Edison Sound Recordings - (Humorous Songs) Audio CD
	Echoes of Merriment from the Corridors of History.... "I was never so taken aback in my life--I was always afraid of things that worked the first time." --Thomas A. Edison on hearing his voice play back to him from his first tin foil phonograph.

Music hath the power to soothe the savage beast. Over the ages, mankind has found relaxation, entertainment and new meaning to life by this power. The ability of make music is as unique to the human being as is the power of reasoning.

And yet, the making of music would not have progressed beyond the stand-up chamber acapella stage if Thomas Alva Edison had not invented the phonograph. It is the recording of sound and the critical analysis that is thereby made possible that contributes to improved techniques and technology. From the crude tinfoil-based contraption he initially experimented with in 1917, onto the wieldier and versatile wax cylinder - of which the once popular LP was the direct descendant - Edison was the pioneer of immortalizing music and sound in general for posterity. He gave the world its first recordings through his National Phonograph Company. Though his patent was eventually improved upon by others and he finally ceased production of recorded music, we cannot forget that it was Thomas Edison who is, by implication, the father of recorded sound. For that reason alone, his early recordings are a matter of historical importance.

Edison Sound Recordings - (Humorous Songs) Audio CD from the A2ZCDS series is a bona fide gem. The CD features 18 tracks of amazing range and includes funny limericks backed by music, a mock court case that will have you in splits, enacted humorous situations that are evident precursors of the ever-popular sitcom genre, hilariously absurd poetic recollections and various other recordings that have genuine artistic value. Tracks featured here include ‘The Aba Daba Honeymoon’ by Fields and Donovan, ‘Farmyard Medley’ by the Premier Quartet, ‘I’ve Been Floating Down The Old Green River’ by Joe Cooper, ‘The Preacher and the Bear’ by Joe Arizona and many other immortal items. The music and voices speak to us from a bygone historic age that would have been lost to all but the most ardent and resourceful historians and sound buffs - however, here they are.... completely restored, remastered for optimum audibility and collected in convenient CD format for you to pore over and be transported back to sound recording’s Age of Infancy.

Listen to Samples:

To hear a song sample, click on the "Listen ."

TRACK	RUNNING TIME	MP3
1. Aba Daba Honeymoon	00:0:19	Listen
2. Happy tho' married	00:04:36	Listen
3. Uncle Josh buys an Automobile	00:04:39
4. Gasoline Gus	00:03:23
5. I've been floating	00:02:53
6. The band festival	00:04:21
7. Farmyard medley	00:04:09
8. The preacher and the bear	00:04:17
9. A police court scene	00:04:17
10. Backyard conversation	00:03:33
11. Cohen on his honeymoon	00:03:44
12. Dinnie Donohue	00:03:50
13. The shop girl	00:04:07
14. Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean	00:03:04
15. A visit to Reilly's	00:04:04
16. Die Witwe und ihre sieben Maenner	00:03:44
17. Polka Warszawska	00:03:04
18. Polski taniec / Aleksander Iwanowski	00:02:58

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EDITORIAL REVIEW:

As would be expected from the world’s first authentic sound recordings, the tracks on the Edison Sound Recordings - (Humorous Songs) Audio CD are far from Dolby standards. What is delightfully surprising is the fact that there is an amazing level of clarity. We must, at all times of browsing this CD collection, remember that we are listening to audio history here. It has been remarkably well preserved and superceded my own expectations as a sound engineer.

The second pleasant surprise is the genuine entertainment value of this CDs content. There is real humor in the subject matter, artistic voice inflection for added effect and an overall aura of accomplished Vaudeville. This collection can be scanned from both a historical and pleasurable distraction perspective. It is evident that certain winning formulas in stand-up comedy - including the type of background music - have survived the test of time. Anyone who has seen Disney’s early Buena Vista cartoons will have an instant sense of déjà vu. This CD is highly recommended, especially for serious collectors of rare audio materials.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"I could not help but latch o to the irony - at the time there recordings were made, the LP would have been considered High Technology. And here I was, listening to these long dead voices from the past, using equipment that exists only in museums now, on my expensive digital Kenwood Sound System. This is history at its purest - interactive, self-explanatory and totally delightful to perceive. Many thanks, A2ZCDS - this was a rare and memorable experience."

Customer's Name: Haridas Mundra (New Delhi, India)