This is the third disc in the German ten-CD set The History of Pop Radio, Vol. 2: 1940-1951. European copyright law seems to release recordings into the public domain after 50 years, allowing anyone who wants to the right to transfer a bunch of old 78s onto a CD, and this odd miscellany is an example of the result. It contains plenty of songs that were popular in the early '40s, but not necessarily the most popular recordings of them. The first records of newly formed Capitol Records have been raided particularly here, with tracks by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (though credited to singer Billie Holiday), King Cole's Trio, label co-founder Johnny Mercer, Ella Mae Morse, and Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (though credited to Margaret Whiting) all turning up. Along with the Cole Trio's "All for You," Morse's cover of the Andrews Sisters' "Shoo Shoo Baby," and Slack's "That Old Black Magic," Judy Garland and Gene Kelly's revival of "For Me and My Gal" (featured in their movie of the same name), and Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" were also U.S. chart records. (Note that the 1942 date is not strictly adhered to; the tracks date anywhere from 1941 to 1943.) But more often the recordings here were non-chart covers of American hits, often by British acts, if the songs were hits at all. There are also a couple of songs taken directly from the soundtrack to the 1943 film Cabin in the Sky: "Life's Full o' Consequences" (actually a duet between Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and Lena Horne, though only Horne is credited) and "Honey in the Honeycomb." With some good songs and a few major stars, the album has its highlights, but it is hardly a representative survey of the best in pop music in 1942. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide