From the Vault...

12/05/1999
#658

info
Les Paul With Mary Ford
"The Best Of The Capitol Masters"


© Capitol Records

Year of Release: 1992
Rating:

track listing
  • Lover
  • Nola
  • Tennessee Waltz
  • Mockin' Bird Hill
  • How High The Moon
  • The World Is Waiting
    For The Sunrise
  • Whispering
  • Just One More Chance
  • Tiger Rag
  • In The Good Old
    Summertime
  • Meet Mister Callaghan
  • Lady Of Spain
  • My Baby's
    Comin' Home
  • Bye Bye Blues
  • I'm Sitting On Top
    Of The World
  • Vaya Con Dios
    (May God
    Be With You)
  • I Really Don't
    Want To Know
  • I'm A Fool To Care
  • Whither Thou Guest
  • Hummingbird

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    "The Best Of The Capitol Masters"



    Truly one of the greatest early guitarists in the rock and roll era, was a man who invented his own guitar (the Les Paul guitar). He has been an influence to many future guitarists after him. He, along with his wife, Mary Ford, accomplished their most successful songs while on the Capitol label. They later moved to Columbia, where a 16-song compilation from Columbia/Legacy Records, entitled 16 Most Requested Songs, is available on CD (which by the way, was reviewed on this website last year). The Best Of The Capitol Years features 20 well-known songs from Paul and Ford's box set of Capitol releases.


    The most intriguing songs are the instrumentals, featuring the great guitar work of Les Paul. The album starts with such a song, the instrumental "Lover". Call it a song featuring the lightning speed licks of a future Eddie Van Halen. It's kind of funny to visualize Les Paul playing like Eddie in Van Halen's "Eruption" on this song, "Lover". "Nola" is another instrumental, where it is a happy-go-lucky tune, also having a somewhat Lawrence Welk champagne "bubbles tune" effect.


    Mary Ford was Les Paul's vocalist, and the first song to her her voice is the popular song made most famous by Patti Page, "Tennessee Waltz", featuring a 2-part harmony of Ford's voice. And of course, Les Paul's guitar provides the background verses. "Mockin' Bird Hill" is a song compared to Doris Day, and "How High The Moon" features some great guitar pickin', and has a somewhat early country feeling. The same can be said about "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise." These two songs have the common sound of what would belong to the music of Les Paul & Mary Ford. Once again, the guitar pickin' on these types of songs are truly original.


    "Whispering" is another great instrumental, "Just One More Chance" is a ballad featuring Mary Ford. "Tiger Rag" is an upbeat tune, and could be considered novelty, featuring cat meows, and it also has an Andrews Sisters sound, but with the up-to-date guitar sound of Les Paul. Another upbeat song is their version of "In The Good Old Summertime."


    "Meet Mister Callaghan" is another instrumental, and its a smooth, pleasant one, that doesn't feature "lightning speed guitar licks." This song is a good one, however, as it features casual guitar playing. "Lady Of Spain", another instrumental, is spanish-influenced, and once again, it features the unique guitar quickness, as only Les Paul can provide.


    Mary Ford provides the vocals for the ballad "My Baby's Comin' Home", a nice pleasant tune. "Bye Bye Blues" has the double-harmony vocals of Mary Ford, and, of course, the great guitar pickin' of Les Paul. The Al Jolson tune, "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World" is upbeat, with Ford's vocals and Paul's guitar.


    Their most famous hit just wouldn't be complete without if it wasn't included in this set: "Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)". The country favorite, "I Really Don't Want To Know" (Elvis Presley's version is the one I'm most familar with...) is on this set, as it is one of the best country songs ever written. "I'm A Fool To Care" is another ballad, where it's more blues influenced. "Whither Thou Guest" is more of an Easy Listening ballad, and "Hummingbird" is another Easy Listening tune, where it's a bit more upbeat.


    All of the songs on The Best Of The Capitol Years have an early country sound, and also can be categorized as Easy Listening. But what makes this album so great is hearing Les Paul's guitar playing. These songs are not what we hear today, yet they don't make songs like these anymore. In listening to Les Paul play, it's common for most young people to want to learn how to play the guitar, and try to play as great as Les Paul. Discovering the early guitar players are always a treat; it's what music sounded like back then, and how it would inspire many many future great guitarists who would follow Les Paul, having their own unique sound, just like Les Paul did.


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    Previous Review: #657
    Til Tuesday--Voices Carry
    Next Review: #659
    David Gilmour--About Face