 |  | Spectacular nostalgic hits of Leroy Anderson! |  |
All the great hits in one inexpensive CD! The Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride, The Typewriter Song, Fiddle Faddle.....over twenty hits with a beautiful, clear sound. Leroy Anderson hits, wonderful arrangements played by a great orchestra. Just plain fun hearing these again!
May 17, 2008| | | LEROY ANDERSON GREATEST HITS | |
Enjoyed this LeRoy Anderson music with the Pops. This would make any one a fan of his music.
December 28, 2007| | | Leroy Anderson's Music is Still the Belle of the Ball | |
WARNING: Playing this album in a moving vehicle could cause the driver to accelerate unconsciously by 15 to 20 mph. Belle of the Ball, Syncopated Clock, and the Blue Tango were standards of my childhood. Sleigh Ride belongs to everybody. And this collection may be the apothesis of mid-20th Century pops orchestra music. Until I got this album, I thought Leroy Anderson built his own band. Apparently he never did. His signature compositions here are performed by the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler, with guest appearances by Al Hirt on the trumpet and bugle exercises. The Anderson approach to writing music seems to be a perfect match for the Fiedler approach to using the entire orchestra in stimulating ways. Strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, everybody gets his moment in the spotlight. Pops orchestral music was never more fun to listen to than this. Admittedly, masses of music consumers now living will never take notice of this kind of work, but for those whose tastes are broad enough to extend to pre-1963, this readily available little jewel will brighten your collection and consistently delight you whenever you load it into your player.
October 29, 2007 | | There Are Better Recordings | |
The music of Leroy Anderson can best be described as a piece of American Apple Pie, he's the Norman Rockwell of Americana music. Almost everyone knows some tunes by this composer. His delightful and feel good music just makes you happy. Leroy Anderson's best known works are "The Syncopated Clock", "The Typewriter", and "Sleigh Ride", but there are many more just as tuneful. This recording by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops has many merits, but, in all honesty, there are better recordings and performances available. Some of the problems with this CD range from ill-advised tempos ("Fiddle Faddle" is performed way too fast), muddy acoustics, sloppy playing, and live performances ("The Irish Suite") with coughing and applause. I usually avoid live performances because of the usual problems that are associated with them. No place on the CD's front or back cover does it mention that there are live performance tracks. Although price-wise this CD is a good value and contains some enjoyable renditions, I would suggest looking toward the Frederick Fennell (Mercury Living Presence) or Leonard Slatkin (RCA) CDs for better sound and performances. There are also other good CDs available, such as a mono recording in which composer Leroy Anderson conducts his own music. You can't get much better than that.
August 31, 2005The work of Leroy Anderson embarrasses me because I don't want to be caught capering around a midnight room filled with the fancies I had as an unencumbered boy when I know I am no longer one.
He was an OSS man, this Anderson, I believe -- a codester. What keener code than music to tap into my DNA anytime, anywhere, and yield feelings buried with the rainy days and sunny nights my imagination grew up with.
This frees me up to play. I owe him for the joy. May 31, 2004
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