Reviews (6)

Best German Oktoberfest Music
As a real Bavarian (living in Munich, Bavaria) this one of the best Oktoberfest music compilations.
Listen, take a big glass of beer (1 Liter) and enjoy !!!!!!!!!!

Greetings from Munich, Bavaria

Ein Prosit Der Gemuetlichkeit!!
This is an "ausgezeichnet" (excellent) CD for the price! I was born and raised in a German family and some of my fondest memories of childhood center around the Oktoberfests we always went to. The endless rows of tables of men in lederhosen (yes, I had a pair myself) and women in Bavarian dirndls rocking back and forth, holding enormous bierkrugs and singing many of the songs on this CD, still stay fresh in my mind. This CD is an excellent value, all around. So push this one into your player,
lift high your bierkrug, and enjoy!

Good quality CD.
This CD does not feature crowd noise in the background - just nice clear music. About half the selections are instrumentals. There were no lyrics enclosed, which disappointed me. Nice selection overall.

Hörvergnugen - Listening Pleasure!
This is fun CD with old-time German drinking/socializing music. My grandparents came from Germany, and this is the traditional music I remember hearing at their house. It's good to just relax to, or to create atmosphere at an Oktoberfest party. A great value for the money!

Oktoberfest in German
This CD is awesome. True German festive songs. I am of German decent and truly enjoy music from the fatherland. These songs will make you "want to party" and drink beer in a gardening atmosphere. Love this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Competent performances
Like other productions by Lawrence Welk and Myron Floren, this one is professionally performed, but it really doesn't generate a lot of excitement. It could use a little more variation in tempo from track to track. There are no lyrics anywhere, even though most of these songs come with them. This is the first time, for example, that I have heard Just Because without the words. This CD just doesn't have the pizazz of a Frankie Yankovic or a Joey Miskulin or an Eddie Blazonczyk. It's several cuts above elevator music, however.

Worlds Greatest Polkas
Say what you want about Welk and Floren, but they can come up with some pretty darn good music. Great songs and great sound! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Biggest Hits
Great sound quality of Lawrence Welks 50s orchestra. Good selection of tunes.Should have more songs on it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Zivili brace, zivili sestra
On St. Patrick's Day everyone wants to be Irish, and listening to this album may make you wish you were Polish. Even if you don't know how to polka, it's almost impossible to stay still when you hear these joyous, infectiously bouncy dance tunes. Frankie Yankovic and a lot of guest stars, including Drew Carey and Weird Al Yankovic (his son, I presume?) sing these old favorites with great gusto.

I bought this album because my fiance was talking nostalgically about the ethnic music programs he used to hear on the radio in his childhood, back when local radio really was local, and not homogenized Clearchannel pop. This music brings back a lot of great memories.

good purchase for good listening
Not a rehash, this is good stuff for us thirsty Polka fans

Frankie at his best!
In this CD, along with Volume Two of the same title, Frankie Yankovic outdoes himself. The performances are energetic and the recordings are superb. In the liner notes to Volume Two, we find that "Frank Yankovic is now 82 years old and in frail health" (he died about a year later). The accordion parts on this CD were performed, I believe, by Frank's faithful sidekick of at least 30 years, Joey Miskulin. But, on most of the tracks, Frankie still performs the vocals himself, and kicks in with his trademark instrument, the solovox organ. On most tracks, some vocals are also contributed by various other artists who have gathered together to salute the greatest polka performer of all time. Volumes 1 and 2 of Songs of the Polka King are Yankovic's best efforts ever. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nice Cowboy CD
i really like the CD. it has nice instrumentals of many classic cowboy songs. the quality is very good too. the only downfall is that the CD is only about 30 minutes long so it is quite short. but other than that, i recommend it for anyone wanting to hear these nice classic songs.

The Greatest Cowboy Songs Ever
By far, the best instrumental of Western songs I have heard. Very well done! Truely does make you feel you are back in the Old West spiritually!

A Straight Foward Cowboy Instrumental
A collection of tunes that will carry you away to the far reaches of the old west. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lawrence Welk is still the best!
Lawrence Welk is the greatest artist of his time! His music is perfect to sip sparkling apple juice to! It is perfect to eat nice dinner of jello or tapioca pudding and listen to the master from Minnesota! Lawrence Welk rules!

A real mood-booster, like any Welk recording.
This recording has melodious, solemn numbers in addition to peppy, merry, ones. More people should give Welk music a chance - they might like it. Hey, I'm only twenty-nine years old, and I adore it!

If you like Polkas, Ragtime, Southern Rock, Ballads, and/or Hymns, you'll like this collection. They don't come any better than this. It really is a lot of bang for your buck. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A decent overview of the original hits (no remakes)
Although this does omit the top 20 hit "Iron Range Polka" this does offer a decent overview of Frankie's signature songs in their original hit versions all in stereo except for the 2 top 10 hits he's ever had as they have been released in the 1940's, "Blue Skirt Waltz" and "Just Because." Other highlights on here include "Too Fat Polka," "Who Stole The Keeshka," and what I think is the definitive polka, the "Beer Barrel Polka." As another review has stated this was released on vinyl back in 1967 on Columbia and now for the low price of about $, you can enjoy the polka king right on this CD. Unless you are a diehard fan, this is probably the only CD you'll ever need by Frankie with most of his signature songs among its 11 songs all in their original hit versions with no filler.

Polka at its best.
Go ahead. You know you want to buy a polka album, drink some beer, and dance around the living room. Frankie and the Yanks don't disappoint with this solid collection of their hits. You just can't go wrong with the Pennsylvania Polka or with Frankie Yankovic.

An anthology of older recordings
Greatest Hits was originally released as a vinyl LP in about 1967, and was at the time a collection of titles from earlier recordings. There is no such thing as a bad release by Frankie, but those wishing to start a Yankovic collection would do better to order Songs of the Polka King Volume I and/or Songs of the Polka King Volume II, on the Cleveland International label. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you like polkas, you'll love this CD
Myron Floren shows why he's considered the best accordianist around. Great tune selections, great artistry, and a fabulous band backing him up (who's that on the 2d accoridan?) I have Frankie's 2 CD collection of great polkas, but I play this one 7 times as much. Put this on in your car on Monday going to work and see if the work week doesn't start a little better!

Just a cut below the very best
Myron Floren is one of the world's most accomplished accordionists. When he was on the Lawrence Welk show, his performances were backed up by clapping and stomping from the entire Welk orchestra. His solo CDs, such as this, do not generate quite the excitement you might expect, although several other instruments supplement the accordion here. This is a decent CD, but there are no lyrics on any of these tracks, and little variation in tempo or style. More fun can be had from Joey Miskulin, Eddie Blazonczyk, Jimmy Sturr, and Frankie Yankovic, to name a few. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Breathtaking Big Band
The Big Band sound is hitting hard like rock; it jumps at you. The Brass Section is breathtakingly awesome. A very refreshing sound and good brass blends. The solo pieces are superb. This music is very enjoyable to listen to especially when relaxing late at night or very early in the morning. I also find that it contains some good dance swings. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hoop-I, Shoop-I!
Al Soyka is polka king in my family! This collection of medleys displays the excellent musicianship that permeated his orchestra. His brother-Ray's velvety smooth vocal stylings are easy on the ears, but still drive the celebratory spirit of these happy songs.
Al & Ray are my mom's first cousins, and I grew up listening to these songs, and dancing to the record player in my living room. My Uncle Eddie played sax and violin in the orchestra and did much of the arranging. After Al retired from the music industry and moved to Florida, Uncle Eddie formed his own band. Imagine the honor and thrill it was for me to play with him!
If you love polka music, and appreciate top quality music and musicians, this album should be in your collection. Al Soyka & Orchestra were tops in their field back in the day! Give it a listen. You won't be disappointed!!

The Music of Al Soyka and HIs Orchestra
I have known Al Soyka for some 40 years and would say that his music was very inspiring to many youthful musicians that went on to play for many bands and/or had a band of their own. Al Soyka, with brother Ray singing, his musicians, had some of the most pleasant music any one could listen to. Al's bello shaking was something to see and hear, with the sweat running down his face and his pleasant smile, one knew that he enjoyed his accordion and the polish music. I do not believe that any other orchestra out of the Massachusetts or Connecticut area could compete with Al's style. I honestly believe that Al with his accordion had turned many youngsters in taking up the accordion as their instrument of choice. His many albums with so many great tunes recorded, were and still are very much in demand by request on different radio stations. I sincerely believe that had they had the awards then as they do today, Al Soyka and his Orchestra would bring home a GRAMMY, if not more than once. At this writing, I would prefer to listen to Al Soyka's music than that of Jimmy Sturr. It was a great loss for the people in the Massachusetts, Connecticut and other areas when the band disbanded and Al left for Florida.

Slower polkas, well performed and recorded
According to the jacket, this CD contains twelve tracks, most of which are medleys of about four tunes each. Imagine my surprise when, at the end of the twelve tracks, the CD kept playing! There are actually 21 tracks. Tracks 13-20 are repeats of 2-9, while track 21 is a repeat of track 1. The polkas are in the slower, Polish, tempo. I generally prefer the faster Slovenian/Cleveland or German styles, but it's a matter of personal taste. There is variety here, too, with obereks, waltzes, and a medley of czardas (whatever they are). Pleasant listening.

Polka is the name of the happy game!
This Cd is fantastic. Every song is a hit! It has great transitions and I cant wait till his next CD comes out! Well, Here is my story... I had just broken up with my girlfriend, Lucille, and I was very upset, down in the dumps. As I was sitting in my living room, I heard a song come on the radio. It was Al Soyka's "Nobody Can Resist A Polka", and I jumped out of my chair and started cutting a rug, well, if I had a rug it would have been torn to shreds! The next day I went out and bought this CD. I played it in my Silver Pinto and I was asked out by 4 beautiful women that day! The next day I got 6! This CD is a blessing for all of mankind! Even my fish; Garth Brooks, loved it! He had been known to jump up and out of his tank. Well, one day Garth got a little too excited and perished. I was heartbroken! He was my one and only friend! But, I turned on this CD, song number 5, "Good Luck Polka" and my tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. My new fish, Paul Ka (get it?) is now my best friend. And the way he dances to this Cd makes me believe that my beloved Garth is still with me. Lucille and I got back together after she saw me in my car with all of those women around me (she got jealous) and now we are married with two kids, Al and Sonya. BUY THIS CD! It works miracles! It will change your life! IT SURE CHANGED MINE!!!

Polka polka and more polka!
this is the best polka music i have ever heard. WHAt a collection!!! I could never imagine so many hits on one cd. It made me get up and dance with my dog Alsoyka. I regestered him in the annual dog polka bbq. If anypone has info on next years festival please contact me at plka4me@aol.com Im serious, if you are the type of person that likes good music, BUY THIS CD. On another note, if you are looking for a good time (polka and fine wine, I have the best collection of Bristol Farms Wine) we can arrange something. I am in love with this cd!! Buy it! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Turn Off-A The-A Bubble Machine
The title comes from Stan Freberg's wonderful 1957 parody of Mr. Welk and his "bubbly' musical style [Wun-erful, Wun'erful], a format that drew more than it's fair share of ridicule from the more acerbic musical "experts" who fell into a pit known as "only R&R counts." Among those sharing their barbs and darts with Welk were people like Pat Boone, Paul Anka, and Bobby Vinton. Strangely, however, the ones just mentioned all shared one common factor: their music sold in the millions.

In Lawrence Welk's case he put 28 selections into the all-important Billboard Top 100 charts between his first in 1944 - I Wish That I Could Hide Inside This Letter and the flip, Cleanin' My Rifle (And Dreamin' Of You), which made it to # 14 and # 17 respectively - and his last in 1965 - Apples And Bananas [# 75].

The problem is, try and find most of them in CD format today. Aside from the many Welk compilations that offer up polkas, Christmas tunes, waltzes, songs of faith, Big Band, and even Country, only two purport to present the "best of" Lawrence Welk. This one, and one called Biggest Hits. The latter contains nothing that charted for Lawrence, while this gives us exactly four: Last Date [erroneously shown at track 10 as Last Dance], Yellow Bird, Baby Elephant Walk, and Calcutta.

The other sixteen tracks [with the exception of track 1 which more or less became his theme] were never associated with him. Any "best of" would be far more accurate if it included: the first 1944 hits mentioned above; Don't Sweetheart Me/Mairzy Doats and Is My Baby Blue Tonight, also from 1944; Shame On You with Red Foley [1945]; Oh, Happy Day [1953]; Moritat, The Poor People Of Paris, On The Street Where You Live, Weary Blues/In The Alps (with The McGuire Sisters), Tonight You Belong To Me/When The White Lilacs Bloom Again - all from 1956; Liechtenstein Polka [1957]; Theme From My Three Sons and Riders In The Sky - both [1961]; Runaway and Zero-Zero [1962]; Scarlett O'Hara/Breakwater [1963]; Stockholm [1964]; and Apples And Bananas [1965].

At least this contains his only # 1 - Calcutta - which has a bit of a story behind it. It seems the producer at Dot Records wanted to get out an instrumental version quickly to compete with several vocal versions, and when Lawrence could not be immediately located, several members of the band were called in to record it, including Frank Scott on harpsichord. Released under the billing Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra, Mr. Welk was never a part of the recording!

Until a definitive hits "best of" comes along, this is probably the best you're going to find.

The Maestro of all time
Unlike most Welk afficionados, I was never a fan of his TV show. A bit too flashy for my down to earth taste. Thankfully, the maestro's music eschewed the flash, always focusing on the substance of the piece and getting deep into the heart of the music. So it goes on this exceptional collection. Does anyone need to hear Tony Orlando spell out the meaning of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree"? Does not the music speak volumes on its own? Sure does, and no one spoke the universal language of music with the fluency of Mr. One ana Two ana Three himself.

Wunnerful, Wunnerful!
I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. Many of the songs such as Tie a "Yellow Ribbon" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin" are done in instrumental form which is preferable to some of the previous versions including lyrics. This album explores some of the many styles with which Welk was so fluent. Even some of the well known hits such as "Love is Blue" are greatly enhanced by that touch of magic accompanied with the light and happy feel that Welk added to every one of his pieces. I have discovered through experience that most non-Welk music is like flat champagne.

A Classic
Lawrence Welk always had the touch.i used to watch his show back in the day.the music here is tight.great Music&Production on this set.

Agreeable Collection of Champagne Music
A great sampling of some of Welk's best-known arrangements of popular songs. The #1 hit "Calcutta" is here in its original form. Great sound quality. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Early Welk
This is just terrific early stuff by Lawrence. Don't expect his modern band sound with this one. This has gotta be from the 30's.

Quite frankly,when my sister first heard it,she didn't even recognize it as Lawrence.

If you like the fast music from the 30's..this is for you. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Brings Back Memories
This cd brings back memories of both my father and mother who are no longer with us. It's great to sit and listen to the music and think about them and just enjoy the music.

More catchy than beautiful
The word "waltzes" brings to mind the Blue Danube, the Skater's Waltz, and a few others. Those are missing here. There are some catchy and well-known waltzes, but they tend to remind me of "real" versions I have heard elsewhere. These are decent performances, but they will make you yearn for the best. ... Read more

Album Description

More marches, waltzes, and fox trots in this recording of the New Verbeeck Band Organat Seabreeze Park in Upstate New York. On a hill above scenic Lake Ontario, the music of the band organ can be heard on the breezes drifting over the blue water. Twenty-three tunes bring back the sounds of summer from Seabreeze Park - the whirling carousel and prancing horses spin around to the music of childhood, and this fabulous recording captures the wonderful memories. Grab the popcorn, and come for a ride!This completely digital recording is crystal clear and an oversized insert includes pictures and fond memories of Merrick Price - to whom the album is dedicated. The last song was recorded on the carousel while it was moving - an innovative idea that captures the sensation of really being on the ride is enhanced by wearing headphones. This piece of Americana in music - a must for the audio collector, carousel enthusiast, or fan of mechanical music, is a one-of-a-kind gift item. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Consistently great despite the variety
How many "various artists" CDs produce consistently top-notch performances and sound quality from beginning to end?Only Cleveland International seems able to pull this off.There's not a bad track in the works, despite the large track count (27).The Cleveland-Slovenian polka style ROCKS!If I had to pick favorites, I guess I'd choose Eddie Rodick, Frank Stanger, Fritz, Gary Seibert, and a couple of others, but this list doesn't do justice to the ones I left out.This CD, along with its predecessor, Volume 1, are also the LOUDEST discs I have ever heard.If you play them on a changer, you'll have to adjust the volume between this recording and the others in your collection -- unless you want this one to blast out, to impress your friends.Impressing people is easy with performances like these.

American Polkas on Parade
I recently picked up this cd at a local store in Denver just to try it out. Although there were some interesting choices of repertoire and musicians (leading off with Wanda and Stephanie didn't exactly encourage meto continue listening!) I was pleasantly surprised at the mix of musicalstyles and overall level of playing. I particularly enjoyed "ZivioSlovenci" by The Al Meixner Trio- which had a unique blend of adriving Cleveland- Slovenian beat, solid accordionwork and tight 3 partharmonies.... If there are any other CDs out by this group in specific I'ddefinitely recommend checking them out... Besides that John Gora andGorale, the Polka Quads and Eric Knoltkamper turn in some greatcontemporary American polka performances, next to classic cuts by HappyLouie and Markic and Zagger. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Marvelous Music
A super collection of polkas in the Bavarian and Tyrolean style. If you like polkas, these tunes will give you goose bumps.

Bauern Polka's Fun to do
This is an album full of wellknown and unknown pearls of the south german and austrian countries in Europe. Well played and if you are into this type of music, worth while listening too. And the beauty of it is : this album is not available in Holland so Thanks to Amazon I layed a hand on it.

Truely Magnificant and Outstanding!
European Polka Hits is a delightful selection of german and swiss music that tends to rase your being beyond the physical realm and makes you feel like you are actually in the alps. I highly recommend it to all German music lovers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"We saw new dances like `The Freeze' and `The Achy Breaky' spreading like an epidemic in country dance halls," the members of Brave Combo write in the liner notes to their new album, Group Dance Epidemic. "Then terpsichorean plague struck--`The Macarena.' No one was spared, not even the vice president of the United States." Does Brave Combo, the polka-rock band from Texas, object to these developments? No, they love it. They are fervent evangelists for the democratizing and uplifting values of group dances, no matter how corny (plus it gives them more work). Thus the album features a dozen songs that have been dance-floor-tested for group participation, and the CD booklet comes with dance instructions for each.

"The Freeze," "The Achy Breaky," and "The Macarena" are not included, but Van McCoy's disco classic, "The Hustle," is. Most of the others belong to an earlier age when dancers bent their knees and backs to do the "Limbo Rock," flapped their elbows to the "Chicken Dance," shuffled their soles to the "Mexican Hat Dance," and waved their hands over their heads for "The Hokey Pokey." This is not the sort of album you'll want to sit around and listen to, but if you're having friends over to the house and you're afraid they're going to talk about the federal budget, you might want to put this on.

Because Brave Combo is a bohemian band from Austin, these songs have two layers. At the forefront of the mix, the tune and beat are strong and clear, but in the background, secondary beats and jazzy embellishments are complicating things. The band's approach is reflected in their notes for "The Bunny Hop:" "Cute dance for children or modern fertility rite? That's the same thing, isn't it? This version features an Aboriginal dronepipe (the didgeridoo) and quotations from Peter Cottontail and Duke Ellington's `Cottontail.'" --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Almost perfect
My kids, 3 and 5, developed a sudden fascination with the "Chicken Dance." I looked around for a good recording, and when I saw the Brave Combo version grabbed it (they think "All Wound Up" rules)

We've been generally happy with one small nit. In their search for artistic differentiation the band has thrown in quite a few twists that, while they sound interesting, make it a bit hard to dance to. That's not cool for an album titled "Group Dance Epidemic."

Still, it's a great kid's album and highly recommended.

Lunatic Fun
If you want a band that stays in one style and groove, forget it! A person could get stylistic whiplash off of this CD. The jump from Mana Vu to The Jeffrey comes to mind. The thing is though it is all played with real joy and passion, something most recordings are devoid of these days. The American Bandstand ratings system of is it cool and can you dance to it comes up with max marks for both. For those clueless, there's even instructions for how to dance to it.

Unadulterated Fun.
This CD is unadulterated FUN. The band is tight. The recording is good. I love what they do with the music, styles and lyrics. My all time favorite, though, is the Bunny Hop. It's great swing. I can't listen to this selection only once. I always repeat it. TWO versions of the Hokey Pokey - who could ask for more?! The Limbo Rock / Hand Jive is great. I always sing along with Mana Vu. (Jeffrey is nuts (in a good and creative way).) That's my humble and entertained opinion.

Worlds Greatest Dance Band
There is no other way to put it. I don't know how someone can listen to any of their music and not want to dance. Don T. Ft.Worth TX

Group Dance Epidemic
You haven't LIVED until you've danced to Brave Combo! More specifically, to BC's rockin' version of the Hokey Pokey! This album has many of the classic dance tunes you'll hear at a BC show, although for full effect, you simply MUST see them live. I do so on a regular basis for my mental health! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Claudia(below), what a marvelous gift for your mother.
That's too bad that your mom had those injuries, but I'm so glad that this set was out for you to get for her. Whereas there is a wide variety of music in it, it all has that palatability that Welk music is known for. What can one say, but "Wunnerful, wunnerful!".

Outstanding !
My mom is recovering from many medical problems,a head injury being one of them. I bought this as a surprize for her. Not only does she love it,but me the old 51 year old baby boomer am enjoying this also. This is what I listened to as a kid. Remember..one tv..mom always won out on The Lawrence Welk Show !!

The sound is just superb !! If you are a fan,get this right now..you'll ever do better. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A grab bag of old stuff
This is one of those "various artists" CDs formed by stringing snatches of old recordings together. One track, supposedly a medley, seems to have been created by splicing two Frankie Yankovic tapes from the 1950s. I remember that track from a... vinyl LP, by unidentified artists, from about 1970. It's not all that bad, though. At least the recording quality is decent. And "Little Green Men Polka" has some funny lyrics and a catchy tune. ... Read more