All the sides waxed for the legendary label by the top-notch guitarist in the 1936-1947 period. Only master takes.
Tracklisting:
01. Begin the Beguine
02. Blue Skies
03. Dream Dust
04. Dark Eyes
05. It's Been a Long Long Time
06. Whose Dreams Are You?
07. Hawaiian Paradise
08. My Isle of Golden Dreams
09. Baby, What You Do for Me
10. Everybody Knew But Me
11. Song of the Islands
12. Sweet Leilani
13. King's Serenade
14. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
15. Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight
16. Aloha Oe
17. Pretending
18. Gotta Get Me Somebody To Love
19. A One Sided Affair
20. What Would it Take
21. Steel Guitar Rag
22. Guitar Boogie
23. Gotta Get Me Somebody To Love
24. What Am I Gonna Do About You?
25. Drifting and Dreaming
26. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
27. My Future Just Passed
Total time: 77:06 min.
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Review:
"Although they were made some time before Les Paul developed the first Gibson solid-body guitar, and before the true depth of his brilliance as a musician and innovator were recognized, these Decca recordings, cut between 1936 and 1947, contain the full range of his abilities. Paul's guitar playing is dynamic to be sure, and though there is a bit of everything here--jazz, country, Hawaiian music, and the mainstream pop of the day--Paul sounds equally at ease in all styles.
There are recordings by Paul's trio (piano, guitar, and bass) and some after he added a drummer to the ensemble. There are also plenty of appearances by guest vocalists, including Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and Helen Forest. Considering the dates on these sessions, the sound quality is quite good, and that, along with his dazzling six-string technique and stylistic reach, makes this an indispensable overview of Les Paul's early work."
-All Music Guide
