The Wonderful 30s: The Golden Age Of Popular Song

(3-CD set) If the 1920's started out with a bang, the 30's began with a whimper. The stock market crash brought about the loss of personal fortunes, bank failures, foreclosures on homes and farms and failure of businesses. The net result was widespread unemployment, homelessness and despair. Amidst this turbulence, the decade enjoyed a golden age of popular music. Record sales drastically declined during the Great Depression and many labels failed. However, the 50 titles included here comprise a virtual hit parade of songs that survived the decade. While life was not always wonderful at that time, the music and records left to posterity certainly were. Most artists in this set were recording in the 1920's, yet their style evolved with the sounds of the new decade.

Many bouncy swing tunes included here give no sense of the turmoil facing the nation. To the contrary, listening to songs like On The Sunny Side Of The Street, With Plenty Of Money And You and I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams suggest a carefree time. This was probably no accident. Both Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood conspired to create songs and films that would help ease the public's pain, at least for a while. This set ends with All The Things You Are, considered by many to be among the most perfect pop songs ever written.