Not originally intended for commercial release of any kind, much less to be collected on albums, the V-Disc recordings of the World War II era consisted of hundreds of separate recordings by various contemporary artists, and some did more of them than others. The Mills Brothers, then at the peak of their popularity, are represented here by only eight tracks (one of them a three-song medley of big hits like “Paper Doll” and “You Always Hurt the One You Love”), with a running time under 25 minutes. With their wonderful harmonies and spare instrumental accompaniment, the Mills Brothers sound as impressive on these off-the-cuff recordings as on their usual studio works. But this virtual mini-album is for fans, not the uninitiated. – William Ruhlmann
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