The Platters - 20th Century Masters: The Best Of The Platters (Millennium Collection)

great group--but the CD itself was made on the cheap !!!

20th Century Masters: The Best Of The Platters (Millennium Collection) has eleven great tracks by this fantastic group. The Platters had a lot of style, grace and sophistication; I just wish this CD series would have done a better job by adding at least another song or two to the track set to make this a more comprehensive CD. They couldn't do better than a measly eleven songs? That's not all their "best." However, the sound is very good; and the artwork is about par for this CD series.

"The Great Pretender" starts off the track set very strong with The Platters singing and harmonizing very well. Their voices never sounded better; and this ballad about a love gone wrong and loneliness truly displays their incredible vocal talents. The arrangement for the piano, drums and percussion works well and I really like "The Great Pretender." There's also "Twilight Time;" this is one of the most romantic ballads I've ever heard and the words and music flow together like a beautiful nectar that couldn't be any sweeter. The Platters sing so well about waiting for and then enjoying romantic time alone with the ladies they truly love.

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" also never sounded better than when The Platters performed it; they sing this with panache and they never miss a beat! The mellow, slow tempo enhances the romantic qualities of this ballad and the strings help the melody along. "Only You (And You Alone)" is another stunningly beautiful ode from these men to the women they love. "Only You (And You Alone)" shine like pure gold when The Platters give this their best interpretation! Listen also for "My Prayer;" this again has that signature Platters sound that is so enchanting; I really like "My Prayer."

"(You've Got) The Magic Touch" puts this fine group's vocals squarely in the spotlight where they belong; and clearly this is yet another highlight of this album. The higher pitched harmonizing backup really makes this all the more beautiful and I can't imagine any other group doing "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" better than The Platters.

"Red Sails In The Sunset" has a great string arrangement and The Platters deliver this number with sensitivity and grace. The album ends with The Platters singing their hearts out on "Enchanted." "Enchanted" is another romantic tune that celebrates the joys of love. Wonderful!

Overall, this CD has excellent songs by The Platters. The Platters really were one of the very finest male vocal groups ever and the proof of that is that their CDs still sell! I recommend this CD for the more causal fan who just wants a few of their really great tunes; the more diehard fan will want more than just eleven songs. I give this three stars only because the people who produced this CD and the CD series just didn't care to take the time or make the effort to do a proper "best of" compilation. Yes, it's a budget CD; but they still could easily have afforded to add in an extra song or two. A CD made on the cheap like this one was is a disappointment, especially when an extraordinary group like The Platters is concerned.
March 10, 2008

Excellent but song list is wrong

Of course the music on this CD is great, but I was surprized that the song list on Amazon did not match the CD I received. Missing were "I'm Sorry", "He's Mine" and "One in a Million". In their place was "You'll Never, Never Know", "I'll Never Smile Again" and "Enchanted". The change was break even for me: I lost "I'm Sorry" but got "Enchanted". Too bad the CD didn't have both plus "On My Word of Honor". September 1, 2007

Contains the seven biggest hits, but not all the favorites.

Now thought of as a "doo wop" group because of the beat and the finger-snapping rhythms, the Platters, in the 1950s, set the scene for rock and roll, ushering in a new music which incorporated gospel and soul sounds never before part of the mainstream. The first all-black group to become universally popular, they influenced pop music for fifteen years and opened doors to the many black doo-wop groups which succeeded them into the 1960s.

Of the several "Best of the Platters" albums now available, this collection contains most of their biggest hits, including "Only You," their first #1 hit on the R and B chart, which then became #5 on the pop chart, when it crossed over; "The Great Pretender," their next hit, which was #1 on the pop charts; and "Magic Touch," "My Prayer" (another #1 pop hit), "Twilight Time," "I'm Sorry," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

It does not include several other memorable Platters songs, such as "On My Word of Honor," "You'll Never Know," "If I Didn't Care," or "To Each His Own." These songs, along with the previously mentioned favorites, are all available on one album if you search on Amazon for B000200Q2U, "The Very Best of the Platters."

The wonderful Tony Williams sets the pace as tenor soloist, with a voice ranging from a soft whisper to a soaring vibrato. The harmonies are mellow, the timing is superb, and the arrangements are terrific. The back-up voices are strong, and the album has been remastered to remove background "fuzz." Trend setters whose influence was felt for fifteen years, the Platters are an indelible part of the high school memories of a whole generation from the 1950s and 1960s. Mary Whipple
May 9, 2005

excellant

I found that the album by the platters was great to hear and the sound was excellant I have been looking in stores all over my area(Boston) to no avail. It was great to find it on your web site.
I will contiue to search your webb site for other items in the future. Thanks for the wonderful memories. tony May 2, 2005

Not generous

Only 11 songs in this CD, Polygram of USA is not generous to consumer. As one reviewer stated, there are rooms for more songs. I can easily named some of these, such as 'Remember When', 'You never never know', 'Enchanted' and 'I'll never smile again' etc. Here I would like to recommend another Platters' CD titled "Universal Masters Collection [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [IMPORT]", which is the best sounding Platters CD I've heard (I've already owned 4 greatest hits CDs of The Platters). This [Import] CD is the only one you can find stereo versions (genuine stereo) of 'Smoke gets in your eyes', 'Twilight Time', 'I'll never smile again', 'Harbour Lights' and 'Red sails in the Sunset', plus 'I'm just a dacing partner','I give you my word', all 17 songs in one CD which is preferable to this 11 songs collection. December 9, 2003

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