Search - Perry Como :: Dream Along With Me/Dreamer's Holiday

Yet again Collectables ruin a Como release!

M. A. Dunnington | Stourbridge, West Midlands United Kingdom | 01/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Why oh why do BMG let this company get there hands on Como .... it is as if they have a desire to ruin everything they ever get there hands on regarding Como!!!!! Both albums have been released previously by BMG Special Products...so if you can, get hold of those! Although the sound quality on this 2on1 is quite good the first track "Me And My Shadow" is cut by the first 30 seconds!!!!!!!!!! It is so obvious you are coming in ithe middle of a song..........why????? They do not care at Collectables....they are a dreadful company who have no pride in their work and just ruin and disappoint with every new release. BMG wake up and go elsewhere for your profit!!!!!!!"

Another poor effort from Collectables

Matthew Long | West Midlands, United Kingdom | 02/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the Collectables CD's where this Third Party label went back to their old ways; unfortunately. The albums collected here are 2 of Perry Como's RCA Camden Albums: "Dream Along With Me" [1957] and "Dreamer's Holiday" [1960].



This CD has undoubtedly been sourced from records. The album cover used for "Dream Along With Me" is not the original RCA Camden release; it is a much later re-release which appears to have been from the 1980's. So, the sources of this CD really couldn't get much more multi-generational.



On the back of the CD, the songs are listed in the correct order with composer credits, but the majority of the songs from "Dream Along With Me" are listed under the album title "Dreamer's Holiday". In turn, the "Dreamer's Holiday" songs under the "Dream Along With Me" album title; which in itself is misleading.



Probably the most frustrating error is that "Me And My Shadow" is missing more than 30 seconds of the beginning of the recording.



More a point a humour is that on the back of the CD cover, there is an FBI Anti-Piracy warning, forbidding unauthorized copying! This is in effect what Collectables have done! They have quite simply copied two of Perry's record albums to CD. The sources are unidentified and no effort has even been made to make the most of the sources used.



What many failed to understand is that the earlier Collectables CD releases of Perry Como (from 2001), represented the best ever attempt made by this budget label. The sources were mainly Original Release Master Tapes. It is unfortunate that the tapes used were worn; but this is not a big concern because the 1st Generation Masters are fully intact in the vaults. It is these original masters which need to be digitally re-mixed and re-mastered. It is the fact that so many complained about the 2001 releases that clearly made Collectables go back to their old ways - using multi generational sources. We as consumers will determine the standard. If we happily except poor quality products without question or complaint, companies will continue to produce such releases. Collectables have little incentive to do better because their main market supports mediocrity, are unaware of sources or simply don't care.



Perry deserves the very best sources and engineering of his entire legacy; as do all artists who's recordings were made to a very high standard - both musically and technically."