An Epic Album Worthy of its Subject
Jon Oye | IL, US | 08/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Inspired by a series of Life magazine articles by Shana Alexander, "How the West Was Won" was originally an ambitious 2-LP gatefold set produced by Bing Crosby's Project Records and released by RCA in 1959 - which in turn led to the epic Cinerama film of the same name. Essentially the story of the growth of America from the time of the French fur trappers through the expansion Westward of the pioneers, railroaders, settlers and ne'er-do-wells, told in song and written accounts, "How the West Was Won" also plays as a sweeping reverie of the nation's then-not-too-distant past. Bear Family has done an admirable job of reproducing not only RCA's magnificent "Living Stereo" sound, but also the original packaging, preserving the gatefold cover and booklet containing Alexander's article.
The period tunes were selected by performer/folk specialist Sam Hinton and archivist Alan Lomax (whose legendary father John made field recordings of scores of nearly-forgotten folk songs for the Library of Congress), and performed by Crosby, Hinton, Rosemary Clooney, Jimmie Driftwood, the Deseret Mormon Choir, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. All are more than up to the task, and an ambience of authenticity imbues the entire song sequence. Most of the pieces will be familiar to those who were of grade school age in the 1950s or `60s, as by that time these tunes had re-emerged as part of America's collective unconscious (thanks in no small degree to the efforts of the Lomax's, and the resulting folk music boom), and were included in every grammar school music book of that era. Those who are younger, or have an interest in the history and influences of American music, can enjoy it "fresh" on this essential and long overdue CD release.
Crosby and Clooney, who the previous year had recorded the wonderful "Fancy Meeting You Here" LP, take the majority of tracks, and they are in excellent voice, both solo and in their duets together. Bing, having excelled in elocution during his pre-law days at Gonzaga (and years later winning an Academy Award for Best Actor), reads evocatively several pioneer accounts of life on the frontier, and exceeds even his own 30-year track record as the nation's premier interpreter of song with an astonishing performance of the haunting and austere "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me." The usually happy-go-lucky Bing registers surprising gravity and deep sadness in my all time favorite rendition of "The Streets of Laredo" (Rex Allen's and Marty Robbins's are a close second and third). Sam Hinton also shines, particularly on "Bile Them Cabbage Down" and a lighter-than-air "Down By the Brazos," and Jimmie Driftwood's guttural genuineness perfectly complements "Billy the Kid" and "Jesse James." The Mormon Tabernacle Choir brings the journey to a fittingly spiritual close with the stirring "Come, Come, Ye Saints.""
One of my favorites
Lois L. Bochmann | Blue Island, IL, USA | 08/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When this first came out as an LP I wore it out and had to buy a second album. Now I can listen to it in the car or anywhere else I want to. I've always been a lover of Westerns, whether it be movies, books or music and also a big Bing Crosby fan, so of course this is one of my favorite CDs. The variety of songs from different facets of the West make it interesting and enjoyable as do the various artists. Anyone who likes the Old West is sure to enjoy this CD."
Track Listings (43) - Disc #1