AMG Review of 2 Centuries of Hits

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Two Centuries of Hits means a selection of popular favorites from the 19th and 20th centuries. And the Canadian Brass don't get snooty -- "Sweet Georgia Brown" leads to "Non Piu Andrei" from The Marriage of Figaro which leads to "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which leads to "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" which leads to "Amazing Grace" which leads to "Rondo Alla Turca" which leads to "St. Louis Blues" "which leads to "Scarborough Fair" which leads to "Living for the City" which leads to "Muskrat Ramble." Needless to say, it covers a lot of ground, some of which works better than others. Nevertheless, this compilation illustrates not only how the Canadian Brass sound, but how their definition of "classical" is anything but conservative. Not a bad sampling at all, considering its budget price.