Lil Abner/Broadway Bouquet

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The jaunty Gene DePaul score for the musical play "Lil' Abner" based on the comic strip by Al Capp is heard instrumentally - and it's quite a show! "Broadway Bouquet" from 1965 is an important part of the famed Faith "string" album series - perhaps the pinnacle of his rich string sound that spanned gorgeous melodies and counterlines across sections of the large orchestra. (Bill Halvorsen)

Tracks:

It's A Typical Day
The Way To A Man's Heart
Love In A Home
Medley: Jubilation T. Cornpone / (What's Good For) General Bullmoose (Is Good For The U.S.A.)
Unnecessary Town
The Country's In The Very Best Of Hands
There's Room Enough For Us
Progress Is The Root Of All Evil
If I Had My Druthers
Oh Happy Day
Matrimonial Stomp
Namely You
Hello, Dolly!
Once Upon A Time
Somewhere
Sunrise, Sunset
Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
A Quiet Thing
Make Someone Happy
What Kind Of Fool Am I?
Long Ago
The Sweetest Sounds
As Long As He Needs Me
Theme From "Golden Boy"

Album Description

The jaunty Gene DePaul score for the musical play "Lil' Abner" based on the comic strip by Al Capp is heard instrumentally - and it's quite a show! "Broadway Bouquet" from 1965 is an important part of the famed Faith "string" album series - perhaps the pinnacle of his rich string sound that spanned gorgeous melodies and counterlines across sections of the large orchestra. (Bill Halvorsen)

Album Description

Pianist Percy Faith, a pioneer of the Easy Listening genre, had a successful and lengthy career as the in-house conductor and arranger for Columbia Records. Faith was renowned for his musical interpretations of Broadway and motion picture music. These two reissues from Collectables on 1 CD were originally released in 1965. 24 tracks. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

It's not stereo.......2005-01-10

I bought this solely for "Once Upon a Time", and was dismayed that the CD is mono, not stereo. The quality of the recordings leaves much to be desired, as many of them lack the pristine quality I'm used to on a CD.

classic arrangements by the classic gentlemen ~ Percy Faith.......2004-02-16

Two albums from the Columbia Records people blending different decades "Li'l Abner" (originally released CL 955 in 1956) and "Broadway Bouquet" (originally released LS 9156 in 1965), sharing the unmistakable style of the "Percy Faith Touch" ~ you know in an instant you're in for the best of the best ~ Duke Ellington was so taken with Faith's arrangements, that he would give anything to be able to arrange in that fashion.

Let's begin with "IT'S A TYPICAL DAY" along with "LOVE IN A HOME", both from "Li'l Abner", wonderful opening counterparts and the stirring arrangements by Maestro Percy Faith ~ "JUBILATON T. CORNPONE", uplifting cue that will keep bouncing in your head for hours, maybe even days ~ "IF I HAD MY DRUTHERS", one of the forgettable tunes from the show ~ "NAMELY YOU", has to be the best and favorite song of the Johnny Mercer and Gene De Paul score ~ by the way, these two composers penned the lively screen musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", both scores were sure winners from two talented songwriters, Percy Faith steps up to the podium and takes it to another level.

Now with "Broadway Bouquet", we have perfection within the realm of lush arranging, so flawless "HELLO, DOLLY!" (Jerry Herman), "ONCE UPON A TIME" (Adams/Strouse), "SOMEWHERE" (Sondheim/Bernstein), "SUNRISE, SUNSET/FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" (Harnick/Bock) (one of my all-time favorites, can't get enough of this score), "WHO CAN I TURN TO (WHEN NOBODY NEEDS ME)" (Bricusse/Newley), "A QUIET THING" (Ebb/Kander), "MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY" (Comden/Green/Styne), "WHAT KIND OF FOOL AM I?" (Bricusse/Newley) (two of the best songwriters in the business), "LONG AGO" (David Heneker), "THE SWEETEST SOUNDS" (Richard Rodgers) (his credit of compositions goes through the ceiling, will never be another like 'em), "AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME" (Lionel Bart) (a wonderful classic that is still popular by today's standards), "THEME FROM "GOLDEN BOY" (Adams Strouse) (another team of composers that have made an impact on the Broadway scene) ~ an example of the "Percy Faith Touch", so effortless, you feel like you're floating on a cloud ~ falls into Percy's many albums of fabulous string arrangements, they grabbed the attention of the listener and wouldn't let go. Can't think of any other arranger/composer who left such a great legacy as this man!

Highly recommend to ALL fans of Percy Faith ~ thanks to Collectables for releasing this collection from the vaults of Columbia Records ~ so listeners sit back, relax and enjoy a small part of Maestro Percy Faith's fabulous career!

Total Time: 70:49 on 24 Tracks ~ Collectables 7564 ~ (9/16/2003)

Music:

Music

Music