an adult party like junior league Coasters, while "My Prayer Tonight" is a startlingly good sophisticated ballad that still has firm roots in R&B. Overall this collection is quite thorough and consistantly entertaining with some nice lost gems amongst the hits - the group singing on "Blues Stay Away From Me" is a thrilling highlight to discover for example. Far more than just a group that attained lasting notice from one huge smash and nothing more, this is irrefutable proof the Charms were rock solid for a long stretch of time when the sounds of rhythm and blues vocal harmony was dominant.Considering how long it took for someone to put out a comprehensive Charms CD, and considering it comes from a company with a history of doing a shaky job on these things, this is uniformly classly and (pardon the pun) a charming surprise."
BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR COLLECTORS
Michael S. Kader | Maryland | 08/30/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The review written by "A Customer" is excellent --- right on target.
It's a shame that the songs "Little Turtle Dove" and "Panic" were
omitted from this CD --- shame on the producers. However, this CD
is a must-have for serious collectors of 50's doo wop or R&B music.
"
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1