Songs That Got Us Through WWII

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
They may have rationed meat, milk, canned goods, and gasoline, but there was no limit to the musical talent during World War II. Morale-boosting sounds on the home front and "over there" were one of the Allies' most potent weapons. WWII gave birth to many of the 1940s' most popular artists and songs, as well as many of the most important independent record labels. Songs That Got Us Through WWII is the first of a two-volume series collecting the hits that kept the home fires burning and brought a little bit of America to the G.I.s overseas. Compiled and developed by singer/songwriter/music historian Billy Vera, Vol. 1 features many of the era's biggest artists, including The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, The Mills Brothers, The Ink Spots, Harry James, and many more.

Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A classic collection of 1940s gems March 29, 1999
106 out of 106 found this review helpful

This is a lovely, nostalgic assortment of songs from the big-band era. I bought this CD for my parents (my dad is a World War II veteran), and all of us enjoy it -- for my folks, these familiar songs are a poignant reminder of their youth. While the Andrews Sisters and Johnny Mercer tunes are especially memorable, EVERYTHING on this CD is noteworthy. The only song I would add to this collection is Glenn Miller's "In The Mood" -- otherwise, it's a perfect musical representation of the World War II era. Highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars

Rhino does it again with memorable collection! November 11, 2000
74 out of 75 found this review helpful

The mercurial Rhino Records label has done it again with this fabulous compilation of World War II-era songs. All of them are hits, and all of them are legendary. The themes accentuate the mood of the times like they were meant to be together, though quite disparate in places. The Johnny Mercer comic ode to servicemen, "G.I. Jive", ranks up there with "Der Fuehrer's Face" by Spike Jones on the chuckle meter. To make you cry, count on "Long Ago (And Far Away)" (Jo Stafford), "I'll Walk Alone" (Martha Tilton) and the irreplaceable Frank Sinatra oozing out "I'll Be Seeing You", with (who else) the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The Song Spinners' amazing a cappella "Comin' In On a Wing and a Prayer" is a great tribute to the U.S. Air Force, and the surety of their vocals makes you forget there's no musical accompaniment. Of course, you may want to swing out too. Do so with Mercer's "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Postive" and (hands down!) The Big One's best hit, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters. And there are no better slow-dancing tunes like "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (Helen Forrest) and "Till Then" (the awesome Mills Brothers). This is a collection that features just the top names in the business during the early '40's. You won't be disappointed in the sound either: Each song has been remastered the best it could be. The accompanying booklet has a paragraph of biographical info about the artists, and there's also listings of chart placements for each track. Rhino keeps giving the goods, and this 1990 entrie is one of their many triumphs.

5 out of 5 stars

Well, GOOD NIGHT, NURSE! October 2, 2000
51 out of 51 found this review helpful

My grandma's favourite expression of exasperation for my grandma's favourite music! No, I was not at all exasperated by this music and in fact found the entire collection to be enlightening in ways that are almost inexplicable. But I will try. First of all, the collection evokes nostalgia and sentimentality on the part of those alive during this generation (which I was not). I, however, went on a mad search for Johnny Mercer's "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" several years ago when it was used on the much-missed, brilliant t.v. series Homefront. I found the song-- and many other gems-- on this collection. Definitely worth having the whole thing. (And Volume 2, for that matter). I had never heard many of these songs, and had heard of some only through other pop culture references or through my grandma who frequently walks around her house singing these tunes. Not a single wasted or dull moment on this collection. Highlight include, of course, the well-known "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "I'll Be Seeing You", the sassy, fun "G.I. Jive", Louis Armstrong's gorgeous "I Wonder", and Jo Stafford's stunning "Long Ago and Far Away" (which inspired me to go find more Stafford stuff. I ended up with a boxset which was fantastic except for some of her last works, remaking songs like "I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar" and "Stayin'Alive"-- believe it or not. Her voice was simply not suited for that sort of garbage)). Another fascinating benefit of owning this album: it is not only a marker of time, documenting a time in history with the music of the period... but it is also an exposure to the social conventions and expectations of time. For example, in "Waitin'for the Train to Come In" Peggy Lee sings about waiting for her man to come home, waiting for her life to begin, implying that her life was nothing, that she in fact did nothing, until her man got home. In this way, the lyrics are dated. This, however, is a bonus not a liability. This is like a time capsule... and overall simply entertaining.

4 out of 5 stars

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR YOUR GRANDPARENTS August 1, 2003
36 out of 36 found this review helpful

Here it is! I was just a little kid when the 2nd WW was going on, but our radio played at least 12 hours a day, and these songs are the ones I remember hearing all the time. The title is absolutely "right on". They are the songs that got us through.In my family we had 3 men in the service, including my father. So songs like the classic, I'll Be Seeing You by Sinatra & Dorsey, and Till Then, by The Mills Brothers were especially poignant for my mother & married sisters whose husbands were overseas. People in my age group and older who enjoy nostalgia, as I do will find themselves taken back to those "scary & yet exciting" days of what was hoped to be the final war. I'll be giving those memories to several people on my Christmas list this year.

5 out of 5 stars

Sentimental Journey May 15, 2005
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Rhino has done an excellent job with this collection. This disc was one of my dad's & came to me after his passing, but I've been startled by how much I truly enjoy it. The Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" has long been familiar to me, particularly with the Bette Midler cover that updated the tune. The original pops out joyfully "playing reverie 8 to the bar." Frank Sinatra's voice was in its prime when he sang with Tommy Dorsey & he does sound magnificent on the dreamy "I'll Be Seeing You." Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a swinging delight from 1943. (I can picture my mom & dad walking down the isle of the chapel that year!) The Mills Brothers were always some of my dad's favorites & I can see why on the touching slow song "Till Then." With our soldiers currently over in Iraq & Afghanistan, the universality of "When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)" really struck me. Vaughn Monroe's vocals may sound a bit formal for modern ears, but the melody & sentiment are quite moving. No, we don't have to turn out our lights because of potential air raids as they did in Europe, but we can certainly hope for peace in parts of the world where we daily see civilians being targeted. "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" by Johnny Mercer is one of those songs I heard sung on many car trips as a child, its philosophy often being quoted at trying times. Louis Armstrong's "I Wonder" is a gorgeous melody with Louis' vocals packing an emotional wallop. Les Brown's "Sentimental Journey" is such a well-known classic melody that this 1945 recording is one that seems to sum up an era. I've been struck by how modern Peggy Lee's phrasing seems to me. While the musical style of "Waiting for the Train to Come In" certainly speaks to 1945, her lovely vocals seem timeless. This collection by Rhino is one I will cherish, not only for my own personal "Sentimental Journey" but because the music still speaks to us today! Enjoy!

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