Russ Columbo and Bing Crosby set the standard for romantic crooning during the first half of the 20th century. Columbo's sudden death at the age of 26 bestowed upon him the status of a tragic legend, while over many decades his all too finite legacy of 32 recordings has been cherished by a small but devout following that has renewed itself within each successive generation. More than 60 years after his passing, two excellent Columbo collections emerged within five years of each other, beginning with ASV/Living Era's Prisoner of Love in 1998. That edition accurately reproduced 23 of his best records with the original 78-rpm fidelity and ambience intact. In 2003, Taragon released a double-disc collection containing all 32 of Columbo's precious recordings, digitally remastered like never before. It was assembled using the original RCA/BMG metal masters, or archival tapes when the masters were found to no longer exist. (One title, "I Wanna Be Loved," seems to have disappeared without a trace.) Anyone who truly adores this kind of music can and should obtain both editions and enjoy Russ Columbo's warm and intimate delivery both ways, so as to undergo two delightfully different listening experiences. The older mastering as heard on the Living Era edition conveys a special set of dynamics that transport the listener to a mystical realm that can only be visited under the spell of the old records as they have sounded for generations. Taragon's "cleaned-up" remastering brings different aspects of the music forward while other elements that were emphasized before now appear to recede ever so slightly. Here the singer seems to have been reinvented in the present tense, much as the photograph on the cover of the packing has been carefully colorized. The lesson of these two editions is that both types of fidelity are wonderful, and neither is better than the other. This marvelous interpreter of popular song is backed by orchestras under the direction of Gus Arnheim, Nathaniel Shilkret, Leonard Joy, and Jimmie Grier. Tracks three through 12 on disc two are performed by Russ Columbo & His Orchestra, a fine ensemble under the singer's direction and fortified by the presence of jazzmen Jimmy McPartland, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa. Those who seek the last word on this vocalist should make a point of reading You Call It Madness, a fascinating 500-page biographical tribute to Russ Columbo written by guitarist Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith's longtime collaborator in musical and poetic research.