The original RCA Camden album "The Lord's Prayer" was released in 1969 as a budget compilation of previously released recordings as was typical of the label. This album was released in stereo but not legitimately so. All of the songs were "electronically reprocessed" to simulate stereo excepting only one "Prayer for Peace" and even that track wasn't of the highest quality. Four other tracks should have been in real stereo including "Ave Maria" and "When You Come to the End of the Day" and "I Know What God Is" plus the title track "The Lord's Prayer". Most people agree that electronic stereo recordings sound terrible and that's the truth with respect to these recordings as well. It's doubly sad when original stereo recordings are reproduced this way when it's not necessary. This same album has been re-released many times since the first official RCA Camden issue, by third-party labels such as Pickwick International, Vox/ Camden and now Delta International. Unfortunately, the crime continues despite claims by Delta of 24 Bit Mastering and superior sound "digitally remastered from original sources", a claim of quality which simply isn't true. To hear these same hymns properly, in true monaural and true stereo, where applicable, you need to purchase the double disc version of Buddha's Como compilation "Songs of Faith and Inspiration" released last year, the 36 track version!

Thank goodness that in 2006 Sony/BMG decided to release another version of this CD - also on Amazon - but this time disposed on the 1969 tape and used original masters. The mono is mono and the stereo is true stereo. If like me you wasted your money on this release - then throw it away and buy the new improved version - from Amazon of course.

This review is for the 2006 BMG release that I recently purchased.

I still own a vinyl version released on Camden-Pickwick that I purchased about 30 years ago which has very good sound, but all in monophonic. This 2006 BMG reissue has excellent sound quality. The first thing I noticed surprised me, when "Ave Maria" began and it was in stereo. So is "The Lords Prayer". These two recordings are just beautiful, and very well performed by Perry and the chorus. I previously thought all these recordings were made in the early 1950s. The older songs on the CD such as "Prayer of Thanksgiving" (aka "We Gather Together") and "Rock of Ages" which were recorded in 1950 also have a full, solid resonance with little of the compression that was common to RCA recordings from that time. I own probably about 15 Perry Como albums, having become a fan of his relaxing music late in the mid-1970s, and despite the fact this CD is a collection of older recordings, it is one of his finest albums. I'm not overtly religious either but these songs are comforting and reassuring. Highly recommended!