Rating: 4/5
Review:
An enjoyable collection
I stumbled across Ian Whitcomb's excellent book After The
Ball in a second-hand bookshop sometime in the late 70s, I think. It's a terrific history of popular music from
about 1880 to the 1970s – including the era covered here. It sparked an interest in me, which is why I
tried this set.
In this double CD, Whitcomb has collected and performed a
good variety of songs from the Tin Pan Alley era, roughly 1910 to the outbreak
of the Second World War. They're a real
mixture from schmaltzy love songs to jokey novelty numbers; not all are great
but there's some very good stuff here and the whole is very enjoyable. I have appended a track list to this review.
Whitcomb's performances, in his trademark falsetto, are
pretty good, although I find too many at a time a bit samey. However, picking a few to play is always a
pleasure, and there's a treasure trove of interesting and enjoyable music
here. I can recommend this to anyone
with an interest in music of this period, or just with an interest in the
history of popular music.
Disc One
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1.
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At the Ball, That's All
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2.
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They Didn't Believe Me
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3.
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I'm Crying Just For You
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4.
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Kismet - An Arabian Song and Fox Trot
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5.
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If I Could Be With You (One Hour To-Night)
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6.
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Oh! I Wish I Was Tarzan
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7.
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You Went Away Too Far
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8.
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Who's Sorry Now
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9.
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The Charleston
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10.
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Dance and Grow Thin
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11.
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Wonderful One
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12.
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I Was a Fool
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13.
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Me-ow
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14.
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Every Now and Then
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15.
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Da, Da, Da, My Darling
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16.
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Just the Same
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17.
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Sweet Cider Time When You Were Mine
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18.
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Play a Simple Melody
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19.
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Everywhere You Go
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20.
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My Cutie's Due (At Two-to-Two Today)
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21.
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My Sweetie
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22.
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Old New England Moon
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23.
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The Flower Garden Ball
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24.
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Honey Bunch
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25.
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Who Wants a Bad Little Boy?
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26.
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Chong (He Come From Hong Kong)
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27.
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The Honeysuckle and the Bee
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Disc Two
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1.
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Mandy, How Do You Do?
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2.
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Robinson Crusoe's Isle
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3.
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My Wife Is Dancing Mad
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4.
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What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?
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5.
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That Twentieth Century Rag
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6.
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I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier
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7.
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When Alexander Takes His Ragtime Band to France
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8.
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When the Bees Make Honey (Down in Sunny Alabam')
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9.
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A Precious Little Thing Called Love
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10.
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She Lives Down in Our Alley
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11.
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Emma Louise
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12.
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For Me and My Gal
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13.
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Rosy Cheeks
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14.
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I'm Sorry I Made You Cry
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15.
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It's All Over Now
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16.
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Dream Train
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17.
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Mandy
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18.
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Till We Meet Again
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19.
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A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet
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20.
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A Cottage for Sale
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21.
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Twelve O'Clock
at Night
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22.
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Girl of My Dreams
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23.
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I'll Take Care of Your Cares
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24.
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The House of Dreams
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