Music Appreciation: The Mills Brothers
Aug. 13th, 2003 12:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
markjwilderI like a lot of music. So I've decided to start a series of entries dedicated to some of the artists I like. I'll include an MP3 where I can so you can get a taste of them. I'll try not to go into their backgrounds and histories too much (there are sites I'll link to that do that just fine), but instead just focus on how I stumbled onto them, and why I like them. If you download and listen to the MP3, I'd appreciate a comment that tells me what you think (good or bad, your taste is your own)!
I got into The Mills Brothers (AMG page) when I bought my dad a CD (out of the cheapy bin) of their music for some occasion. Whatever the occasion, the gift never made it to dad; I opened it, listened to it, and fell in love with it. I had bought it for him because I remembered that he had an 8-track of their music when I was a kid. That CD (called "Sweeter than Sugar") was a compilation of their early (1930's and 40's) songs when there were four brothers. The arrangements are all simple, with one person singing lead and the rest doing back-up and instumentation. The only real instrument is a guitar, and the brothers would imitate a bass and sometimes horns (a dead-on muted trumpet). Simple, but wonderful voices and great songs (standards of the time, mostly). Later, they'd play backed by big bands and other "real" instruments (after the guitar-playing brother died), and I don't like that later stuff as much. But the early Mills Brothers songs just make me happy with their doo-wop simplicity. They seem to be smiling while their singing.
The song included is a relatively new one for me, off another compilation I found recently (here) that shows all of the virtues I've talked about. If you like this song, you'll like the whole CD (there's a couple of songs with Louie Armstrong backing, but most are the simple instrumentation that I appreciate).
Download Mills Brothers - FDR Jones (2844kB)
I got into The Mills Brothers (AMG page) when I bought my dad a CD (out of the cheapy bin) of their music for some occasion. Whatever the occasion, the gift never made it to dad; I opened it, listened to it, and fell in love with it. I had bought it for him because I remembered that he had an 8-track of their music when I was a kid. That CD (called "Sweeter than Sugar") was a compilation of their early (1930's and 40's) songs when there were four brothers. The arrangements are all simple, with one person singing lead and the rest doing back-up and instumentation. The only real instrument is a guitar, and the brothers would imitate a bass and sometimes horns (a dead-on muted trumpet). Simple, but wonderful voices and great songs (standards of the time, mostly). Later, they'd play backed by big bands and other "real" instruments (after the guitar-playing brother died), and I don't like that later stuff as much. But the early Mills Brothers songs just make me happy with their doo-wop simplicity. They seem to be smiling while their singing.
The song included is a relatively new one for me, off another compilation I found recently (here) that shows all of the virtues I've talked about. If you like this song, you'll like the whole CD (there's a couple of songs with Louie Armstrong backing, but most are the simple instrumentation that I appreciate).
Download Mills Brothers - FDR Jones (2844kB)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 11:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 11:18 am (UTC)That said, your first selection really doesn't do anything for me. I know you said to give comments, good or bad, but I always feel terrible putting down something someone else likes. But, like you said, tastes are our own. So... I'm not really familiar with the Mills Brothers. I've heard their name before, and have heard it associated with this type of music, so I'll assume it's representative of what they do. I don't find it offensive or anything, it just... doesn't move me. I personally find this kind of music to be a bit... whitebread. Soulless. I would picture this song played for laughs over a goofy scene in a movie. Again, it's not bad, per se, I just can't imagine myself choosing to listen to this.
So, sorry to insult your first choice. But I really am looking forward to future selections! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 12:31 pm (UTC)Thanks for the song!
no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-13 02:10 pm (UTC)