Drink of Blue

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
poetic rhythms / spoken words / flow like rivers / transcending / thirst-quenching / flooding the soul

Album Description

Holiday blues comin' on? Well, put a spike in `em! Here's the zaniest, wildest and just plain sickest Collectors' Choice Music exclusive yet—79 tracks from Spike Jones and his City Slickers! These represent Spike's complete Standard Transcription sides, but these tunes are anything but standard; Mr. Jones brought his full bag of tricks for these non-commercial recordings (made in Hollywood during the early `40s). Add to that the fact that most of these have never been on CD or even LP, and any lover of Spike's mayhem-filled mixture of laughs and hot licks is going to flip over this set! Notes and great pictures accompany this 3-CD walk on the wacky side from the greatest novelty band of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Great set of wartime rarities.......2003-05-14

Spike Jones was the king of the novelty song performers, with hits like "Der Fuehrer's Face" and the parody version of "Sheik of Araby" becoming huge hits during World War II. This is a swell 3-CD set, gathering a full eighty-one of Jones' best tracks from his 1940s heyday, drawn from an extensive archive of radio broadcasts made for the Standard Transcription service. The tightness of his City Slickers band is amply demonstrated in these manic, kookily orchestrated performances. Toots, squonks, blatts and bleats whiz by at lightning speed, as one daffy song after another will delight devoted fans. Amazingly, Jones had the unusual, almost unique ability to perform a repertoire almost entirely made up of comedic material, and yet still be quite listenable and engaging. His jazz chops were hardly in question, and from time to time Jones would dash off a non-novelty ballad or two, just to give the rubes something to think about. Of course, just as often he would perform a song that *sounded* like a straight ballad, but would turn out to be another goof. (One great example of this is the sultry "Serenade To A Jerk," sung in slinky, burlesque tones by Myrtle Horwin.) This collection may seem a little overwhelming, but like his studio recordings, these radio performances have a certain brilliance and joie de vivre about them that will leave you enchanted. Definitely worth checking out!

Cure for the Blues.......2003-04-25

Here's the zaniest, wildest and just plain sickest Collectors' Choice Music exclusive yet-79 tracks from Spike Jones and his City Slickers! These represent Spike's complete Standard Transcription sides, but these tunes are anything but standard; Mr. Jones brought his full bag of tricks for these non-commercial recordings (made in Hollywood during the early `40s). Add to that the fact that most of these have never been on CD or even LP, and any lover of Spike's mayhem-filled mixture of laughs and hot licks is going to flip over this set! Notes and great pictures accompany this 3-CD walk on the wacky side from the greatest novelty band of all time.

Standard Transcription Collection.......2003-04-12

This collection has remastered material from the large stack of Standard Transcription discs from the early 1940's. There are many songs not recorded on RCA, many on the theme of wartime ("48 Reasons Why"), and the quality is excellent. The packaging is threadbare but this is an essential CD package for true music lovers.

Average customer rating:

Awesome voice, exquisite performances
It may take you a little time to love her voice

A Tribute

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Kathleen Ferrier - Mahler ~ Kindertotenlieder & Gluck ~ Greene ~ Handel ~ Mendelssohn ~ Purcell / Baillie, Moore, B. Walter
World of Kathleen Ferrier V.1
Edition V8 / Blow the Wind Southerly
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter
The Very Best of Janet Baker

ASIN: B0000A9DYO
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

What Is Life To Me Without Thee?
Che Puro Ciel
Art Thou Troubled?
Ombra Mai Fu
An Die Musik
Der Musensohn
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
Die Junge Nonne
Woe Unto Them
O Rest In The Lord
Er, Der Herrlichste Von Allen
Geistliches Wiegenlied
Sapphische Ode
Botschaft
Like As The Love-Torn Turtle
A Soft Day
Go Not Happy Day
Come You Not From Newcastle
The Keel Row
Ma Bonny Lad
Kitty My Love
Blow The Wind Southernly

Tracks:

Ye Banks And Braes
I Have A Bonnet Trimmed With Blue
Down By The Salley Gardens
The Stuttering Lovers
Drink To Me Only
Hark! The Echoing Air
Father Of Heaven
O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion
He Was Despised
Have Mercy, Lord On Me
Agnus Dei
All Is Fulfilled
Du Bist Die Ruh' - Bruno Walter
Romance - Bruno Walter
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft
Um Mitternacht

Customer Reviews:

Awesome voice, exquisite performances.......2006-08-27

These two CDs contain a great selection of classical, operatic and folk songs in English, German and Italian by the famous contralto (1912 - 1953). Highlights on the first CD include What Is Life from Orfeo et Euridice, Art Thou Troubled from Rodelina, Woe Unto Them and O Rest In The Lord from Elijah and the traditional song Blow The Wind Southerly.

My personal favorites appear on the second CD. The first is the divine Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, the Ben Jonson poem, which is a most mystical and transcending listening experience. The buoyant Stuttering Lovers is most catchy and appealing. Both of the aforementioned are sung to the piano accompaniment of pianist Phyllis Spurr.

Backed by the London Philharmonic, Ferrier renders splendid versions of Father Of Heaven from Judas Maccabaeus and O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion from The Messiah. These are truly awesome, the first one slow and somber, the second joyous and triumphant. Other highlights on this second CD include He Was Despised from The Messiah and All Is Fulfilled from St John Passion by Bach.

The informative CD booklet contains black and white photographs, a short biography in English, French and German, plus complete information on the recording of the tracks: composers, dates, venues, conductors and musicians. Kathleen Ferrier was a unique vocalist who made a magnficent contribution to classical and folk music.

It may take you a little time to love her voice.......2004-08-19

Kathleen Ferrier has one of the most instantly recognizable voices in music. And it's a voice that might take you time to love. As an eight year old I heard her version of Blow the Wind Southerly many times on British radio and intensely disliked it. I wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman, adult or child, such is the nature of her contralto. But over the years, especially hearing Ferrier sing Handel and Mahler, I've come to treasure her recordings alongside Callas, Sutherland, Flagstad and Baker. This two disc set contains performances which are about 45-55 years old. Many favourites are here especially the folk songs and selections from Bach, Handel and Mahler. The sound quality is excellent. The sleeve notes mention that Ferrier's vocal delivery may sound old fashioned to our ears. But her remarkable voice which stirs one's deepest emotions, transcends any thought of quaintness or mannerism. She is, quite simply, the greatest contralto ever. This selection will have you seeking out her other recordings on Amazon.com. And it might also lead you to Virginia Rodrigues, a Brazilian contralto with a superb voice who, like Ferrier, makes everything she sings, her own.

Average customer rating:

What is Life?

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0001Z2RKA
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Average customer rating:

Wild and Crazy!
A Spike Jones chronology of his earliest records

Musical Depreciation
Spike Jones
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Contemporary Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Comedy & Spoken Word | Miscellaneous | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001HJB
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

Cocktails For Two
Chole (Song Of Swamp)
Behind Those Swingin' Doors
Red Wing
The Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along
Clink, Clink, Another Drink!
Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep
Pass The Biscuits, Mirandy
Der Fuhrer's Face
I Wanna Go Back To West Virginia
Hotcha Cornia (Black Eyes)
Leave The Dishes In The Sink, Ma
Serenade To A Jerk
Holiday For Strings
The Blue Danube
You Always Hurt The One You Love
Hawaiian War Chant
Libestraum
That Old Black Magic
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 1: 'The Little Girl's Dream' - Miniature Overture; March
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 2: 'Land Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy' - Lemon Frop Waltz; Dance Of The...
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 3: 'The Fairy Ball' - The Chinese Dolls; Chinese Dance; Dance Of The...
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 4: 'The Mysterious Room' - The Forbidden Room; Arab Dance
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 5: 'Back To The Fairy Ball' - The Dance On The Seat Of Their Pants...
The Nutcracker Suite: Part 6: 'End Of The Little Girl's Dream' - Waltz Of The Flowers (Part 2)...