Various Artists - Big Hits of 50s (20 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

A very Good Mixed Bag.

W. Grandy | windsor, nova scotia Canada | 04/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album will show how Capitol Records ruled the charts in the early fifties until Elvis came along. I bought this album because I didn't have the tune 'Happy Whistler' but this album is an overview of this particular period. Included are the great instrumentals besides 'Happy Whistler', 'Poor People Of Paris' and 'Lisbon Antigua' among others. Oh Baby Mine was a big hit from that era as were most of the others on this collection. For country fans, there's Sonny James 'Young Love' and Tennessee Ernie Fords 'Sixteen Tons'. For humour, there's 'It's In The Book' and 'St. George and the Dragon'. Of course these years wouldn't have been complete without Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Les Paul and Mary Ford. A great 57 minutes of nostalgia."

An eclectic sampler of the fifties

Bruce R. Gilson | Wheaton, MD United States | 07/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The fifties were a period when there was probably more variation in what reached the top-hit charts than most decades. And this CD is probably one of the best samplers to illustrate this variation. Sweet instrumentals like "Lisbon Antigua" and "The Poor People of Paris" shared the charts with non-musical comedy like Stan Freberg's "St. George and the Dragonet" and rhythm-and-blues-flavored pop songs like "Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)" and country-flavored songs like "Sixteen Tons." And yet the biggest share of the hit charts went to crooners like Dean Martin (with songs like "Memories Are Made of This") and Nat King Cole (who did "Too Young"). These and such vocal groups as the Four Preps (a relatively minor group, but whose song "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" is certainly a good sample of a hit by a male quartet in the 50s!) are all represented on this CD, as well as every other one of the items just mentioned. So this is certainly a great example of the variety that was 50s mustc.There are certainly some individual pieces in this collection which I don't really like, but that's my own personal taste. Every one of the tracks on here is an authentic '50s hit, which is more than can be said of a lot of other "Hits of the 50s" collections. And the range of types of performance covered is greater than any other one I've heard."

Great price! So many original recordings!

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 04/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You would think that with this many tracks for such an inexpensive price, you'd be gettinga bunch of rerecordings. Not so! These are the original recordings of many of the biggest hits of the 50s."

And the nostalgia continues...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Big Hits of the 50's is a budget priced CD that gives us really just a few of the big hits of the 1950s. On the other hand, however, it also gives us a good sampling of more obscure, forgotten songs from this decade. The sound quality is rather good; and the artwork is also good. This is an eclectic collection--but one that lovers of `50s music will probably want to add to their collections if only for the lesser known songs.

The CD opens with the theme from "Dragnet;" this uses drums and brass to great advantage--it builds suspense for the TV show and on its own it's also a strong piece of music. Great! "Too Young" by Nat King Cole features Nat crooning his very best as he sings this classic love ballad about how he's found a much younger woman with whom he shares a wonderful loving relationship. The strings sound great on "Too Young" and this embellishes the number greatly.

Les Paul & Mary Ford perform a fine rendition of "How High The Moon;" this has exceptionally good guitar and they never miss a beat! "How High The Moon" is easily a major highlight of this album and the harmonizing works wonders for this, too. Dean Martin also scores a sweet, charming hit called "Memories Are Made Of This." "Memories Are Made Of This" is also a very soothing number that relaxes me every time I hear it. Dean sings this beyond perfection! Listen also for Patience and Prudence doing their awesome "Tonight You Belong To Me;" these two young girls didn't have a long career--nor many hits--but this one shines like pure gold when they sing it out!

"Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford features him singing in a voice that's strong, masculine and full of warmth. The music goes along with the lyrics very well and this impresses me. Nat King Cole returns for his incomparable rendition of "Mona Lisa;" I love it when I hear Nat sings this. This also sounds like an earlier recording of Nat singing "Mona Lisa;" but it all still holds its own very well. The strings sound great on "Mona Lisa," too.

Kay Starr delivers one of my favorite hits from the `50s with her "Wheel Of Fortune;" Kay's voice is as clear as a bell and she never sounded better! Kay never sings a superfluous note and the big band style arrangement enhances the natural beauty of this love ballad.

Overall, this is one great single CD compilation of hits--and numbers from the 1950s that don't exactly get the recognition they're still due today. I highly recommend this CD for people who enjoy music from the `50s, oldies, and classic pop vocals.

"

Unacceptable sound quality

Michael Schonberg | 07/15/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Evidently, the master from which copies were made is flawed. A humming/buzzing sound underlies all tracks on both the original copy I purchased and the replacement I was sent. Kudos to Amazon for, not only their prompt refund, but for sending me the postage I paid UPS despite my having discarded the postage receipts. However, be sure not to purchase this CD."

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