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From the Vault...
09/02/2001
#749 |
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info
The Mills Brothers
"The Best Of The Decca Years"
© Decca/MCA Records
Rating:
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track listing
Paper Doll
Across The Alley
From The Alamo
Someday
(You'll Want Me
To Want You)
Be My
Life's Companion
Lazy River
Glow Worm
You Always Hurt
The One You Love
The Window
Washer Man
Daddy's Little Girl
The Jones Boy
Till Then
In A Mellow Tone
You Tell Me
Your Dream
I'll Tell You Mine
Opus One
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The Mills Brothers
"The Best Of The Decca Years"
From 1941 to 1955, music had a unique sound (long before Rock N Roll
emerged), that being the big band/swing era. During this time, Decca Records
held a famous brother vocal act, The Mills Brothers. Their unique style and
harmonies were compared to the likes of another Decca favorite, The Ink Spots.
Both acts were highly respectable, and it would be awfully hard to choose
which one was better than the other. The Best Of The Decca Years
features 14 songs from The Mills Brothers, and they are all truly remarkable,
in their own right.
Surprisingly, The Mills Brothers had only 2 number one songs from this
compilation, "Paper Doll" and "You Always Hurt The One You Love".
It's amazing how many other songs from this set didn't reach the highest
position of the hit charts. Songs such as "Glow Worm," "Till Then"
and "Opus One" are the songs that I remembered from listening to my
mother's collection, and I'm sure that they were #1 on someone's personal
chart, in one way or another.
"Across The Alley From The Alamo" is a jumpy catchy song, which
easily sets the memory bank of many who remembered this song, "Someday
(You'll Want Me To Want You)" is a slow tune with exceptional harmonies.
I didn't remember this one, likewise the catchy "Be My Life's Companion,"
and the bluesy "Lazy River," and like many of the well-known popular
Mills' tunes, they are just exceptional.
Four songs that weren't from my personal memory bank -- "The Window
Washer Man" has a somewhat novelty sound, with the tuba (or it may have
been one of the brothers imitating the tuba), that stands out alongside the
vocals. "Daddy's Little Girl" and "You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell
You Mine" features outstanding harmony vocalization, as these songs could
easily have reached #1. However, I don't remember the song "The Jones
Boy" by the Mills Brothers themselves; but I remember this tune from an
Illinois car dealer TV commercial, Webb Ford -- The whole town's talking
about the Webb boys..." "In A Mellow Mood" has a more
big-band sound, and is very enjoyable.
The music heard in this era proves one thing: It shows how easy this
sound and lyrics were back then, as compared to today's music. Like the old
saying goes: "They sure don't make 'em like they used to." This music was
very popular, and yes, it was the music before Rock N Roll. Whether it be
Big-band or Jazz, Easy Listening is how this music is categorized, before
Rock N Roll was born. Even so, it's just as enjoyable as any type of music;
of course, you define the word "enjoyable" to the source of music you prefer.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Decca/MCA Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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