Search - Various Artists :: Fabulous Fifties: Those Wonderful Years

Fine album of charming nostalgia

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Fabulous Fifties: Those Wonderful Years has fifteen great tunes from the `50s that made the airwaves sizzle back in the day! These tunes will be sure to bring back fond memories for the people who first heard them on the radio; the sound quality is really very good and I like the artwork, too.



Frankie Avalon kicks things off with his huge hit "Venus." Frankie sings of his one true love as he sings to Venus, the Greek goddess. Frankie sounds great on this number and he never misses a beat! I'm very impressed; I always liked this tune. "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" gets a fine interpretation from The Four Aces; they sing this with sensitivity and panache every step of the way. How they harmonize, too! Awesome!



Pat Boone scores a hit with his "Love Letters In The Sand;" this was probably one of Pat's very biggest hits and he sings this like the champ he always was! The brass enhances the musical arrangement and the electric guitar works well, too. We also get "A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)" by Marty Robbins; he sings this with a lot of style and the backup chorus supports Marty well. The guitars and drums bolster the melody and together it all holds its own very well.



Della Reese has one of my favorite `50s tunes even when she sings "Don't You Know." Della's voice has operatic qualities that clearly come out on this number; and she sings this so well I could never tire of hearing this ballad. I find "Don't You Know" to be stunningly beautiful.



Connie Francis sounds perfect on "My Happiness;" and Tommy Edwards delivers "It's All In The Game" so well he bats this straight out of the ballpark! Tommy's excellent ability to impart every subtle nuance of the romantic lyrics makes his performance very strong and moving as well. The Platters also do a wonderful job on "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes;" the strings and their voices combine to make this a heavenly delight.



Johnny Mathis weaves a magical spell with one of his signature songs entitled "Chances Are." This passionate love ballad transcends time; it sounds fresh and wonderful today all these years later. Johnny sang this in a way that few people ever could!



Overall, this CD entitled The Fabulous Fifties: Those Wonderful Years really made a strong, positive impression on me. I love the music and the sound quality is excellent. If you like `50s classic pop vocals this is a CD you must own!

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