Reviews (4)

One of France's greatest singers
Probably the greatest, most celebrated -- and most tragic -- of the French popular "chanson" singers. Piaf was celebrated for having come, indisputably, from "the people", having been born the child of a prostitute, and having been abandoned by both her parents while still an infant. In 1935, at the age of 19, she was discovered by a nightclub owner who both built her popular image and got her a recording contract. Her popularity swelled during the War, and her song "La Vie En Rose" became a standard during the German occupation of France. After the war, Piaf's glamour became torn by ongoing hardships and substance abuse (which, in turn, enhanced the tragic elements of her legend...) This CD sticks pretty strictly to her earliest stuff, from the '30s and '40s; it includes her first big hit, "Mon Legionnaire", but omits "La Vie En Rose" and "Non, Ne Je Regrette Rien", which are her two best-known works. The tinny, Jazz Era sound of these early songs may be less accessible to listeners who are more familiar with the emotionally torturous (and more warmly recorded) material made at the time of her postwar tours of America, many of which are highly prized by her fans.

Her best years-her best voice aand songs
I am French and was born in 1949, her songs played on the radio day and night when I was a child and even then I could tell the difference in her songs and in her voice. Post 1950 is out for me , she bears the weight of her years and her songs after 1950 -like Mylord (not charismatic praise song by any stretch of the imagination) became sad and depressing- So I suggest that this period and this CD contain her best songs , her voice was THEN coined "the voice of the sparrow" and is fresh and clear , her songs are the best and she carries them with the emotion you heard in Private Ryan. A very good buy.

A great collection of Piaf's earlier works...
This CD is Edith Piaf at her best... I love many of the songs on it - I would single out "C'est Lui Que Mon Coeur A Choisi" and "L'Accordeoniste" as being two of my personal favorites. This is a must for any Piaf fan...

With all due respect to the person who posted below about "Cannibal Corpse", I don't think we're talking about the same Edith Piaf, and I thought I might clear it up here to avoid any confusion for anyone else. The Edith Piaf I'm talking about, and the one who sings the songs on this CD, is a Parisian singer who has been dead for nearly 40 years (b. 1915 d. 1963). Your Edith Piaf is a different person, I think, because you said that she left "Cannibal Corpse" in 1991. My Edith Piaf, and the one who sings the songs on this CD, left this earth and went to heaven in 1963.

Anyway, thought I'd clear it up - No offense intended...

Edith Piaf is one of the best
This is the best Edith Piaf CD i have listened to.... 1935-1943 was a great time period for music ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Skip this collection in favor of.......
I found the 3-CD box set "Rock & Roll Legends," in which Darin has his own disc, to be better than this collection. Featuring LIVE versions of "Splish Splash," "Plain Jane," "Dream Lover," and "Mack The Knife," it also replaces the less-arresting "Artificial Flowers" with the ecstatic rapidness of "I Wish I were In Love Again" and "Don't Rain On My Parade." Also, it has the same ratio of mono to stereo tracks as this disc. The other two CDs in the box set include live performances by Jerry Lee Lewis & Gene Vicent. The only thing "Ultimate Bobby Darin" has going for it is the inclusion of the uber-classic, "Beyond the Sea."

Great collection!
This CD highlights the big hits of Darin, though it omits a significant number of songs which were just as good, but never made the Hit Parade. What a tragedy that Bobby Darin died so young at 37. He is under-appreciated today and dwarfed by the huge shadow cast by Frank Sinatra. Though Darin didn't have the poignant and unmatched ability of Sinatra to phrase a lyric, his uptempo songs are nearly as good as the Chairman of the Board. He is cool, hip, has fine range and has an innate jazzy feel that infuses all of his swingier songs. The musical arrangements and musicianship displayed here is also exemplary. The orchestra that backs up Darrin is fantastic.

My personal favorite is "Beyond the Sea," one of the great swing pseudo-ballads of the 50's, recently resurrected as the backdrop of a TV commercial. Darrin proves he was the natural successor to Sinatra with his masterful vocal here. "Guys and Dolls" and "Down with Love" are nearly as good and showcases Darrin's talent. The best ballad is probably "Was There a Call for Me?" which reproduces the boozy hangover feeling of being dumped about as well as any song.

Darrin's later work was never as hip and contemporary-sounding as the music on this disc. This is an exceptional collection with many catchy, memorable tunes, and proves beyond a doubt that Darrin was an amazing talent.

Great Cd of Bobby Darin
This Cd contains all of the best songs of Bobby Darin(in my opinion,of course).All of the songs are very enjoyable and I recommend it to anyone who likes vintage rock&roll.

BOBBY DARIN WAS THE GREATEST
Bobby Darin came into this world as Robert Walden Cassatto. Due to rheumatic fever and a bad heart he was believed not to live past sixteen. When he heard that he was determined to do as much in his life as he could. DID HE SUCCEED OR WHAT?!! This cd contains the songs that made Darin. I never heard of Bobby Darin untill I sang "Mack the Knife" at a karaoke bar. When I looked at the name I was suprised to see the name Bobby Darin instead of Frank Sinatra(I was later to find out Darin recorded it first.) I went to the music store and looked for the name Bobby darin I found this cd. That is how I learned about him. I have became a very dedicated fan since then. This cd is a great album for Bobby Darin fans and people who want to learn about him. Bobby Darin died at age 37 during open heart sugery. It would be great if he were still alive.

HELP
I AM TRYING TO FIND THE NAME OF A SONG BOBBY SANG.HE DEDICATED IT TO HAPPY OR SONNY ROCKERFELLA,THE ONE TIME GOVERNER OF NY WIFE.CAN YOU HELP ... Read more

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Columbia Records rushed this compilation of patriotic and inspirational favorites into production in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The title song is a new version by Celine Dion similar to the performance she gave on the Tribute to Heroes telethon, while John Mellencamp's "Peaceful World" is included in an alternate, acoustic treatment. Each listener may find his or her own favorites, but few will be left unmoved by a selection that also includes Bruce Springsteen's "Land of Hope and Dreams," Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water," and renderings of "America the Beautiful," "This Land Is Your Land," and "Amazing Grace" by, respectively, Frank Sinatra, Pete Seeger, and Tramaine Hawkins. Bill Withers's "Lean on Me" closes the disc on a plainspoken note that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of rescuers and other Americans since the tragedies. A back-cover note promises that a "substantial portion of the proceeds received by Sony Music [Columbia's parent company] from sales of this album will be donated to the Twin Towers Fund." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Beautifully poignant collection for these times
This may be the most pointless review that could possibly be done at this time, but it is worth a mention anyway. If you are a true American with any heart at all, then you have to be affected by this collection of songs.

I am no fan of artists like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, but hearing Celine's cover of "God Bless America" and Mariah's hit from several years back "Hero" is affecting in this context. Bruce Springsteen's 9-minute live version of "Land Of Hope and Dreams" is also about perfect here. "Amazing Grace" is beautfully done, as is "The Star Spangled Banner". You also have to love the inclusion of such classics as "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Lean On Me" as part of the whole theme presented here.

My personal favorite--and the biggest reason I bought this collection--is the inclusion of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The U.S.A." Hearing that song at various points in the days after the September 11 tragedies nearly brought me to tears each time, and I woke up with the song in my head for a couple of weeks straight during that time. This is what it is all about in the spirit of patriotism.

The reviewer who have this collection one star and called it a "cash in" must be one cold and clueless person. Never mind the emotions the content of this collection brings; the proceeds go to the Twin Tower Funds! For any human being with a heart and patriotic spirit, this collection will make your day. An absolute must-have during these most trying times we are now in.

Very Powerful, Very Moving...
Although most songs on this CD were first recorded and released by these artists long ago, to hear them in the order on which they appear really stirs up the emotions. The CD begins with the unforgettable version of "God Bless America" as sung by Celine Dion in the way that only she can sing, and continues with the haunting "Land of Hope and Dreams" by Bruce Springsteen. I must say that the tears really started welling up during the listening of "America the Beautiful" by the late great Frank Sinatra, who was (and continues to be) one of our greatest national treasures. I never realized how much of one he was until hearing him on this CD.

I never sang along to the stirring chorus of "God Bless The U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood until now. To hear Mahalia Jackson's voice (on "My Country 'Tis Of Thee") alone is probably worth the purchase of this CD. (Speaking of national treasures, she also was one of our greatest.) The wan but quietly inspiring "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers is the right song that ends this collection of American artistry, which pays tribute to the nation from which these artists sprung. Artists who all came from such widely different backgrounds, with such widely differing political views (try to imagine Pete Seeger and Lee Greenwood at the same political event--highly unlikely), but they knew what united them all: each and every artist on this CD was proud to be an American.

So am I.

A Good Americana Compilation
This compilation was made soon after the 9/11 in a wake of patriotic feelings among Americans. It comprises songs of different genres, from rock ballads ("Peaceful World" by John Mellencamp, "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers) to ballads ("Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon&Garfunkel), to big Americana hits ("God Bless America" by Celine Dion, "America the Beautiful" by Frank Sinatra, "This Land Is Your Land" by Pete Seeger, "We Shall Overcome" by Mahalia Jackson) to the National Anthem "The Star Spangled Banner" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, plus "Hero" by Mariah Carey, "There's a Hero" by Billy Gilman, and a few more.

This CD is a good compilation of songs that may lift the spirits of the nation, as well as some truly inspirational melodies. Performances by Tramaine Hawkins ("Amazing Grace"), Billy Gilman, Celine Dion, Simon&Garfunkel, Bill Withers are the gems of this CD. The same can be said about the National Anthem, though you might find some acappella version (by Lee Ann Rimes, for example) not less appealing.

Personally I bought this CD because of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA". But this turned out to be the worst track. It is probably some remix. Almost nothing is left from the original version, neither its marching touch, nor the integrity that left your skin covered with goosebumps, inspired you and made you realise the true spirit of American patriotism. The version from this CD is more on the jazz, relaxed side, which is killing for such a song.

On the whole, this CD deserves your attention if you need a compilation of Americana music, or at least a flavour of it.

A great CD, powerful and moving
True to its title the music CD God Bless America is a masterful tribute to America. This collection of patriotic music includes many soul-stirring songs; I especially like the selections by Lee Greenwood, Frank Sinatra, and Bill Withers. All of the songs on this CD are powerful and will remind you how great this country truly is.

God Bless America is great for working, driving, or listening to all by itself. I guarantee that you will not regret purchasing this collection of American songs. This CD draws together an immense pool of talent and is extraordinarily successful at illustrating the greatest nation in the world.

Moving Patriotic tribute!!!
Well done! Loved Celine Dion's version of God Bless America in tribute for her adopted county. Pete Seeger's This land is your land is equally great. Has the beloved Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA! ... Read more

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Originally recorded for legendary producer Bert Berns' Bang label, this collection documents the mid-'60s period when Neil Diamond was an emerging New York songwriter and apprentice pop star. Many of these hits have generated subsequent cover smashes--"I'm a Believer" (Monkees), "Kentucky Woman" (Deep Purple), "Red Red Wine" (UB40), "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" (Urge Overkill)--but the originals remain the greatest. Produced by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, sublime singles like "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry," and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" kept Brill Building rock on the charts during the British Invasion. Diamond would go on to become a '70s megastar, but many believe he has never equaled these recordings. --Ben Edmonds ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The year was 1966....
I started listening to Neil Diamond's music at the time these songs were released. On the radio, it was one hit after another. "Solitary Man", "Cherry Cherry", "I Got the Feeling", and so on. Ten of these songs appeared on Bang Records' album "Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits". I only wish that the other albums from the Bang years were available on CD. Every one here's a winner, so if you are new to the music of Neil Diamond, this is the place to start.

Neil Diamond at His Best
All 12 songs on this CD are excellent. Even the best version of "Shilo" is on this CD. If you grew up during the 1970's and 1980's and thought that Neil Diamond was the lamest performer on Earth, you need to listen to this CD. In the 1960's, Neil was actually a Cool Rockin' Daddy, singing classics like "Girl, You'll Be a Woman", "You Got To Me" and "Cherry, Cherry". Then he left Bang Records and all the bang went out of his music, except for a few isolated classics like "Sweet Caroline" and "Cracklin' Rosie".

Thank the Lord for Neil Diamond
This CD features the best of Neil Diamond's recordings for Bang Records. Some people may be disappointed that some of his hits like "Sweet Caroline" aren't included, but that song was recorded for a different record company. This CD includes all his Bang Records hits, and that's good enough for me. This is my favorite period of Neil's career. You can't go wrong with songs like "Cherry, Cherry", "I'm a Believer" and "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon". I highly recommend this CD.

Good material, but it's not enough
Neil Diamond was one of the greatest rock stars of the sixties, but these days he has become forgotten. Why? HE'S ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST SINGER/SONGWRITERS! The mere fact that his music has become forgotten fills me with rage, because it's about a thousand times better than the junk that gets radioplay these days. This is their best known hits compilation. Read on for my review.

PROS:
-If you're the casual fan of Neil, it's doubtful this compilation will fail to please you, because most of the big hits are here for your listening pleasure. Among them are I'm A Believer, Red Red Wine, and Sweet Caroline.
-A plethora of underrated masterpieces can also be found here.
-This is an affordable compilation.
-Most major retailers of compact discs carry this compilation, so you shouldn't have to look to hard for it.

CONS:
-TALK ABOUT A CHEAT! Two of Neil's biggest hits, Cracklin' Rosie and Hello Again are MISSING IN ACTION!
-There's another major thing wrong with this compilation - its running length. It's only about thirty-five minutes long, and you can fit eighty minutes onto a single CD. They could've fit TWICE as many songs on this CD as they did.

OVERALL:
If you're a casual fan of Neil, then I suggest buying all his albums or getting a better compilation. This one just doesn't do him justice.

Neil's best songs
There isn't a single song on this CD i don't like. I remember this was the first Neil Diamond album my mom bought some years ago. These aren't actually the original mixes of the songs. They were originally released in mono. These are in stereo and have extra strings added to them. But it's still a collection worth getting if you're into Neil's early work. Actually the only one. The albums he released on Bang are all out of print and neither MCA or Columbia ever rereleased them. So a few of these songs are somewhat hard to fing on any other albums especially "Do It". The Boat that I Row is on the box set and the rest nine other ones are on the Essential ND and Shilo is found Live on Essential and hot august night. The remake is on Velvet gloves on spit, so the studio version is only available on this album. For those really into Neil Diamond's songs from the feel of neil and just for you and his first greatest hits album there is a rare album called the Bang collection which has all 25 of his songs from that era plus five additional mixes. Classics the early years is a great CD for anyone to start their ND colliction! ... Read more

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Including Sinatra's finest recordings from the most consistently accomplished era of his career, The Capitol Years includes three discs and 75 songs worth of swinging standards and bittersweet saloon pop, the music Sinatra made after his career and personal life had crashed and singing was all he had left. His masterful baritone and remarkable phrasing here work in perfect combination with arrangements that swing and swell to the heartbeat of loves lost and found. It is these performances for which Sinatra will be forever remembered, for surely, no one has ever created music more beautiful than this. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (25)

For the Frank fan who owns all the albums
The problem with compilations is that they aim to please two different crowds: 1) the listener who wants a good introduction to the artist, including the big hits, and 2) the listener who owns just about everything the artist recorded, but is still searching for rare takes or unreleased items. This set is better suited to the second of the two. If you're just beginning to get into Sinatra's music, I suggest that you buy the great albums--"Songs for Swingin' Lovers" and "Only the Lonely" are a good start. Some of the songs from those albums are included here, but not always the best ones, and certainly not enough of them. The great singles like "Young at Heart" and "All the Way" are also here. But less essential tunes like "Our Town" and "Don't Like Goodbyes" might turn off a new Frank fan--and that's the last thing we want! There are some great rarities in this set--the first take of "One For My Baby" (with piano only, and probably the best version), "Here Goes" (a real swinger), and "I Couldn't Care Less." This set was released before Capitol got around to re-issuing all of the albums in the "Concepts" box set. So the albums which hadn't been re-released are given more consideration--there are so many tracks from the great "A Swingin' Affair" album, you might as well just buy the whole thing. Unless you're a big-time Sinatra collector, I would buy the original albums, and experience the thrill which people had when they first came out in the '50s.

GREAT INTRO TO THE UNTOUCHABLE MR SINATRA!!!!
First things first.No one can touch the incredible artistry of Mr. Sinatra performing the greatest 20th century popular songs with the greatest arrangers.This 3-CD set is a fine intro,but just that,an intro.Believe it,there is something here for everyone.If you know just a few of Frank's later (late 60's on) recordings,after hearing this compilation,you will get a great music/song education.True a handful here,I don't care for.But..."Young at Heart","Put Your Dreams Away","Only the Lonely",and "One for My Baby (a new version here) are among the most exquisite ballads ever recorded. Even better are "I'm a Fool To Want You","Here's that Rainy Day",and "Angel Eyes",which become even more mind-blowing over the years.(There are many others which are not even on this set!). On the super charged swinging side "I've Got You Under My Skin" (obviously),the original incredible,and to me,only real Frank (or anyone else!) version.The blaring trumpet chorus of "The Song is You" is necessary for late night driving,"Just in Time",and "Come Fly with Me" Ditto!!!Check out "Here Goes",another thunping rouser,never even released before this set was issued! The swing version of "Night and Day","Lonesome Road",and "If I Had You" are also true classics.Given that the Chairman must have at least 500 classic individual recordings over 55 years,to get several dozen in one small collection is a treat.Even more amazing is the phenomenal amount on other Frank albums...Truly,his period between 1953-1967 is his best,and this CD covers some of the best of the 1953-1960 period.One more thing.These songs never get dated!!!

The Capitol Years
Frank Sinatra is one of the finest vocalists of the 20th century. In fact one could put him in a very selct company, e.g., David Gahan, Elvis Presley and possible Pat Boone. The melodies are amazing in theitr complexity and the lyrics are witty and smart; and not meaningless like many song seem as of late. Highly Recommended.

Hard To Be Critical, But ....
In a span of five years [1990-1995] Capitol/EMI chose to honour their most illustrious male singer with not one, but two multi-CD sets. Unfortunately, both of them ]the other is the 2-CD set Sinatra 80th - All The Best] contain essentially the same selections. In fact, not counting the very expensive box set, nothing released by Capitol has contained some 12 bona fide hit singles.

These are: Fairy Tale [the flip of Same Old Saturday Night and a # 13 on its own]; the double-sided 1956 hit Flowers Mean Forgiveness [# 21] and You'll Get Yours [# 67]; Five Hundred Guys [the flip of (How Little It Matters) How Little we Know and a # 73 on its own]; Johnny Concho Theme (Wait For Me) b/o You're Sensational and a # 75 in 1956; Your Love For Me [which backed Can I Steal A Little Love and reached # 60 early in 1957]; the 1957 double-sided hit Crazy Love [# 60] and So Long, My Love [# 74]; You're Cheatin' Yourself (If You're Cheatin' On Me), which reached # 25 in 1957; Mr. Success [# 41 in 1958]; Talk To Me [# 38 in 1959]; River, Stay 'Way From My Door [# 82 in 1960]; and Ol' MacDonald [# 25 in 1960].

Trying to find them in a quality CD is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So, with an added six tracks [perhaps some of the B-sides], wouldn't these make a dandy CD under the title "Long Lost Hits Of ...?"

In the meantime, this is the one you want in order to get most of the other Capitol hits, complete with a 68-page booklet containing liner notes by daughter Nancy [The Legacy - 8 pages], Pete Kline [The Capitol Years - 15 pages], and Will Friedwald [The Legend - 4 pages], a complete discography of the contents, a listing of his albums by Nancy, and track-by-track notes by Pete Kline and Ric Ross [12 pages], in addition to numerous photographs.

The AAD sound quality is excellent.

An almost perfect introduction to Sinatra
Although the casual fan may be disappointed to find Sinatra's familiar hits from the 1960s missing from this marvelous set, this actually represents Sinatra at his very best. Although Frank had become a huge popular success in the 1940s, very little of his work from that period remains especially listenable. Although he possessed a marvelous tenor voice, the arrangements and the songs themselves frequently left more than a little to be desired. In the 1950s, however, a number of factors coalesced to bring about a string of the finest popular vocal albums in American history. First, record technology developed to where the LP became the new standard for musical distribution. This allowed the grouping of a number of songs on a single disc, and Sinatra responded with a succession of superb songs grouped loosely around a theme. Second, Sinatra signed with Capitol records where he worked with a number of superb producers, especially Nelson Riddle. Bringing Sinatra's voice fully to the front of the production, the arrangements kept the orchestra completely in the background, supporting and enhancing Sinatra's singing in spectacular fashion. Third, Sinatra finally overcame some serious vocal problems that perhaps could have threatened his singing career. After healing, he lost a bit off the top of his range, but his voice became much darker and more expressive, more of a tenor with baritone overtones instead of a pure tenor. The result was one of the great periods, if not the greatest, that any popular singer has ever known.

Anyone interested in popular music ought to own some portion of these great Capitol recordings. One way--and the best way--is simply to buy every one of the Capitol albums that Sinatra did. They are all superb, but getting them all can become a tad expensive. The other way would be to get this utterly superb excellent anthology of Sinatra's Capitol recordings. It isn't perfect. Some songs are inexplicably missing. For instance, one of my favorite Sinatra songs, his extraordinary version of Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things" (with one of the best arrangements of the period), somehow didn't make it into this collection. But as a healthy sampling of the period, this set is really hard to beat: enough selections to give you a truly representative overview of Sinatra's greatest period, but not so much as to overwhelm someone who is only wanting to get just one Sinatra album.

The album is also fascinating for being able to track the development in studio technology in the 1950s. By the end of the fifties, sonically recording came up to a level that isn't appreciably behind where it stands today. Any good recording from 1958 sounds pretty much as good as any recording from 2003. But the same wasn't true of 1952, and the earliest songs in this collection aren't quite as sharp and vivid as the later cuts. Also, on some of Sinatra's high notes, some of the treble gets cut out on the earlier recordings. I wasn't alive at the time, but having heard my grandfather's records from the thirties and forties and my father's from the fifties reveals that it had to be an exhilarating period for the lover of recorded music. Sinatra clearly was one of the first to benefit from these dramatic improvements in technology.

In short, this is glorious music produced by the finest vocal stylist the United States has ever produced. I would especially recommend it to anyone who finds Sinatra's Rat Pack and post-Rat Pack years to be somewhat off-putting. By the end of the sixties his voice started losing more and more of its range and timbre, but here we have Sinatra at the top of his vocal prowess working with producers and arrangers perfectly attune to his skills. ... Read more

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Like many pop artists of his generation, Barry Manilow has long wanted to find a home for his tunes on the theater stage---and as Bette Midler's longtime music director and arranger, he was more fitted than most. On this recording, he performs excerpts from two shows he wrote in collaboration with lyricist and book writer Bruce Sussman; overall he comes across a lot better as a composer than a performer. Manilow starts by letting loose on the seven tracks from the flashy Copacabana. Like the song of the same name, on which it is based, that show is an all-out cry for razzamatazz entertainment. "Sweet Heaven (I'm in Love Again)" feels Bacharachian, while "Bolero de Amor" uses Ravel's "Bolero" as a foundation and "This Can't Be Real" is a smooth duet with Olivia Newton-John. The second show, Harmony, strikes a different mood---after all, it evokes not a snazzy nightclub but pre-WWII Germany. The tunes are solid and sport lovely arrangements, though one gets the nagging feeling they would have been ever better sung by more versatile interpreters. --Elisabeth Vincentelli ... Read more

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Though they were the epitome of the MOR mainstream in the late '60s and early '70s, this hugely successful coed vocal quintet had the benefit of first-rate material. Drawing from the catalogues of such ace tunesmiths as Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, and Laura Nyro, the group was a fixture on Top 40 radio (and network TV) with hits like "Up-Up and Away," "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," "Workin' On A Groovy Thing," "One Less Bell to Answer," "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep At All," and "If I Could Reach You." All of those and more are included on this 2 CD, 36-song package, which will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about the Fifth Dimension. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Pleading the 5th
It is about time the 5th Dimension received the kind of representation their music truly deserved. For years us die hard fans had to settle for the overly limited "Greatest Hits On Earth", or simply revert back to the old vinyl albums, worn as they now are.

This collection features almost all of the 5th Dimension's singles (with the exception of "Harlem") as recorded by the original 5. It also features a few strong album cuts. The usual hits are all here, "Up-Up And Away", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In", "One Less Bell To Answer", etc., but the real treat is in tracks which have recieved little, if any, play since back in the day. Songs like "Paper Cup", "The Girls' Song", "Flashback", and the medley "The Declaration/A Change Has Got To Come/People Gotta Be Free" are all very welcomed returns. As mentioned, some key tracks from albums are included here. Songs like "Learn How To Fly", "The Worst That Could Happen", "Black Patch", and even "Orange Air" probably could have been singles in thier own right. The album has a special treat for die hard 5th Dimension fans, it features "I'll Be Loving You Forever", the very first 5th Dimension single which has not been seen since it's ill-fated release.

There are some songs I would have loved to have seen on this collection, such as the beautiful ballad "This Is Your Life", or the funk laden "Lovin' Stew", or the wonderful cover of the Eagles' "Best Of My Love", or perhaps edits of the live versions of "Stoney End" or "MacArthur Park", but for the most part, this is a collection to be thankful for. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the execs at Arista will find it within themselves to release the entire 5th Dimension catalog on cd, but for now, I'm thankful for this collection.

I'll Be Lovin' This Forever
Between 1967 and 1973, the vocal group known as the 5th Dimension had 20 top 40 hits, dozens of successful albums and a plethora of sold - out shows. Even as their star faded by 1975, they still stuck together, despite the loss of figureheads Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr (who had # 1 hit in 1977 with "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)". And still today, their legacy lives on with this astounding 2 - disc set.

Disc 1 features their best - loved songs from the 1960s'. Songs like "Up, Up And Away", "Go Where You Wanna Go", "Wedding Bell Blues", and, of course, "Aquarious/Let The Sunshine In", defined a generation of peace, love and harmony. Songs that are just as good are the relatively unknown songs like "Learn How To Fly", "Paper Cup", "Carpet Man" and their stirring cover of The Brooklyn Bridge's "The Worst That Can Happen". Also included is "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever", their first single.

Disc 2 begins with the stirring ballad "One Less Bell To Answer". Starting with this song, the group established a new image as a ballad group. The new sound as punctuated by the sultry voice of Marilyn McCoo. She is the lead singer on my two favorite Fifth Dimension songs, their cover of The Association's "Never My Love" and the hauntng top 10 hit "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All". 1973, the band had grown stale, with their songs barely denting the charts. The final single to feature the five original members, the mesmerizing "No Love In The Room", went to 105 on the charts.

This a great collection of some of the most timeless music ever made. The harmonies willleave you breathless, especially on the 1960s' stuff. A great bonus is the booklet, complete with photos, a biography and the chart positions of the songs on the pop and R&B charts. Highly recommended.

Stoned Soul Musical Picnic
When it comes to underrated groups, The 5th Dimesnion are among the greatest. They created some of the most meorable songs in music history, but are ignored by everyone except "oldie" radio (and the xm Satellite Radio plays them often on the '60s and '70s stations). Finally, Arista has decided to give them that respect with this amazing 2 - disc, 36 - song collection.

The album features all the hits you'd expect - "Up, Up And Away", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In", "Wedding Bell Blues", "One Less Bell To Answer" and my personal favorite "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All". But there is more to the 5th than those hits. For example, there are many ignored album tracks that are excellent works. Among my favorites are "Dimension 5ive" (a real vocal showdown), "Black Patch" (with an otherwordly a capella intro and a shared lead vocal by all 5 members), and "Time And Love" (beats Barbara Streisand's version). Also, there a few great ignored singles. I especially adore their version of "Never My Love". It may not have been a top 10 hit like the versions by The Associaton in 1967 and Blue Swede in 1974, but it features a great orchestral arrangement and Marilyn McCoo's sincere vocal. And besides, it only missed the top 10 by a hair (it peaked at 12). I also enjoyed the bouncy "Paper Cup" and their version of "Worst That Could Happen" (their version was before the hit version by The Brooklyn Bridge and is better).

I really suggest this cd. I wish this muisc was still popular today. I think that rap music is bringing the music world to a long, slow decline that desperately needs fixing. Here's hoping the 5th get back soon and record a new studio album.

Stoned Soul Classics
The Fifth Dimension were one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s' and early 1970s'. To show how great they were at this point, they had 20 Top 40 singles in a six - year span (1967 - 1973), two of which went to number 1.

Disc 1 starts in 1967 with "Up, Up And Away". This Jimmy Webb composition put the roup onthe map. The song made the Top 10 and swept the Grammies. Indeed, it remains one of the best songs of the era, with its airy harmonies and majestic horns. "Go Where You Wanna Go" is next. This cover of the Mamas and the Papas song actually preceeded "Up, Up And Away" on the charts. the single made Top 20 in June of 1967. After those 2 hhits, they reteamed with Jimmy Webb for "the Magic Garden". The album yieled two minor hits in the bouncy "Puppet Man" and "Carpet Man", but nothing as big as "Up, Up And Away". Undaunted, the group's partnership with Webb grew stale, and they teamed with Laura Nyro for the next album, "Stoned Soul Picnic". It was the beginning of a match made in Heaven. The album's title track went to number 3, their biggest hit yet. "Sweet Blindness" became their next hit, going to number 13. In 1969, they began work on the next album, "The Age Of Aqaurious". the first single was "Aquarious"/Let The Sunshine In", a medley of songs from the musical hair. The song went to number one and staye there for 6 weeks, becoming their biggest hit of all time. "Wedding Bell Blues" followed, and it posted another 3 weeks at the top. "Working On A Groovy Thing" and "Blowing Way" were next, both of which made Top 30. The Fifth Dimension were on the top of the world.

Dusc 2 begins in 1970. That year, the group signed with Bell Records. Their first release on the label was the "Portrait" album. It yielded two singles, "Puppet Man" and "Save The Country", that made the Top 30. But it was the third single from the album that was the major. "One Less Bell To Answer" was a Burt Bacarach/Hal David composition that was perfect for Marilyn McCoo's voice. The song went to number 2. From there on, the group might as well have been called Marilyn McCoo And The Fifth Dimension. The hit singles "Love's Lines, Angles And Rhymes", "Never My Love", "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All" and "If I Could Reach You" all featured her soaring lead voice. Group - orientated singles like "Light Sings" and "Ashes To Ashes", despite their merits, failed to become big hits. By 1974, the group had gone stale, with evn Marilyn - led singles failing to become hits. In 1975, Marilyn and Billy Davis, Jr. left and started a recording duo. they had two big hits: "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)", which topped the charts, and "Your Love", which went to 15. The band carried on with new members, and the original 5 reunited in 1990 for a tour. Unfortunately, original meber Ron Townshon died in 2001 of kidney failure.

There are no songs missing from this collection, except for "Harlem". I especially liked the fact they included album cuts as well ("Black Patch" is amazing). Get this collection and you'll never look at music the same way again.

Great Cd
The Fifth Dimesnion were one of the most successful vocal groups of the late 1960s' - early 1970s'. In a span of 6 years,starting with 1967's "Go Where You Wanna Go" and ending with 1973's "Living Together, Growing Together", they scored 20 top 40 singls, two of which went to number one and four more of which that made the top 10. Even after the departure of figureheads Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., they still stuck together ans their legacy lives on today.

Disc 1 features all the megahits, from the majestic horns of "Up - Up And Away" to the bouncy intro of "Wedding Bell Blues" to the timeless "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In". Also included are key album tracks like "Orange Air" and a stirring cover of The Brooklyn Bridge hit "The Worst That Could Happen". Two tracks not to be overlooked are "Paper Cup" and "Carpet Man". An added bonus: their first single, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever".

Disc 2 begins with "One Less Bell To Answer". Starting with this single, the band adopted a new sound led by the sultry - voiced Marilyn McCoo. Marilyn's sexy voice captured listeners from the first word and it's no coincedence that their biggest hits from this period featured her on lead vocals. She handles the vocals beautifully on "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All", my favorite song of all time. As the 1970s' wore on, their appal faded and they sank deepr and deeper into midchart status. But that doesn't mean their songs were bad. "Ashes To Ashes", "Flashback" and the mesmerizing "No Love In The Room" are among their best works(...) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Neil Sedaka's Second Round Of Hits!
Neil Sedaka is one of the most prolific singer-songwriter artist there is along with Carole King. He had a hot chart streak from 1958-1963 then kind of disappeared in the era of the Beatles. However, like Jefferson Starship (formerly Jefferson Airplane), The Bee Gees, and Cliff Richard, Neil had a mid-1970s resurgence on the pop charts. This collection consists of this time period and is a great highlight of his second fertile era.

All the hits (1974-1980) are here which includes his two #1 hits ("Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood") along with the slow version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", which was #1 in 1962 with the upbeat, faster version. However, I like ballads so I like the 1975 version better. Rounding out the hits are "The Immigrant" (which was a song for John Lennon according to some sources), "That's When The Music Takes Me", "Love In The Shadows", and "Should've Never Let You Go" with his daughter. The only other father-daughter combination to have a Top 40 hit is the Frank-Nancy Sinatra hit "Somethin' Stupid" as far as I know.

Overall, this is enjoyable collection for the fans especially since I don't hear too much of his music on the radio.

Sedaka at his best
Excellent overview of his 70's music. Should be noted that "Standing On The Inside" is the single version and is somewhat different than the LP (remember those) version. Sedaka has a real talelnt for creating a melody you cannot forget!

One of the Best Songwriters of the 50s, 60s & 70s
Where have all the great entertainers gone? Their songs were fun to listen to and you could understand their meaning. Well Neil Sedaka is one of those performers from the late 70s that had a number of hits that at least one has sung many times by other singers like The Captain and Tennille who did "Love Will Keep Us Together." You can hear "Sedaka's Back" at the end of the song. He's accompanied by his daughter, Dara on the lovely ballad "Should've Never Let You Go." Sadly, "Your Precious Love" wasn't another great selection with the father-daughter team. Who can forget the memorable, "Bad Blood" jive-funk song with Elton John as back-up vocals. Let's not forget his #1 hit song, "Laughter in the Rain." That's why I love those rainy days. Not only is Sedaka a great performer, he's one of the best composer in the history of music with a milestone of over 40 years. Sedaka turned out many hits during the 50s and early 60s. Most of his hits were written before The Beatles. Sedaka still wrote songs for other groups. A short stench in England introduced him to Elton John. Even into the 70s and early 80s Sedaka proved a non-stop survivor in a changing music industry. His songs still carry on. It brings back alot of memories of the early days of high school when I listened to Neil and other artists of the same caliber like Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, etc. This is Sedaka's definitive album, if not his finest. If you like a trip back to the 50s, 60s and 70s, definitely give this one a try!

Great Cd
WOW! What memories! This is a great Cd with some of the best Neil Sedaka has to offer...........

Solid Collection here
Neil Sedaka is without a doubt a Solid Composer&Very Underrated.His Songs were very direct but yet capture a time&place."Laughter in the Rain" was a song that always caught my ear fully.I also went back&Discovered all the Acts He wrote on&was truly Impressed.I read a Cool Article about Him in Goldmine Magazine Recently&He got Props from many folks.The Man truly knows His way Around a Song.this is a Solid Collection Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Timeless
One of the timeless voices that the rock and roll era gave to the world, her sogs will be heard for ever.

"Dusty will never be forgotten...British Invasion"
When you hear the first few notes of this memorable tune "SON OF A PREACHER MAN", there is only one entertainer that comes to mind DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, recorded in 1968...and to this day is still one of her finest recordings...but my all-time favorite song was "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME", can you remember where you were, when you heard this for the first time...but this next lyrical hit "I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU", so touching when Dusty pours her heart out, her feelings are in full swing.

You might want to try this other Dusty Springfield release "Beautiful Soul:The ABC/Dunhill Collection"(Hip-O Records 088-112-477-2), worthy of a great listen...from one of the "British Invasion" that took America by storm ~ MISS DUSTY SPRINGFIELD.

Total Time: 62:12 on 20 Tracks ~ Universal/Hip-O Records 314-585-634-2 ~ (2001) ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Intriguing Experimental Neil Diamond Album!
At the time of his greatest popularity, Neil Diamond was quite experimental in some of his albums, which boldly showed his unusual willingness to take chances in pursuit of broadening his musical abilities and interests. This album, "Tap Root Manuscript", was the result of one such effort to experiment with African sounds and instruments, and one which paid off in terms of his commercial success and also with a number of top ten hits coming directly from the album. Some of the songs, like "Crackling Rosie", were not part of the concept, while others such as "Soolaimon", definitely were. At any rate, the combination of the two aspects of the album made for a number one Billboard rating.

Included here are other popular songs like "Done Too Soon", and a cover of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". I especially like the whole African song cycle, from "Childsong" through its reprise at the end of the album. "I am The Lion", "Madrigal", and "African Suite" are all interesting and quite innovative for the late 1960s time frame of the original recording. This was a trend-setting album and another notch in the growing body of recordings Diamond produced in his reign as one of America's favorite singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s. Enjoy!

Joyous Moments
Call me blessed - in my childhood, my dad "made" me listen to Neil and I thank him for it. One day he played this and I heard the kids singing about a lion and I was hooked. Whenever I feel a bit down, I play this album and immediately my spirit is lifted up. How can it not? The songs, especially "Soolaimon," express such joy, passion, and a sense of musical freedom, that one can get, and often does, caught up in the moment Neil created with song. I think this album is ahead of its time using African influences and styles. Its no wonder I also love Paul Simon's Graceland. The simular expression in the music is beautiful. If you are a Diamond fan, this one MUST be in your collection.

Taps musical, childhood roots
I was born in late 1969, and my parents must have bought this album shortly thereafter, for I have always known it. These songs are interwoven into my earliest memories. Consequently, it's probably not possible to write an entirely objective review. But I think my judgment may have matured to the point where I can separate at least some of the musical wheat from the chaff of my childhood.

This album was obviously a labor of love for Neil Diamond. Everything about it was lovingly wrought, including the packaging. In fact, my only complaint about the CD reissue is the loss of the gorgeous design work of art director John C. Le Prevost, designer Virginia Clark, photographers Jim Metropole and Larry Bartome, and calligrapher Jonzarr Haber. The original album cover had a satisfying heft to it, being printed on incredibly heavy, textured stock. Although it housed a single record, it folded out like a double album, revealing the other half of the moody, introspective photograph that began on the front cover and continued on like a Cinerama movie screen. Included inside was a booklet, printed on fine writing paper, supplying the lyrics for 'Childsong,' 'I Am The Lion,' 'Soolaimon,' and 'Missa' (in both English and Swahili) in earthy sepia calligraphy. Additionally, it included Neil Diamond's own explanation of the concept of the album:

"When rhythm and blues lost its sensuality for me I fell in love with a woman named gospel. We met secretly in the churches of Harlem, and made love at revival meetings in Mississippi. And loving her as I did, I found a great yearning to know of her roots. And I found them. And they were in Africa. And they left me breathless. The African Trilogy is an attempt to convey my passion for the folk music of that black continent. -n.d."

Sadly, this inscription and the other extras were left off of the reissue CD. Gone are the printed lyrics, the quality paper, the calligraphy, the credits, and all the other features that gave 'Tap Root Manuscript' its air of earnest dignity. The CD merely has a glossy photo of the front cover. Gone is the other half of the photograph. The spine is generic. There are no liner notes, and inside is a jarringly anachronistic and graphically ugly advertisement listing other MCA artists. If I were Neil Diamond, I would be peeved. Heck, I'm not Neil Diamond and I'm still peeved.

Nonetheless, the music remains, and what others have said above is true. 'Tap Root Manuscript' beat Paul Simon's 'Graceland' to the punch by a good 15 years. It also foreshadowed David Byrne's Brazilian epic, 'Rei Momo.' But neither Byrne nor Simon were brave enough or honest enough to include something as overtly Christian as 'Missa' (in English, "Christ, Christ, Christ, I shall meet him... A child has been born. Christ, gloria.") Neil Diamond remains the only artist to acknowledge the explosion of Christianity in Africa and to link it to American gospel music, though at times 'African Trilogy' sounds more like traditional choral music and chant than gospel.

On another technical note, I am grateful that the CD returns to the original continuity of the album. Like the Sergeant Pepper album, some of the songs on of 'Tap Root Manuscript' were contiguous, without the standard five seconds or so of silence in between. When MCA released the cassette version, they arbitrarily stuck in some pauses that didn't belong, with a result that sounded careless and disjointed. The CD version wisely restores the original, continuous format.

This is one of the few albums I own that is good all the way through. It is also one of the very few that seems to appeal to all generations. My boomer parents, my classically trained wife, my 70-year-old mother-in-law, and my Radiohead-loving brother all have embraced it.

I recently played 'I Am the Lion' for my three-year-old daughter, and it captured her imagination with an immediacy that echoed the me I must have been thirty years ago. I had forgotten all about that. It's sort of nice to be able to recapture it.

A Modern Concerto
This may be my all time favorite album. I originally had the vinyl which is now replaced by a CD. This is beautiful music to listen to on many occasions, particularly the old "side 2". The musical themes cycle through the whole album and reappear under haunting and different circumstances. If you like the way classical composers weave in and out of different mucical themes and instrumentation, you'll love Neil Diamond's explorations of several patterns in this album. Some seem based upon African music which I generally don't appreciate. But this album is an exception. I think the greatest appreciation of it comes from listening to the whole thing at once. It'll give you goosebumps.

african symbiosis
I bought the original vinyl for TapRoot in 1970. I still have it,but, through the years, it has gotten . . .well used. The CD brings back all the richness of the beautiful beat and sumptuous sounds of the African veldt. I sa Neil D last year in Austin Texas, and I prayed he would do "Solaimon" - hope I got the spelling right. When he did I went nuts! The album is a must for Diamond-heads! Glorious music ahead of its time. One of the only albums, and artists that both I and my dad agreed upon as I grew up. I'm 55 today and my dad passed on 15 years ago at age 71. I know he still listens to this music. ... Read more

Album Description

Import only 2 CD 46 track retrospective featuring all ofhis hits from his stint with Reprise & Capital. Highlightsinclude, 'My Way', 'Strangers In The Night', 'New York, New York', 'Somethin' Stupid', 'For Once In My Life', 'GirlFrom Ipanema', 'L.A. Is My Lady', 'In The Wee Small HoursOf The Morning' and many more, no hit is overlooked on thecollection! 2 CD slimline jewel case. 1998 WEA Release. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not Bad for a 14 yr-old like Me!!!
Before I only knew few of Mr.Sinatra's song but now, I had even memorized most of the lyrics of his song! This CD has all his best songs. Really great! Some of these songs are new to me but they are good!! (They don't play anymore old songs here, sometimes, they play only the popular ones. All I hear here is Frank's My Way, Moon River, and other hits but they are only few.) Also, before this, I heard some of his songs sung by Michael Buble, and I thought it was great so I looked for the original artist. To all Frank Sinatra Fans out there, BUY this one!!! you won't regret it!
By the Way, I'M ONLY 14!!!

Hard to beat Best-Of Collection
Hard to beat Best-Of Collection

This two-CD Reprise "Import" collection includes among its 46 selections many of the very best recordings Frank Sinatra ever made. Count this reviewer among those who believe FS produced his very best performances during the first years of his own record label in the early Sixties---and not during "The Capitol Years" in the Fifties (please see my review for "The Very Best of Frank Sinatra"). The simple fact is Sinatra didn't reach the peak of his vocal powers until 1963---three years after the first Reprise recordings represented here.

It's now fully 40 years since two of these selections, "Bewitched" and "America the Beautiful," were recorded for what the singer himself considered his crowning achievement (in the bel canto, operatic style) --- "The Concert Sinatra" album. Almost 30 years elapsed before "America the Beautiful" finally was released on the 4-CD Reprise box set. For "The Concert Sinatra" arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle assembled, on the singer's orders, his largest-ever symphony orchestra, recorded on a huge sound stage at the MGM film studios. Riddle claimed near the end of his life, that he never saw the singer better prepared or more focussed for a recording session.

Among other highlights of this splendid 2-CD collection are:

- The opening track from the June 1962 "Great Songs from Great Britain" album---the Ray Noble classic "The Very Thought of You" arranged/conducted by Robert Farnon.
- Three from the 1961, Don Costa arranged "Sinatra and Strings" album, which many consider the singer's best 'ballads' from the Reprise years: "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Night and Day" and "All or Nothing at All."
- Sinatra's best version (with Nelson Riddle) of the Glen Miller/Mitch Parish classic "Moonlight Serenade" from the "Moonlight Sinatra" album; also, what many fans consider the singer's very best 'swinger'---arranged by Riddle in the early 60s---the Kern & Fields Oscar winner "Just the Way You Look Tonight."
- Great tunes from his earliest Reprise (1960) recordings for the classic "Ring-a-Ding Ding!" album---the only one arranged by composer ("Shadow of Your Smile") Johnny Mandel. Among those: Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance."
- Definitive re-recordings of Capitol-era classics such as "I Get a Kick Out of You" (arranged by Neil Hefti) and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" which finds the singer in perfect voice, and with a revised (even better?) Riddle arrangement. Also worth noting: markedly improved sound quality achieved at Reprise (compared to the Capitol Years) by the best engineers in the best Hollywood recording studios.

This collection provides (arguably) the best overall mixture of 'old and new' Sinatra, ever assembled on two CDs. The 46 tracks here include all-time best sellers---disdained perhaps by some as 'weak tea' compared to the strong meat of the Great American Songbook, otherwise well represented in this collection. Yet those same commercial hits struck a chord with 'baby boomers' that was key to re-establishing Sinatra's career in the Beatles' era----and beyond to a fifth, then a sixth decade of public performances. To borrow a phrase from song titles here, it's from these songs that the "best" (really was) "yet to come" at Reprise Records---as well the (very) "bad, bad." Whatever your tastes, be certain at least 40 of these tunes you'll love and never tire of playing. Could we name other great singers whose "best of" compilations could meet those criteria?

Strong compilation of Frank's sixties music
Frank's career began in a very different era, when swing bands were fashionable. He maintained this style long after it ceased to be fashionable, yet continued to sell records in huge quantities. Indeed, he recorded some of the best music of his career during the sixties and seventies.

My way actually began as a French song - it was titled Comme d'habitude and recorded by Claude Francois in 1967. Paul Anka later translated it into English and the rest is history.

This collection contains many other Sinatra classics - New York New York, Strangers in the night, Somethin' stupid, Come fly with me and so much more. Most of his songs were culled from the Great American Songbook, but he showed that he could do contemporary songs well - among those to be found here are Mrs Robinson (Simon and Garfunkel), Yesterday, Something (both Beatles) and You are the sunshine of my life (Stevie Wonder).

This set works well as an introduction to Frank's music, but for those who only want one collection, this is the best of many compilations available. A single-CD version is also available for those who want it - it has a different color cover and merely contains the first of the two CD's here - but you can't buy the second CD separately.

Excellent beginner¿s introduction to Sinatra¿s 60¿s work
I felt like owning some Sinatra, and this seemed like a good place to start, so I added it to my amazon.co.uk wish list, and fortunately someone purchased it for me. I was not disappointed: this is exactly what I wanted, a great roundup of Sinatra's best 60s material.

As well as classics such as New York New York, Strangers in the Night, Mack The Knife, Something Stupid, My Way, Fly Me To The Moon and a personal favourite of mine The Way You Look Tonight, Sinatra has a stab at some classics of his day by other artists, such as The Beatles' Yesterday and Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson, largely with success, transforming them from guitar-pop songs into his classic swing band sound.

As the amazon.com reviwer says, not a hit is missed. Sinatra was, is, and always will be cool, and that is more than evident on this suave collection of songs with his deep, rich, varied voice. 5 stars.

awesome collection
This aint any indispensable Frankie collection but most of the all-time favorites are packed in this cd. Im discovering the beautiful song, "Summer Wind". It's a soulful concoction of delicious double bass, bold brass, calm, poignant piano, and spiced with organ ooz.....hypnotic drums...and that VOICE. For the rest of the list...I got my thumbs up and even higher. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A very basic Connie Francis collection, better options exist
Although I don't have this CD, If you are only looking for a brief package of Connie Francis, this is a good purchase but all of these tracks appear on the first volume of "The Very Best of Connie Francis" with the exception of "Mama" which appears on the 2nd volume of "The Very Best of Connie Francis" as well as this collection, so instead of this collection, search for a used copy of the first "Very Best of Connie Francis" or if you wish to buy it new, Columbia House still carries it so CH members should buy it while they still have it, and the 2nd "Very Best of Connie Francis" which is still in print and carried right here ... brand new. The 2 Very Best of CD's combined have a total of 33 tracks (21 on the 1st volume and 12 on the 2nd volume).

Connie's Best & ReMastered Too!
What you will hear in this collection has been hailed as "the excited voice of Connie Francis"--that is because Connie IS exciting! Where else could you hear "Where the Boys Are" and that other rarity "Lipstick On Your Collar"?Only on 35 other CDs that's where! How many more thousands of times do we need to have these SAME songs re-issued to death? There are other songs that should be included here such as the often neglected "Paint the Rain", "Let's Go Where the Good Times Go" and of course, "Letter From A Soldier" which Connie recorded during the Vietnam years. It would also be nice to see "There's Still A Few Good Love Songs Left in Me" added to a compilation. It's not that the hit tunes here aren't wonderful, but let's face it, Connie's fans have all these songs which have been available on CD for some time now. It would be nice to see something truly different available on America's number one female vocalist.

This Lady MUST Be Inducted Into The R&R Hall of Fame
Trying to cover this remarkable lady's musical career [# 1 female pop vocalist from 1958 to 1963] in a 12-selection CD is like trying to write the definitive history of R&R on the back of a matchbox cover.

From her first hit in December 1957 - a # 93 pop in a duet with Marvin Rainwater on The Majesty Of Love - to her last in 1983, the # 84 Country hit There's Still A Few Good Love Songs Left In Me, she put 76 hit singles onto the Billboard pop charts, saw eight of them cross over to the R&B charts, and added three Country hits for good measure. No to mention selling EPs and LPs in the millions.

The 12 chosen by the producers of this volume were all Top 10 pop hits between 1958 and 1962, and five of them represent the R&B crossovers - tracks 1, 3, 4, 5 and 8 and, with the exception of tracks 3 and 8 which peaked at # 11 R&B, were also Top 10 hits on those charts. Love songs may have been her specialty, but make no mistake about it, she could handle a R&R tune with the best of them at the dawning of that era, as you will see from this small sampling.

Contemporary rock culturalists, including those who govern the R&R Hall of Fame, tend to smirk at, and dismiss as silly fluff, the efforts of early artists like Connie and Pat Boone. But in this they are dead wrong, for one can only rightly judge and assess any cultural component within the context of its time. And the way Connie (and Pat) approached their craft was no different than any of the others from that era that the Hall of Fame has chosen to honour - that is to say, to deliver their songs with an intent to appeal to the fun and innocence in the human soul.

This is as good a place as any to start if you have never actually experienced any of Connie's music. If you know her well, you should seek out the multi-CD set Souvenirs, one of the best such compilations ever produced. And see and hear for yourself why this lady is way overdue for induction into the R&R Hall of Fame.

Very Best of Connie Francis no longer available at CH
That's right, Columbia House has no Connie Francis CDs available anymore, so instead of this collection, BMG Music Service members can still pick the 1986 "The Very Best of Connie Francis" CD there instead of buying this OK for extremely casual fans but those fans will be asking for more.

BRINGS BACK GREAT MEMORIES
IN THE 50'S "AMERICAN BANDSTAND" AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY LAUNCHED A GROUP OF WELL POLISHED ITALIAN KIDS AS AMERICA'S TEEN IDOLS. THEY WERE PAUL ANKA, FRANKIE AVALON, FABIAN,MARK VALENTINO, BOBBY RYDELL, FREDDY CANNON, ANNETTE AND CONNIE FRANCIS. OF ALL THESE KIDS CONNIE FRANCIS WAS THE MOST NATURALLY TALENTED. OUR PARENTS EVEN LIKED HER, BECAUSE SHE WAS TURNING THEIR ERA TUNES INTO POP RECORDS ("AMONG MY SOUVENIRS", "IF I DIDN'T CARE", "CAROLINA MOON" ETC.)CONNIE HAD A DISTINGUISHED SORT OF NASAL VOICE,BUT SHE CARRIED HER TUNES BEAUTIFULLY. SHE WAS SLIGHTLY MORE MATURE THAN THE OTHERS.SHE SANG GREAT ROCK 'N' ROLL SWING-STYLE SONGS LIKE "STUPID CUPID",'EVERYBODYS SOMEBODY'S FOOL" ETC. ALL HER SONGS WOULD END UP ON THE TOP TEN CHARTS. SHE HAD IT GOING. YOU'LL REALLY GET THE FEEL OF THE 50'S AND 60'S WITH THIS WONDERFUL C.D. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The late 1950s were tough on Judy Garland, but this live recording, cut on April 23, 1961, at Carnegie Hall, would (rightfully) bring the legendary icon back into the spotlight. Live would go on to win five Grammys, be Garland's bestselling record, and confirm that, yes, on certain levels, she still had it. Her vocals are as strong as ever on these tunes, and Garland has fun with an audience obviously enraptured by her charms. She's self-deprecating where necessary--on "You Go to My Head" she "forgets" the lyrics but pretends to improvise. Mostly she just shines, especially on tunes she made famous, such as "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Stormy Weather," and "Over the Rainbow." This is easily one of pop music's greatest live recordings and a fine testament to Garland's recorded legacy. This two-CD set has been remastered for EMI's 40th-anniversary reissue to coincide with the ABC film based on daughter Lorna Luft's memoir Me and My Shadows (and is also available in a 24-karat-gold audiophile format released in 2000). --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Stop what you're doing and buy this CD now!
I admit, I was never a great fan of Judy Garland prior to listening to this CD. Well, I'm a huge fan now, and with very good reason. Judy at Carnegie Hall is without question the most exciting live performance I have ever heard. Judy is flawless, the orchestra is amazing, the music selection is perfect, etc. etc. What I like most about this CD, though, is that its sound quality is so clear and balanced that you can't help but feel you are right there in the crowd with her. Favorite tunes? A second-place tie between the energy of "Who Cares," the swing of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," the excitement of "Rock-a-bye My Baby," and the transcendence of "Swanee." They're all fantastic, amazing. I challenge you to listen to the Carnegie Hall crowd go nuts after Swanee and then say this isn't the best live performance ever recorded. But the heart of this performance is "Over the Rainbow." The last "somewhere" Judy sings is incredible; in one word, one note, she captures the innocence of the life she once had as a young woman and the weariness she now feels in middle age. If you're even reading this review, it probably means you care about great music. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD. You will not stop listening.

A Moving, Unforgettable Experience
Some of us weren't even around when Judy made her now legendary appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1961, but this remastered CD is the next best thing to being there. I must admit I wasn't a Judy fan before, it seemed the headlines of her private life always dominated her career. But I had heard about this famous recording, and boy, is it one for the books! This is truly an unforgettable listening experience. The range of emotions Judy takes you thru runs the gamut from high rollicking swinging showtunes to tender, melancholic ballads. At the center is Judy's inimitable voice---she wields it like a magician's baton. She's a master at controlling a song's mood and takes the listener with her on a ride of emotions that ranges from high to low and everything in between.

All her great hits are here, some going back to her MGM days as a child, and yes, the "Rainbow" song is here of course. I can't pick any single tune that sticks out, but the lighter swinging tunes from her '40s heyday stand out. Listen as she has the audience in the palm of her hand as they sing along with her in "For Me and My Gal" and "Trolley Song". There are some isolated moments when Judy momentarily goes off pitch in the slow ballads, but this is all part of what makes her a spontaneous performer---she never "fakes" any moment onstage, it's all part of her charm. It would be unthinkable for a perfectionist like Streisand to commit this cardinal sin. Judy's vulnerability comes thru in the off-the-cuff (sometimes hilarious) bantering with the audience. By the time she charges into "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" you are flying so high in the strotosphere that you never wanna come down.

5 stars, too little!!
"Judy at Carnegie Hall" is easily, one of the most essential albums anybody could ever need. It is by far the greatest "live" performance ever recorded. The fact that the album has never once been out-of-print, does kind of give you a slight idea of how popular it has been over the years. Here, on 2-Discs, we get the complete concert, recorded April 23rd, 1961. With Mort Lindsay and his orchestra.

This has got such an amazing set of songs, and they are all sung so perfectly. A number of these "live" recordings beat any of the studio recordings of them, over the years. The performance of "After You've Gone" is one of the most powerful you are likely to hear, and the length of this concert is well over 2 hours (and for once, I would happily of wanted it to go on for another 2 hours). The arrangements and orchestrations are brilliant, and to hear the performer "live" is one of the greatest things you can get, something that is lost in the studio versions. Complete with a number of songs, by such great writers as Gershwin, Berlin, Mercer, Arlen, and ending with the great "Chicago", this couldn't possibly be any better. A unbeatable great performance, but a truly amazing singer. Her voice is at its best here.

The reissue here, is so great, that it makes it even more better to hear. The sound quality is perfect, and its amazing to think how long ago it was this was recorded. They clearly took their time to produce this album for the great reissue, along with the great booklet inside. A very well written account of the performance, and it makes you even more jealous if you were not one of the people who was there. This is one of the most enjoyable albums you would be ever likely to own. You cant go without this CD. Highly recommend.

Marvelous
Judy Garland's five time Grammy-winning LIVE record (Judy at Carnegie Hall) is a celebration of a magnificent talent. Each song sparkles as Garland's trademark throaty vocals soar to each note as if effortless. Definitely essential, definitely worth it, definitely Judy.

Garland simply at her best--deserves 20 stars!!!
Simply put, this recording documents one of the greatest triumphs of Garland's career. The quality of the recording is excellent. That night Judy came out to a standing ovation and if you turn the volume up just a little and listen carefully you can even hear fans chanting a chorus of "Judy! Judy! Judy!" over and over again. Garland then goes on to sing 26 songs, including some jazz, and wows the audience with her performance. Her rapport with the audience is excellent and the fact that Garland concerts were scripted is impossible to notice here. At the end of the second CD of this two CD set there is a long instrumental of "Over the Rainbow." It was at this time that fans rushed to the apron to shake hands with Judy or at least touch her hand or wrist for even just an instant of a second. How I wish I could have been there that night! Many stars flew in expressly for the occasion. Judy does two encores of After You've Gone and Chicago; they are exquisitely well done. At one point Judy "wonders" if the audience is getting tired--how they scream NO! Then she comments that perhaps she should keep singing and that they should all stay all night--and they SCREAM FOR MORE WITH DELIGHT! PLEASE, get this two CD set--I can't see how you or anyone could possibly regret this purchase. A strong BUY! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The oft-touted critical notion that pop music revivals are usually spawned by reactionary nostalgia founders miserably when trying to explain swing music's resurgence, a renaissance seen over by latter-day hipsters born three decades after the music's supposed demise. A better explanation can be found on this 12-track Andrews Sisters sampler: vibrant, sassy music that's influenced artists from Bette Midler to the Manhattan Transfer and beyond. Starting as purveyors of typically serene ballads in the late '30s, the Andrews' tight harmonies virtually became the nation's soundtrack during the war years when wed to swing (the era-defining "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy") and even influences as seemingly far afield as blues ("Shoo-Shoo Baby") and calypso ("Rum and Coca-Cola"). Culled mostly from their stellar '40s prime, this collection serves as a great introduction to a stellar career--and a fine rationale for swing's unexpected modern blossoming. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Greatest FEMALE Vocal Group Ever
When I was a kid, Bette Midler had a huge hit single, BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY, and this was my introduction to The ANDREWS SISTERS. Thank you both, BETTE & LINDA RONSTADT for exploring the past and reviving what so many many of us, your audience, missed as a result of being born decades later. The ANDREWS SISTERS were part of the music my parents heard when they were young, and what great singers, REAL SINGERS(!), my parents were blessed to have entertain them, as well as inspire the singers of my generation! THE ANDREWS SISTERS are definitely, by far, the greatest female vocal group of all time, not only in Pop, but also classic JAZZ! Those beautifully sung harmonies and impassioned solo performances are unequaled in all of music history. These girls out perform the Supremes! I would also like to know, since the Andrews Sisters recorded over 1800 songs during their career, why are only the same two to four dozen songs only available and was there ever a Box Set? There is a bit Pop, Jazz, Swing, boogie woogie style rock and roll here way before Elvis even recorded any, just plenty of great music to entertain anybody for hours. The ANDREWS were not only an institution of entertainment during the WWII era, they were also ahead of their time, as many of their recordings demonstrate. Gorgeous ballads, mid tempo floor shufflers, and lots of upbeat numbers here! The ANDREWS' vocals are always front,center & up front on all their recordings and they sound perfectly mixed above the bright horns and inspired orchestra players. WOW - 60 years ago and they sound better than current Top 40 radio artists! Getcha an ANDREWS SISTERS, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, etc. CDs - fill your multidisc player, hit the "shuffle button" and have yourself a great BLAST of FUN!

BOOGIE WOOGIE AT ITS BEST, BOY!
"Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" means you're grand...exactly what this valentine is to Patty, Maxene and LaVerne. A dozen of their biggest hits and signature songs---"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "(I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time," "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone But Me)"---will have you jitterbugging all around the kitchen, reaching for a rum and Coca Cola.

What's not to love?
An all-too-brief budget line package, which nonetheless can serve as a handy introduction to this fabulous pop trio. The Andrews Sisters rock.

The Andrews Sisters provide the sound of music in the 1940s
With their toothy smiles and pompadours the Andrews Sisters personified the decade of the 1940's, including yeomen's work during World War II entertaining the troops. Actually, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was recorded in January of 1941 for the Abbott & Costello movie "Buck Privates," well before Pearl Harbor, but certainly "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)" is the quintessential WWII song. The Andrews Sisters burst on the scene in 1937 when they turned "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen," a Yiddish musical song, into the most popular song in the country. Over the years they proved them were as strong with a ballad, like "I Wanna Be Loved" as they were with novelty songs like "Rum and Coca-Cola" (where the sisters do Jamican one-liners). No, I have no idea when LaVerne or Maxine are singing lead instead of Patty and I certainly cannot explain the difference between Vic Schoen & His Orchestra versus Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra. All I know is the Andrews Sisters set the bar for female sibling trios and outperformed the McGuire Sisters and Fontane Sisters put together. This album features a dozen of their biggest hits from 1937 to 1949, plus you also get der Bingle singing lead on "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive." I think America's love affair with vocal harmonies pretty much begins with the Andrews Sisters, who are like the fairy godmothers for the Everyly Brothers, The Mamas & The Papas, and anybody else who comes to mind.

SWINGDOM'S TRIO INSTITUTION
All the great hits are here in this magnificent collection from the late 30's and 40's with Patti, Maxene and LaVerne singing "Rum and Coca Cola", "Shoo Shoo, Baby" (with Mitchell Ayres Orch.) "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" "Apple Blossom Time" and of course that novel little ditty from 1939 "Hold Tight" with Jimmy Dorsey. These Greek-Norwegian gals grew up in Minnesota and admired and copied the great Boswell Sisters; Patti said "The Boswells were the best, more than 50 years later, I still think they're the best". Good as Connee, Vet and Martha were, their record sales and popularity didn't come close to the Andrews! These sides are especially good to hear today because of the Swing Revival; these three canaries really knew how to swing it - and how! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

George Michael's second post-Wham! outing, Listen Without Prejudice could not have been more appropriately titled. Following on the booty-shakin' heels of Faith, Listen found Michael being more serious than sassy. "Freedom 90" had a strong groove, a catchy melody, and of course, the sex-bomb video. The contemplative tone of the album is best illustrated by the other hit that it spawned, "Praying for Time." Michael's voice was as strong as ever, and he did indeed take several risks on the CD. "They Won't Go When I Go," (not a Michael composition) was almost cryptic, and "Cowboys and Angels" was a lament of a different kind. --Steve Gdula ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Make this CD part of your collection
If you think George Michael is just his "Faith" album, think again. He plays most of the instruments on this album of incredible songs, ranging from the MTV hit "Freedom" to heart-grabbing love songs like "Cowboys and Angels" and deeper pop tunes like "Something to Save" and "Heal the Pain." If this was still on vinyl, you'd wear it out. Be glad it's on CD, and prepare to listen to it over and over again. This is truly an underrated musician and singer.

An underrated masterpeice.
I bought this album on the day of release in 1990. I was 10, and incredibly excited by the song title "Freedom 90" which I figured was a remake of the Wham classic, revisited in the organ intro to Faith. It wasn't, but I wasn't disappointed. This is the best George Michael album available. His vocals are rich and pure and the over-tracked harmonies on "Something to Save" give me chills every time I hear the song. "Freedom 90" offers a more mature take on a familiar theme and "Mother's Pride" is stark and beautiful, although the beginning is reminiscent of the "Karate Kid" soundtrack. Bottom Line: It's a shame Volume 2 never surfaced, because if it was anything like this, it would have been an instant classic.

Where's Vol. 2?
"Faith" may have been the album that made him a superstar, but I think this is the album I listen to and enjoy more. There are still pop jams and ballads, but it feels more consistent than the previous album did. Also, unlike "Faith", this disc feels more timeless and removed from the 80's, even though it was released just in 1990. "Praying For Time" and "Freedom" are two of his best songs ever, and they both start off the album. "Waiting For That Day" and "Heal The Pain" are two great upbeat tracks, while a song like "Mothers Pride" is beautiful and moving. I find "Older" to be similar to "Listen Without Prejudice", but not quite as good. Overall my favorite of his, and I still listen to it often.

GMs best in many peoples opinion
This was Georges second solo album, the follow up to 1987s 'Faith'. Unlike 'Faith', 1990s 'Listen Without Prejudice' doesn't contain a lot of famous jams that still get play all this time later, but the material is probably much stronger & more mature. 'Freedom' is a killer track, but the highlight might be where he checks Stevie Wonders 1974 classic 'They Wont Go When I Go' & brings the same ominous feeling of the original. I like the vibe George was bringing here, this is a great set, a slower & darker atmosphere than usual. My favourite still has to be 1996s 'Older' but this album is 'the best', according to his fans. George would be out the game for six years after this album with all his record label drama but this was a nice effort to keep people going. I wonder if he'll ever make volume II?

Utterly gifted musician, perhaps too outstanding for most
Throughout his entire career, his songwriting has always been unique, the haunting qualities of his voice have always been at the forefront of his melodies. Yet, he has only ever produced 3 albums, and his last real album was over 7 years ago. Where others of less talent, would produce new albums every 6 months or yearly, George evidentely can only release material when he has 'something to say'.

For many, George is the aspirational singer, songwriter. No one has ever combined such unique songwriting skills with such an emotive and addictive voice.

In many ways, this album contains tracks that are as good (Emotionally, Spiritually,) as can ever be produced, by anyone, anywhere.

Consider this, George was only 17 when he wrote 'careless whisper', seems incredible how someone so young had the maturity and talent to write / compose such a timeless and effortless ballad.

There seems to be 2 types of people in life, those that will look at a product, and appreciate its qualities, regardless of fashion or what mass popularity dictates. Or those that can only follow the mainstream, and go along with whatever is popular, good or, more usually, the very bad indeed.

So, the title of this album is perfect, for me and many others, its without doubt one of the very, very finest peices of music ever recorded. For others, it contains G.Michael who was ultra popular with girls when in Wham! so they can never get seen even holding the cd.

What does it take to change the essence of a man ? ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A WONDERFUL COLLECTION FROM JERRY VALE!
This collection of Italian favorites is a perfect complement to any others you may have, by Jerry Vale or anyone else. With liner notes by Jerry himself, you can feel the passion behind every word and great arrangement executed here. A particular standout on this collection is "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (sung in English) Only Vic Damone's version with Don Costa gets close to this fine reading. Another great cut off this CD is "Summertime In Venice", with its weeping mandolins and beautiful words, it's as if you're floating along on a gondola through Venice itself! The usual standards are also here, like the stirring "O Sole Mio", "Come Back To Sorrento", and "Santa Lucia", which makes this album all the more cherishable. Being 100% Italian and growing up listening to all these songs, I can attest that whether you speak fluent Italian or not a word, when the music's this good, you WILL understand it and appreciate it! (Just ask my non-Italian speaking friends if you don't believe me!) A long overdue handful of Jerry's finest songs. (Rumor has it a similar collection of "greatest hits" in English, and a boxed set are in the works for 2001; can't wait for those!)

Not the best version of this album available
I have another CD version of this album from Columbia released in 1995 and I love it. Mine has 20 vice 18 tracks, and includes my favorite Italian song, Santa Lucia. One reviewer said Jerry sings in English, but on the earlier version he sings both English and Italian. This is by far my favorite Italian album among 15 that I own. Jerry's voice is so clear and emotional; it makes Dean Martin's versions (other than Thats Amore) sound tired and uninspiring. I had never listened to Jerry Vale before this, but I'm a fan now.

THE BEST ITALIAN/AMERICAN SINGER:JERRY VALE
I LOVE THIS LP. I HAVE IT ON CASSETTE, I LISTENED TO IT, AND I HAD TO GET IT ON CD FOR MY FATHER. I GREW UP WITH THESE ITALIAN/AMERICAN SINGERS. DEAN MARTIN, JULIUS LAROSA, LOU MONTE, AL MARTINO, ETC.... BUT, IN MY CASE THE BEST IS JERRY VALE. I LOVE DEAN MARTIN, BUT WHEN HE SINGS INNAMORATA(SWEETHEART)HE DOES NOT SING THE WORDS CORRECTLY. DEAN MARTIN IS FANTASTIC, DO NOT GET ME WRONG, BUT WITH JERRY VALE HIS SINGING IS CALM, SOOTHING, AND HE SINGS WITH THE CORRECT ITALIAN LANGUAGE. AS A AMERICAN/ITALIAN I FEEL HONORED TO BE ONE, AND HAVE A GREAT BUNCH OF SINGERS FROM ITALIAN BACKGROUNDS.

Beautiful voice of Jerry Vale
Hi Jerry Vale has a beautiful voice and this Cd has a lot of my favorites. He's wonderful! I would add this to your collection of Italian CD's. Warm Regards: Cathy Alexander(NH)

Another version of "Al Di La", and LOTS of stirring vocals
You don't need to be Italian to enjoy these beautifully arranged and vocally superior Italian standards. This CD is a compilation of some of Jerry's best vocals. "Come Back To Sorrento", a hit single for Jerry, boosts Vale hitting his highest note. (Love those high notes!) This version of "Al Di La" is not the usual version of Jerry's, but an nice alternative version that's a must for collectors of Vale's music. Another of my favorites is on this CD, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". Originally sung by the "Floaters", Jerry's version rocks with strong vocals and stirring orchestration. The sensational "Amore, Scusami",(more high notes) and "Luna Rossa" are nice additions to this CD as well. Every song is a classic sung with perfection...crisp, clear, and ringing. No Jerry Vale collection would be complete without this CD. ... Read more

Album Description

UK collection for 60's r&b vocalist with unique ability to transform a song & make it her own, features 22 tracks taken from her Capitol catalogue, recorded in the late 60's/early 70's, & produced by Wayne Shuler (son of legendary Louisiana bred producer Eddie Shuler). Honest Jon's Records. 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Maybe his best album yet!
2 Nights Live! is simply a great record. Over two hours of music and 41 songs, all performed LIVE. If you've ever been to one of his shows, you know the power, heart and soul that Barry puts into all his performances. Every song on this 2-CD set is masterfully done. This album is worth owning just for the 6 previously unreleased songs, such as "Forever and a Day", which are rarely ever performed and usually reserved for his concert tour catalog. If you are looking for mainstream Barry Manilow, though, you will not be disappointed-- the LIVE versions of classics like "Mandy" and "Weekend in New England" on these disks are some of the best recordings of the songs I've heard. If you thought he sounded good on tape, wait until you hear him LIVE! Enjoy!

Barry Shines In 2 Nights Live!!!
Barry Manilow's 2 Nights Live is an excellent live recording from the Manilow Live! 2002 Tour at the PNC Center in New Jersey. Barry's voice is in top form, and his voice sounds clear and strong throughout the CD. Barry sings many of his hits that have become synonymous with the name Barry Manilow such as: Mandy, Weekend In New England, I Write The Songs, Even Now and Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again just to name a few. There are also six previously unreleased tracks on this 2-CD set, including Harmony, the title song from the musical "Harmony," You're There, We Live On Borrowed Time, Every Single Day from "Harmony," That's Life and Forever And A Day. This 2-disc set contains 41 tracks divided into Night One and Night Two. In addition, there are six dialogue tracks by Barry. There are also some great photos in the booklet, as well as Barry's own thoughts and comments on his 35 years of touring. In my opinion, the only kind of disappointing track in this set is Can't Smile Without You. First of all, the duet version (with two kids named Britney and Jimmy) included with the 2 Nights Live set was not indicative of how the song was done most of the time during the Manilow Live 2002 Tour. I attended several Manilow concerts during this tour, and more often than not Barry did Can't Smile Without You as a sing-a-long and not as a duet at all. I also know there are many veteran fans who have not been picked for a CSWY duet with Barry, and they have been trying for 20 or more years. It is disappointing (in my opinion) that these two children were picked, especially after their mother was picked to be a CSWY Girl in a previous show. On a more positive note, 2 Nights Live is an excellent collection of Barry's music, and it is definitely a must have for any Manilow fan.

Could Have Been Better
I have been waiting for years to get a definitve live sampling of Barry Manilow. His 1977 live album is said to be fantastic, but for now I shy away from it since I like a lot of his 1978 and over work, which is not inlcluded there. I can't find the other three he made prior to this one, so today I went to Best Buy and decided to buy this 2 - disc set. Well, my reaction to "2 Nights Live" is mixed.

Disc 1 is the weaker of the two discs. Right from the opening you know this cd won't be that great. While the medley is very good, when you come to a concet, you rather here the whole song than just select pieces. Also, he tends to leave out verses on sevrals songs, especially evident on "Can't Smile Without You" (though the adorable duet with two kids more than makes up for it) and "Mandy". And "It's A Miracle" is done just by repeating the chorus over and over again, while one of my favorites, "Could It Be Magic", is presented in just mere instrumental pieces.

Howver, there are more than a few saving graces on this cd. His performances on the standards "Looks Like We Made It", "Even Now" and "Weekend In New England" are strong, further proof of Barry's amazing vocal strengths. He gives the newer track "Turn The Radio Up" an extra zing. The ballads "You're There" and "We Live On Borrowed Time" are also good. The standout is an energetic "Bandstand Boogie", which sounds as fresh and lively as it did in 1975.

Disc 2 is by far the better. It opens with three relatively uknown songs rarely heard: "I'm Comin' Back", "Sweet Heaven (I'm In Love Again)", "Who's Sleepin' In My Bed", the latter one of Barry's best uptempo numbers. Next comes strong renditions of two of his most popular hits "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again" and "Somewhere Down The Road". Both songs are better than the studio versiosn, which still remain timeless in their own right. He sounds vibrant on "That's Life", and does the song "Every Single Day" from "Harmony" well. I enjoyed "New York City Rhythm" immensely. Just a great, upbeat song. "I Made It Through The Rain", another all - time favorite, just is further proof of Barry's great voice and marvelous showmanship. The "Mayflower" numbers "She Should'a Been Mine" and the exhillerating "They Damce" are excellent live. Then comes the highlight of the whole album on either disc. He gives a haunting rendition of the 1984 Johnny Mercer collabaoration "When October Goes" from the album "2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe". This perfromance is worth the price of the cd alone. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" sends out a great message to people: tell your loved ones how much you care before it's too late. Then comes the double winner of "Copacabana" and "I Write The Songs". It was the nice the hear the former song without the cheesy female midsong section, and the latter is the definitve version of the song. The brief "Old Friends" is a great segue into the closer, "Forever And A Day.

There are just three songs I wish he did that he didn't do: "The Old Songs", "Ships" and the aforementioned "Could It Be Magic". If I'm the only one who misses these songs, I'll shut up.

Is this cd among Manilow's all - time best? No. But as a cd in genrral, is it worth the purchase? Yes. For all its flaws on the first disc, it's still a great live sampler of Barry's career up to this point.

brought back so many good memories
2 Nights Live is a great CD.

it has so many Manilow classics, I listened to the two cd-roms for 2 days striaght and loved it.

so will any manilow fan.

It's Got Everything!
Yes, this CD does contain many of Barry's greatest hits, but they're GREAT! And you've never heard a Barry song until you've heard it live! Songs like Mandy, Even Now, and Weekend in New England sound fabulous, and Barry puts so much feeling into them, you couldn't guess he's been singing them for 25+ years.

2NL also contains some of the "sleepers", like Sweet Heaven, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed, and The Best of Me. Unless you own some of Barry's rare albums, you haven't heard these more than a couple of times.

And there are songs on here from Barry's RECENT and ORIGINAL album, Here at the Mayflower. Turn the Radio Up and They Dance sound awesome live, as does the slow, beautiful She Shoulda Been Mine.

DO NOT think that this is just another compilation or greatest hits CD from Manilow. It's a recording of two live nights, capturing nearly 30 years of the old favorites and soon to be ones. A pure delight for the entire two hours! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After the critical and commercial smash Heart Like a Wheel, Linda Ronstadt could have had her pick of material from the day's top songwriters. Instead, she chose the wares of a couple of young artists on the rise, Warren Zevon and Karla Bonoff. Each provided her with first-rate material for Hasten Down the Wind: Zevon wrote the title track and Bonoff supplied "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me," "Lose Again," and "If He's Ever Near." Ronstadt also bravely covers songs already done definitively by others--Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day," and Tracy Nelson's "Down So Low"--and emerges not merely unscathed, but triumphant. She also presages the turn toward Spanish material her career took in the '80s with "Lo Siento Mi Vida." It's easy to see why the public went wild for Hasten, Ronstadt's first platinum album. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Eclectic Styles of Music
HASTEN DOWN THE WIND was a number three smash and Ronstadt's first million- selling disc. It also garnered her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It's a very real, raw album with Ronstadt's sweet vocals pierced by a touch of grit. "Lose Again" is a country rock ballad written by Karla Bonoff. Linda decides it's time to rock out with a kickin' version of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day."

Ronstadt delves into Spanish territory with "Lo Siento Mi Vida," a beautiful acoustic number. The title track is a ballad written by Warren Zevon and features fellow Californian Don Henley on harmony vocals. Ronstadt goes the Jamaican route with "Give One Heart," a reggae love song. Linda does a powerful and searing rendition of Patsy Cline's "Crazy," as her soprano sheds new light on an old classic. Ronstadt has explored many musical styles in her career, and HASTEN is no exception, as country, rock, pop, Spanish music and reggae come together to form a winner.

Linda Roars Like A Windstorm!
This is a classic Ronstadt album, recorded when she was really in her prime, busy cranking out the volume of hits and those seemingly effortless and sometimes facile interpretations of other people's songs, showing just how original an artist she was. Like the legendary Johnny Rivers, who always seemed to have a magical touch for turning other people's work into brilliant covers and best-selling albums, Ronstadt here does a star turn with other people's songs. She shows here just how versatile and eclectic her approach to some interesting material could be. From a raucous hit song like Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day" to a sweet and soulful interpretation of Karla Bonhoff's plaintive "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me", Linda pulls out all of the stops, and although the album was panned critically, it was also her first album to go platinum. Well, so much for them pesky critic fellas!

Her fans knew what they liked, and they sure seemed to like this terrific collection of so many different genres gathered under a single tent. The title tune, written by songwriter and performing wildman Warren Zevon, "Hasten down The Wind", is a haunting, powerfully performed song. Then too, Patsy Cline's "Crazy" is powerfully interpreted. "Tattler" and "Try Me Again" are sizzling, as is a well-arranged version of Bonhoff's "Lose Again". She soars with an interpretation of the traditional "Rivers Of Babylon", and a lovely effort at blue-eyed soul with "Give One Heart". My personal favorite here is Tracey nelson's "Down So Low", and of course, "Hasten Down the Wind", a song so reminiscent of the soulful songs on previous albums like "Prisoner In Disguise" and Long, Long. Time". All in all, this is a terrific album and one that is really a showcase for Linda at her very best. Enjoy!

In the foundation of any music collection
"Hasten" is, as many people now believe, Ronstadt's best work. It's in my the very top cut of my CD playing cycle, in an honored position right before Carole King's "Tapestry" and just after Joe Cocker's "Luxury You Can Afford." Things you should listen to often enough to appreciate, but not so often you tune them out.

Hasten is one of those magical albums that comes along once in a while, just as an artist's voice is at its very best, combined with material which is not only superbly written and performed, but shows their talent better than any other work.

There isn't a dud track here, and if you look back at the contemporary reviews, you'll find they were equally enthralled.

Personally, I believe Ronstadt's rendition of "Crazy" here is the best that's ever been done or could be done; the backup is understated and tight, but it's her voice that knocks your socks off. Evidence: I used "Crazy" (with all its audible recording flaws) to demo a new CD player (looking for something with SACD but that will also make regular CDs sound decent), and the listening room filled up with people who seemed to come out of nowhere. And everybody, even the salesman, kept their yaps shut through the whole song. So if "crowd stopper" doesn't do it for you, move on.

Now, if only they'd release it on SACD ...

Classic!
I bought this album brand new years ago when I was a teenager and I bought the cd now as an adult just because it's so good. Some artists are simply out of time and Linda is one of them, good in any decade. "Someone to lay down beside me" and "Crazy" are just a few of the classic tunes. I also really enjoy the beach cover photo, flash photography outdoors, the white gauze dress, she's just one of those people that has been a part of my life musically for just about all of my life, she is a true legend.

WELL ROUNDED ALBUM
This is probably Linda Ronstadt's most accomplished and beautiful album in its refreshing variety of styles and well chosen material. Her version of the gospel-reggae classic Rivers Of Babylon is closer to that of The Melodians than Boney M and she does a stunning cover of Buddy Holly's That'll Be The Day. The buoyant pop song Give One Heart has an addictive hook and is performed with gusto, while the Spanish ballad Lo Siento Mi Vida is soulful and moving, the perfect vehicle for bringing out the tender side of her voice. Other beautiful ballads include the title track, Someone To Lay Down Beside Me and If He's Ever Near. Ronstadt's flexible voice blends perfectly with all of these styles to ensure a cohesive sound and a very enjoyable listening experience after all these years. Anyone who appreciates crossover country, contemporary folk or pop-rock will enjoy this classic album of melodic songs. I discovered Ronstadt, Rita Coolidge and Emmylou Harris at the same time in the 1970s and have remained a fan ever since. It's a pity Coolidge and Ronstadt have not been as consistently prolific as Harris. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great Collection!
This is by far the best single-disc greatest hits album of Paul Anka since it contains all of the major essentials duing his singing career. However, it is not a COMPLETE hit collection, but it's the closest thing you will find. The next logical step, unless Rhino already started, is a four or five CD box set covering all the hits, some rarities, some b-sides, some live recordings, and some unreleased material. Anka deserves box set treatment. The very least Rhino should do is make a collection of his ORIGINAL ABC-Paramount years of music (1957-1961) which is hard to find on CD. Does everyone agree?

Enjoyable look back at this prolific singer/songwriter
One of the things that distinguished Paul Anka from the vast majority of his contemporaries was the fact that he wrote most of the songs he recorded. This was true both in his heyday in the late 1950's and early 1960's as well as during his improbable comeback in the 1970's. Paul Anka's 30th Anniversary
Collection is truly a celebration of the man and his music. Anka's early recordings for ABC-Paramount truly captured the flavor of that era. Anyone who grew up during those years has a very special place in their hearts for such classics as "Put Your Head On My Shoulder", "Lonely Boy" and of course his 1957 summertime smash "Diana". His chart success continued pretty much uninterrupted until he departed ABC-Paramount late in 1961. Anka moved on to RCA records who had extremely high hopes for him. As often happens when artists switch labels, the move simply did not work out. Despite a couple of fairly big hits in 1962, Anka failed to distinguish himself for the remainder of the decade. A short stint at Buddah also proved unproductive.
Then in 1974, Anka re-emerged with a vengeance with an unlikely hit "You're Having My Baby". Much to everyones surprise, the tune became Anka's first number one song in 15 years. His new label, United Artists, promoted him heavily and Anka followed up with three more Top Ten tunes. Rhino has done a magnificent job in putting together a retrosepective of this very important artist. The disc includes 24 of his very best. Among my favorites are 1961's "Dance On Little Girl"
and his 1975 hit "Times of Your Life". You may recall that Kodak used this in it's commercials for quite some time. Also included is the extremely hard to find "The Teen Commandments",
a 1958 hit recorded with his ABC-Paramount labelmates George Hamilton IV and Johnny Nash. I was a bit disappointed that Rhino did not include Anka's final Top 40 hit from 1983 "Hold Me 'Til The Mornin' Comes". In conclusion, I was quite pleased with the remastering job and the 8 page booklet included in this package. I would be quite surprised if you can find a better collection of Anka's work anywhere else.

Puts A Mere Dent In His Library Of Hit Singles
Growing up in the Ottawa area in the 1950s, one of my favourite haunts was Andy Anka's club across the river in Angers, Quebec. Andy was Paul's uncle and, from time to time, we'd see Paul there. We also played a bit of hockey against him during his Fisher Park high school days [he was a goaltender], and saw some of his earliest performances with a group at the Central Canada Exhibition around 1955/56.

His talent even then was apparent, and so it was no surprise when his very first record, I Confess b/w the oddly-titled Blau-Wildebeest Fontaine [a South African location in the novel Prestor John] received considerable airplay in the area. Released by Modern Records in 1956 it wasn't a national hit, but that and his renowned determination did serve to bring him to the attention of Don Costa and ABC-Paramount Records.

The first effort there was Diana, about his babysitter in Ottawa, and the rest, as they, was history. Diana herself capitalized on her new-found fame by opening the Diana Grill after the record shot to # 1 on both the pop and R&B charts in the summer of 1957.

His follow-up disc, I Love You, Baby. did not fare well, reaching just # 97 that December. But then came You Are My Destiny [# 7 pop/# 14 R&B early in 1958] and, in short order, the double-side hit Crazy Love [# 15] and its flip Let The Bells Keep Ringing [# 16] in June 1958.

From there to 1983 he would chalk up another 48 pop Hot 100 singles, four of which would also cross over to the R&B charts once more [tracks 7, 8, 9, and 12], and from 1969 to 1984 some 20 would make the Adult Contemporary charts. He would do all that for seven different labels - ABC-Paramount, RCA Victor, Buddah, Fame, Epic, United Artists, and Columbia.

So, it's obvious that this otherwise fine AAD effort from Rhino barely puts a dent in his long list of hit singles. But it's a good start and hopefull will lead to other volumes. There are five pages of liner notes written by Ellis Widner, entertainment editor of The Tulsa Tribune and co-author of The Oak Ridge Boys: Our Story. On the reverse of the CD is a discography of the contents.

The only non-Anka hit in the package is My Way [more closely associated with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley]. As another reviewer points out, this was not Anka's composition alone, having been written earlier by the French team of Thibault, Revaux, and Francois, although Paul did compose the English words.

Well worth having for all fans of Paul Anka.

Gotta have the originals, and here they are
Upon recommendations of several Amazon.com reviewers, I bought this Paul Anka 30th Anniversary Collection. I am listening to it right now. It is great to hear the early songs in their ABC Paramount original versions, rather than the RCA re-do's a few years later. Don Costa's orchestra is there in all its glory, conjuring up all my old teenage memories. (I was a small-town part-time disc jockey at the time and did a Paul Anka Birthday Show for two or three consecutive years.)

Of course, it is also good to hear the RCA originals and those from United Artists and the one from Buddah. Originals: That's the key.

Rhino Records has done an outstanding compilation job once again. As one reviewer suggested, now how about a 4-CD set by someone at sometime?

Paul Anka's best collection
A not very comprehensive collection of Paul Anka's hits spread thru 1957 to 1978, from recordings of ABC/Paramount to United Artists, this CD gives a brief history of Paul's music. Only a box set with at least 4 CDs (each of not less than 79 mins at today's standard) could intensively cover all his great songs, such as 'The story of my love', 'Just young', 'Something happened', 'I love you baby', "Adam & Eve' and 'I miss you so' etc. In fact, even his best album in the 70's "The Painter" is still not available in CD format. This CD is the best collection of Anka's hits available in the States up to this moment and the remastering sound is good. For Paul Anka's fans in USA, Sonymusic of Japan has issued a new Paul Anka's ABC-Paramount Original greatest Hits on 2002.5.22, namely "The Golden Bowl Paul Anka's Original Hits", cat. number SICP-140 which includes 23 songs. This CD is the soundtrack album of a Japanese TV drama using Paul's songs as backgroung music...those who look for more Paul's hits should hunt for this one which is still available in Japan. ... Read more