Capitol Collectors Series: The Andrews Sisters

Twenty-five Andrews Sisters tracks dating mostly from October 1956, after the trio reformed following Patty Andrews' attempt at a solo career. On signing them, Capitol Records got the trio to do new versions of their classic Decca hits for the LP The Andrews Sisters in Hi-Fi. The effort was a worthy one, as the trio still sang splendidly, and with all of the verve they'd displayed 20 years earlier, and Vic Schoen, who'd done all of their band arrangements back when, was present for these sessions as well. In view of the easy availability of their hits for Decca Records, the material on this CD may seem superfluous, but the performances have much of the same easy, swinging charm that their late-'30s and 1940s classics displayed, with better recording to go with it, and the trio's maturity — the sisters were in their forties rather than their twenties — works in their favor, allowing them to add a few fresh nuances and articulate the lyrics anew, giving listeners a pleasing look back at the old with just a smidgen of new thrown in. Additionally, at the time of its release, the sound on this disc was superior to that of any of MCA's CDs of the original hits, although they have since improved those masters.