[Dixielandjazz] Proper Records - Spike Jones

[Ron L'Herault]

A friend gave me this same collection recently.  She'd been given it but
didn't really care for it.  Disk three is no good.  It skips and
repeats.  I hope yours is all OK.

Ron L

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Stan Brager
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 3:32 PM
To: DJML
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Proper Records - Spike Jones

I've just purchased a bargain from the used CD place where I get most of
my
CD's. It was Spike Jones and his City Slickers on the Proper label. The
collection spans the period from the first recordings of the City
Slickers
in the early 40's through some of those made in the 1950's. It includes
some
transcription recordings, V-discs, "in concert" and radio broadcasts as
well
as many of their RCA studio stuff on 4 CD's.

I've always enjoyed listening to the band and these recordings brought
back
many memories as well as laughs. However, some of the tracks sound
somewhat
muffled compared to the 78's I remember and compared to RCA single CD
collection of Spike Jones. The Proper label says that the recordings
were
digitally remastered. Yet, the tuba comes off as a dull thump instead of
the
rich tones I'm used to. Also, the high end seems to lack clarity when I
compare this Proper box to other recordings by other bands from the same
period and on RCA as well.

The liner notes were informative but with a lot of grammatical and
spelling
errors. The dates of each of the cuts were duly noted along with the
composers of the music. The set also lacked a listing of personnel on
each
of the tracks which is important to me.

Could my ears be playing tricks on me? Or is this indicative of the
general
quality of the Proper label?

Don Ingle whose father "Red" Ingle was one of the original members of
the
City Slickers, in a post from a few years ago, pointed to the Spike
Jones
collection on the Bear Family label. How does that compare to the Proper
Box?

Thanks;

Stan
Stan Brager



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