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From the Vault...
12/05/1999
#658 |
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info
Les Paul With Mary Ford
"The Best Of The Capitol Masters"
© Capitol Records
Year of Release: 1992
Rating:
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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 OldSummertime
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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Les Paul With Mary Ford "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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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Capitol Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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