Mitch Miller & The Gang - 50 All-American Favorites (2004)

This double-disc set is one of the more bountiful compilations gleaned from Mitch Miller's voluminous Columbia Records catalog. Unfortunately, the contents of 50 All-American Favorites (2004) have been confined to the years 1958 to 1962, during which time Miller's unconventional performance style was on its final descent. Mitch Miller & the Gang consisted of Miller fronting a full choral ensemble of vocalists who sang in unison. As the bandleader was also the concurrent head of Columbia Records' Artists and Repertoire, he was able to use his business savvy and influence to flood the market with a seemingly endless stream of thematic releases. The long-players were filled with familiar popular music, folk, seasonal, and patriotic standards and often came with removable singalong lyric sheets that could be distributed for the purpose of audience participation. As remarkable as it might seem from the perspective of a modern pop listener, Miller and company garnered no less than 19 Top 40 singles by 1958 -- the point at which the anthology begins. That is one reason that none of Miller's best-known sides are included -- although every entry provides a clear indication of the Gang's straightforward material. A glance at the track list yields the most obvious examples of the undeniably ersatz and otherwise unimaginative fare. From the American heartland songbook comes the practically anticipated "Home on the Range," "My Melancholy Baby," "Ain't We Got Fun," and the occasional medley combining the likes of "School Days" with "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" and "Sidewalks of New York." A few of the selections from the God and Country files are "Rock of Ages," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," and "Beautiful Ohio." Of course there are scores of wholesome early 20th century classics such as "Goodnight, Irene," "Red River Valley," "Down by the Old Mill Stream," "Carolina in the Morning," "Tea for Two," and "Bye, Bye Blackbird," among them. For those wishing to find a disc with Miller & the Gang's "hits," both the 15-cut Greatest Hits (1999) or 16 Most Requested Songs (1988) are worth searching out. Parties looking for specific album titles should be aware that the Collectables label has issued Mmmmitch!/Music Until Midnight (2000), More Sing-Along With Mitch/Still More! Sing-Along (2001), and It's So Peaceful in the Country/European Holiday (2003) as two-fer CDs.