Les Paul's New Sound, Vol. 2 [10"]

Les Paul's New Sound, Vol. 2 catches the new team of Les Paul and Mary Ford just as they were hitting it big, although you'll find only one of their 1951 hit singles on the original ten-inch album ("Just One More Chance"/ "Jazz Me Blues"). Nevertheless you can hear Paul's recording technique sharpening further now that he is recording on tape, and everywhere, one can sense his knack for making a beautifully constructed, concise pop record. Ford's warm yet vulnerable vocals, often overdubbed in choral fashion, gave the duo much of its mass appeal in the cozy 1950s, and "Just One More Chance" is one of the most emotional sides she ever made. Paul goes it alone on half the tracks, topped by a marvelously fluid "Jazz Me Blues" and "La Rosita," and he gleefully shows off his echo-delay prowess on "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles."