Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 08/22/2006
Although
Florenz Ziegfeld brought dozens of successful productions to Broadway, he is chiefly remembered for the 22 revues, the so-called
Ziegfeld Follies, he mounted between 1907 and 1931. Part
vaudeville, part
Tin Pan Alley, these revues were complete extravaganzas that were as varied as they were larger-than-life, and thanks to writers like
Irving Berlin, produced songs like
"A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" and
"Shine On, Harvest Moon" that went on to become established parts of the American Songbook. This wonderful collection presents samples from the follies, including
John Steel's mannered take on
"A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," a classic
W.C. Fields monologue titled
"The Day I Drank a Glass of Water," Bert Williams' fine version of
"The Moon Shines on the Moonshine," Ruth Etting's classic rendering of
"Shine On, Harvest Moon" and a wise and satirical treatise on war delivered by
Will Rogers in 1923, a recording that today's political leaders would do well to consult. It's difficult these days to even imagine the immense impact these follies had on American life in their time, but this delightful compilation affords at least a glimpse.
~Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
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