Critic's Review
James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
In 1938, after a New Year's gig at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, Welk, inspired by the "whirling patterns of chandelier lamps reflected in the ballroom's multiple mirrors," decided to approach his music with the same sort of aesthetic, changing the name of his band to Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music Makers and specializing in what he described as "short, light, delicate musical figures" that mixed with his accordion to produce a real "fizz." Champagne Favorites features the legendary group at the top of its game, delicately bouncing through Welk standards like "Bubbles in the Wine," "Champagne Polka," and "Waltzing in a Dream" with the greatest of ease. While not a comprehensive collection of the artist's work -- there are plenty of those -- this affordable bit of fluff is nevertheless intoxicating.
