What? No Babs!
Everyone's bound to have quibbles with a collection such as this one. I would much prefer to have Mabel Mercer's version of "Ballad of the Sad Young Men," for instance (although Rod McKuen's is lovely), and I regret the absence of certain gay "standards" such as Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" and Dusty Springfield's "Quiet, Please, There's a Lady on Stage." But it's all fun, not mention educational, and I'm grateful to Marshall Blonstein and Richard Oliver for a magnificent effort, which is destined to take its place next to classics of the literature such as William J. Mann's "Behind the Screen" and "The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage"--not to mention the collected works of Barbara Streisand! To underscore their sense of history, the producers have included a near-100 page booklet with the 4-disc set that even features a bibliography of recommended reading and viewing. There are also generous notes on the songs and songsters, period essays, and some great photos. There are, as well, a few miscalculations, including a numerical listing of the songs in the booklet that doesn't correspond to the list on the box. The recording dates for some of the songs are given as "unknown" (where did these transfers come from?), and the dating itself (a "Cabaret" medley from the `20s?) is eccentric. But these are minor, well, quibbles, and I admire Blonstein and Oliver their daring in attempting such a project. If I may, I'd like to suggest that these gentlemen do a 4-CD set every year or so (how about an exerpt from Diamanda Galas' "Plague Mass" for the classical disc?), if only to demonstrate how un-Verboten gay music by gay musicians has become.

A Musical Time Capsule
starting out with a scratchy ditty from the roaring twenties, this excellent historical collection manages to span a variety of musical genres, from rousing broadway musical to intimate diva-wrung blues to classical orchestra. some may carp about choices, and some are obvious, there are rarities here among the cliches. this is an invaluable historical document as well as an entertaining collection of tunes.