Sings

Omaha Reader
"those who are lucky enough to hear him will never forget the experience"

Product Description
Ted Keegan is now starring in the National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera Opera following a very successful run in the Broadway company. Ted made his Broadway debut as Anthony in the highly acclaimed revival of Sweeney Todd, and additional Broadway and national tour credits include Cyrano: The Musical, Mordred in the Robert Goulet Camelot, Freddy in My Fair Lady, and Herman in The Most Happy Fella.

Ted Keegan's Debut Recording includes Broadway Classics and a few lesser-known Broadway gems. Featuring the music of such composers and lyricists as Kander and Ebb, Lerner and Loewe, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more. Songs include "On The Street Where You Live," "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat," "Being Alive" and "The Music Of The Night."

Sings

Sings,Ted Keegan,Lml Music,Pop,Pop Vocals,Popular Music,Vocal

Average customer rating:

Abbey, Where Have You Been All My Life?!
abbey sings abbey
Rich, low tones and luxuriously lazy timing.
One of the last Vocal Masters from the golden period of Jazz
AMAZING PERFORMANCES IN NEW MUSICAL SETTINGS

Abbey Sings Abbey
Abbey Lincoln
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000PC1QNI
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Blue Monk
Throw It Away
And It's Supposed To Be Love
Should've Been
The World Is Falling Down
Bird Alone
Down Here Below
The Music Is the Magic
Learning How To Listen
The Merry Dancer
Love Has Gone Away
Being Me

Album Description

In her oblique, singular trajectory across the multiple currents and trends that have fashioned the incredibly rich and complex landscape of contemporary Afro-American music these past fifty years, Abbey Lincoln has gradually established herself in everyone's eye as the great female voice of the post-free era.

On this new album she performs exclusively personal songs, carefully chosen from the nine recordings she made for Verve over the last fifteen years. With a consummate sense of theatre, alternating slow, crepuscular ballads - almost static in their imperceptible unfolding - and songs of timeless sophistication with melodies that are more archaistic, at the frontiers of country-music and folk, she, using little, almost secret Impressionist touches, recapitulates the skillfully "natural" art of phrasing with all its intimate deployments, breaks and suspensions, revealing the magic spells of a rift that can't be confessed while plucking constantly at the strings of emotion with discretion and restraint and distilling, in its slightest inflexions, melancholy that is literally overwhelming.

Customer Reviews:

Abbey, Where Have You Been All My Life?!.......2007-07-16

Tremendous collection. Abbey Lincoln is a special talent. Music is the Magic is one of the best songs I have heard in a long time.

abbey sings abbey .......2007-07-09

This cd touched my spirit in many ways, the haunting voice of Abbey Lincoln is that of a Goddess. She can say the many things I cannot find words for about life, love and creativity.

PAM

Rich, low tones and luxuriously lazy timing........2007-06-05

For those who expect their jazz singers to possess a unique timbre, the departure of Shirley Horn passes the "greatest-living-vocalist" crown to the reclusive Abbey Lincoln.
Her voice, while unmistakeably personal, carries the same bluesy texture and total emotional commitment of a royal line going back to Billie Holiday and beyond.
She's also a fine composer whose bittersweet songs have a strong identity.
Warmly backed by a group featuring cellist Dave Eggar, accordionist Gil Goldstein and Larry Campbell on mandolin and various guitars, she sounds contentedly sad.
The first track, Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk" (lyrics by Lincoln) is the only historically jazz track on this album but it falls in nicely with the folksy country blues exploration of emotion of the rest of the album.
"Should've Been" is real class while "And It's Supposed To Be Love" is a happy-go-Norah Jones time turn.
There's definitely some voodoo mambo going on with "The Music Is The Magic".
The final track, "Being Me" shows an affirmation of an ending which is a bit of a cliché but that's easy enough to overlook bearing in mind the quality of the rest of the CD.
Larry Campbell's guitar work and Gil Goldstein's accordion really set the scene for this uplifting set for the quiet times in your life, but Abbey is the real star here.
Abbey Lincoln (vocals), Larry Campbell (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, National guitar, pedal steel, mandolin), Scott Colley (bass), Gil Goldstein (accordion), Dave Eggar (cello).

One of the last Vocal Masters from the golden period of Jazz.......2007-05-27

I hope Cassandra Wilson studies this carefully and really understands why this touches the soul to the depths of touching. There is a presence, a soul force, a duende that permeates this creation that carries an indigenous wisdom. The lyrics ride on simple, elegant arrangements with unique instrumentation of guitars, accordion, bass and drums.

Abbey is a philosopher as much a singer/musician. She has turned in an incredible record as actress, writer and singer. From the looks of the CD cover, she is still a great beauty and now also an elder queen/mother.

Thanks Abbey for giving the gift again. You embrace the heart and engage the intellect. This collection is rooted in tradition, contemporary and timeless. All praises good sister.

AMAZING PERFORMANCES IN NEW MUSICAL SETTINGS.......2007-05-22

Five SURPRISING Stars!! Abbey Lincoln has been a pre-eminent jazz singer/songwriter for decades, leading the group more often than not because she was crafting the powerful, unusual, socially conscious songs she sang in her own pure, idiomatic way. She brings her extraordinary skills to this CD in a more different vein than I have ever heard. THe emphasis here is on the song and the delivery in different sonic frameworks. Without the expected pure jazz backgrounds, she adds in different types of music that she soars over, hinting at other exotic and different music forms, relying primarily on Larry Campbell's wonderful guitars with support from Scott Colley's bass, Gil Goldstein's accordion, drummer Shawn Pelton, and Dave Eggar's cello. Even with the different sonic backgrounds, there is still the jazzy, declarative phrasing, that wonderful internal rhythm of the delivery, and the wonderful personal vibrato. And it works beautifully, maybe opening her deeply personal music to other listeners beyond the jazz realm. A jazz singer for the ages and a pure singer for today!

The 'Pieces De Resistance', the best of the best, begin with "The World Is Falling Down" which gets a 'blues with a bounce' treatment that is startling but completely effective: a great performance that demonstrates the universality and capabilities of Abbey's music. "Throw It Away" gets the gypsy treatment, re-inventing the delivery and the atmosphere in a wonderful, mesmerizing performance. "Should've Been" is more along the expected jazz/blues arc: a great performance. "Bird Alone" is pure Abbey Lincoln lyrics and delivery. "Down Here Below" is a powerful, searing testament to living through the times and the pain. After decades of shaping her craft and her music within the jazz realm as one of it's 'supreme queens', Abbey Lincoln has created yet another surprise, based on some of her most well-known works and it is FABULOUS. My Highest Recommendation! Five HUGE Stars!!

(This review is based on an iTunes digital download.)

Average customer rating:

5 STARS FOR BELOVED JUDY !
A FANTASTIC ALBUM!
Fantastic
Take a sad song and make it better"?

Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney
Judy Collins
Manufacturer: Wildflower
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000QFAEJG
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

And I Love Her
Blackbird
Golden Slumbers
Penny Lane
Norwegian Wood
When I'm Sixty-Four
Good Day Sunshine
Hey Jude
We Can Work It Out
Yesterday
I'll Follow the Sun
Long And Winding Road

Amazon.com

That the mainstream folk goddess has become quite a formidable torch singer in her golden years should surprise no one. Ms. Collins has always shone brightest as an interpreter of other's songs, from traditional folk tunes to such notable covers as her takes on Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." Not far from 70 years of age at the time of this album's release, Ms. Collins lends a gentle irony to her reading of "When I'm 64." But her voice is clear; it's as youthful and plaintive as it's been in years. And on tracks like "Norwegian Wood" and "Blackbird," it's flat-out gorgeous. Ably backed by studio musicians Larry Campbell, Tony Levon, and Zev Katz, these jazzy renditions of your favorite Beatle numbers--though where's "Revolution"?--are simply a delight. Buy it for your mom, but treat yourself to a listen first. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

5 STARS FOR BELOVED JUDY !.......2007-07-30

The 4 reviews prior to this one including the reviewer's say enough : Judy Collins is an extraordinary woman. And the people who wrote these articles (from the USA, of course, but European countries, too) are first class, too. I was never particularly attracted by The Beatles whose music looks often like "dépassée", "old stuff" in France at the moment. Particularly for young people. Judy recorded "In my life" and lately "Let it be" which are so good versions.
In this CD all is great : the songs, the musicians, the recording and Judy's voice above all. This CD is for me, too, the confirmation that Judy's teacher (the late Max Margulis, member of the so renowned "Blue Note") was right : She has kept her wonderful voice in spite of ageing... She is AN ANGEL with such a soulfull voice : it must be the reason why !

A FANTASTIC ALBUM!.......2007-07-26

JUDY COLLINS'S new album is truly quite a masterpiece.
I never was a BEATLES-fan, but hearing her interpretations of
these songs makes me just realize the greatness of these songs.
She brings a closeness to the lyrics, and her mucicality and artistry
that she has used on her other wonderful work throughout the years
makes this a fantastic album.
All 12 songs are just great, and if you did not know it, they could very well have been written with JUDY'S voice in mind.
The arrangements on each song is perfect and the musicians are brilliant.
This is really a great work of art!

Fantastic.......2007-07-24

At first, the notion of Judy Collins doing an all Beatles cd turned me off: who could improve on the originals? But this cd, the more I listen to it, really grows on me and I very much enjoy Collins's varied interpretations. In fact, she makes some of these tunes sound new again and who would have thought that possible? She is especially good on "Blackbird" and "Long and Winding Road," but also shines on "And I Love Her" and "Good Day Sunshine." "I'll Follow the Sun" was a perfect choice for her, as well. I'm not crazy about the children's choir on "Hey Jude," and it was a brave venture on her part to even record this classic...it works well in spots, but the ending kind of falls apart, in my opinion. The most remarkable thing about this cd is Collins's voice; it sounds as clear and crisp and warm as it did decades ago; in some ways, it sounds as if it's improved over time. I never would have guessed when I first started listing to Collins in 1968 that she would still be putting out albums almost 40 years later. All in all, this is a cd I would highly recommend. In my opinion, Judy could sing the alphabet and make it truly her own...at this point in her career she has nothing to prove, and it seems as if she's having lots of fun taking on the Beatles. Thanks again, Judy, for blessing us with your remarkable voice and keep on singing!

Take a sad song and make it better"?.......2007-07-17

After having recorded an all Dylan and then an all Leonard Cohen CD, Judy Collins finally sings twelve Lennon-McCartney songs. (Is it possible that she has only recorded one Beatles song previously, her glorious rendition of "In My Life"?) My favorite is "Yesterday," with a simple, mostly piano accompaniment, followed closely by "Blackbird," "When I'm Sixty-four" and "Hey Jude." "When I'm Sixty-four" is particularly poignant since John Lennon, as the whole world knows, was killed years ago and never made that magic number. Collins adds a nice touch by changing the final phrase to "when I'm 84." Adding a children's choir to "Hey Jude" works nicely as well. The selections that work best are those with fewer rather than more instruments (including Korg Triton and Minimoog) accompanying Ms. Collins.
"And I Love Her" and "Norwegian Wood" suffer from too much loud background music and should be remixed.

Ms. Collins faces the dilemma that everyone faces when he or she records music that the original group or singer has already made famous. While her arrangements of these familiar songs are perfectly fine, she does not improve on the originals. No one will ever sing "When I'm Sixty-four" and "Yesterday" better than the Beatles for the precise reason that they sang beautifully together. (The women who did a tribute album to Dolly Parton had the same problem a few years ago.) In a word, it is a lot easier to improve on a song sung by Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen than John Lennon and Paul McCartney. On the other hand, that a singer in her sixth decade is still singing and doing it so beautifully is cause for rejoicing.

While this is not Ms. Collins' best CD (I would give that to the outrageously wonderful "Who Knows Where the Times Goes"), her tribute to Lennon-McCartney is certainly worth listening to and far better than what most of her contemporaries are recording.

Average customer rating:

A curiously overrated album (in my opinion, anyway) from a great musician
Otis!
****3/4. One of the all-time classic soul records
Oddly overrated classic soul LP
Best soul album ever.

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002IHD
Release Date: 1991-06-11

Tracks:

Ole Man Trouble
Respect
A Change Is Gonna Come
Down In The Valley
I've Been Loving You Too Long
Shake
My Girl
Wonderful World
Rock Me Baby
Satisfaction
You Don't Miss Your Water

Amazon.com essential recording

Otis Blue has always been that rarest of beasts: a '60s soul album that could actually have been made as an album, rather than as a slapdash assortment of singles and fillers. The point being that there is no filler among these eleven classic Redding tracks that range from the crisp stomp of "Respect" and the Stones' "Satisfaction" to the touching pop of the Temps "My Girl" and Sam Cookes "Wonderful World"--not forgetting, of course, the heart-rending anguish of "Ole Man Trouble" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Otis Blue captures Redding at the very peak of his raw, unpolished powers, with the peerlessly punchy backing of Booker T. and the MGs. --Barney Hoskyns

Customer Reviews:

A curiously overrated album (in my opinion, anyway) from a great musician.......2007-07-26

There's no question about it: your soul colletion isn't complete without some Otis Redding in it. The man created more than his share of masterpieces, cranking out brilliant slabs of R&B by the pound. His voice was a (nearly) can't-fail mixture of grit and emotional resonance. He was also a charismatic performer and an excellent songwriter; his final single, "(Stittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" is simply one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful songs of all time, a work of devestating genius that has, on multiple occasions, reduced me to tears.

Having said that, I simply can't reccomend this album as the soul masterpiece that other people seem to think it is. Granted, it has some fantastic moments- "Ole Man Trouble" is a superb midtempo ballad with some pleading vocals, slashing guitars, and a hypnotic rhythm. His version of "Rock Me Baby" drips with raw, salivating sexuality, and "Respect" (which would, of course, soon be covered by Aretha Frankin") is a rousing anthem with some pounding drums and a great horn line. Plus, Otis' voice is full of infectious passion. There's also a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" that transforms the song into a relentless, gritty R&B basher. Again, Redding delivers an incredibly exuberant vocal- just listen to those verses!

The problem with this album, however, is that there are far too many tracks here that are little more than filler. My biggest gripe is with Otis' version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Now, the original was an absolute masterpiece, a soul-crushing heart-shredder that's every bit as powerful as "Dock Of The Bay." Otis' rendition isn't terrible, per se, but it robs the song of virtually all of its supernatural power. He remains faithful to its haunting, mournful melody, but sings without any of Cooke's emotional directness. He darts around the lyrics, adding little asides that ruin the focus of the song. He also tinkers with the lyrics, undermining Cooke's brilliant wording. The result is a castrated rendition of a masterpiece, one that strips the original of its cathartic power while contributing nothing new to it. Aside form that, there's an unexciting "Down In The Valley," and the overly sugary "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (sorry, I know it's supposed to be one of his best, but it just doesn't do anything for me). Also, his by-numbers take on "My Girl" isn't going to replace the Temptations' version.

The songs that I haven't already disussed are pretty good, but not exactly revelations: "Shake" has some inticing rhythms, but can't sustain its excitement all the way through, and "Wonderful World" similarly overstays its welcome. "You Don't Miss Your Water" fits the R&B archetype to a tee- which means that even though it's performed expertly, it feels like you've already heard the blasted thing a billion times before.

So, it's a pretty good album. I feel somewhat odd, seeing as how I appear to be the only person who doesn't absolutely adore it, but... eh, what're you gonna do?

Otis!.......2007-02-23

Tired of what passes for soul these days? Had enough of Destiny's Child, John Legend, etc.? Then let me tell you about Otis Redding. This is the man who penned Respect - yeah, so Aretha's version is definitive, but his ain't too shabby either. This also contains Otis' first big hit, the oft-covered I've Been Loving You Too Long, which has survived being butchered by the Rolling Stones - out of its many covers, it's best heard here. And speaking of the Stones, Otis' version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction is a surprisingly good reading of the just rock classic, especially considering it's a fine example of record company prostitution - the Rolling Stones had hit big with it a few months prior to this album's release. Otis' is funky, soulful, etc. And how about the bluesy Ole Man Trouble? Man, that song's a killer. "Don't want you, Ole Man Trouble, don't need you, Ole Man Trouble..." damn! Is that soul, or what? Two cool Sam Cooke covers (Shake and Wonderful World) round this classic album out. I enjoy every song (with the possible exception of a rather limp My Girl), and this is one of my favorite Soul LP's.

****3/4. One of the all-time classic soul records.......2006-07-28

I don't know if "Otis Blue" is the greatest 60s soul record ever released, as some have suggested, but I'm convinced it must be in the top-10.
"Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul" is a bit brief by today's standarts, and I do prefer the Stones' own version of "Satisfaction" to this one, but virtually every thing else is terrific. The arrangements are lean and uncluttered but suitably muscular, and Otis Redding was not the least of the many fine vocalists of soul's "golden age".

Redding is equally convincing on slow, gospel-like tunes like "A Change Is Gonna Come" and up-tempo soul stompers like "Respect", and he receives excellent backing by guitarist Steve Cropper and a tight four-man horn ensemble (two trumpets, two saxes).
Highlights include almost every song. A gritty, grinding "Down In The Valley", a rarely-compiled cover of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World", the aching ballad "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "Shake", a driving dance-friendly party tune. Whether or not the blues classic "Rock Me Baby" benefits from this arrangement depends on how you feel about blues to begin with, I guess, but Steve Cropper's playing is certainly very good.

Some of Otis Redding's best self-penned songs are here, like "Ole Man Trouble" and the aforementioned "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and while a good case can be made for the "Dock Of The Bay" being Redding's best original album, I think this one deserves a tie at least.
"Otis Blue" should not be missing from any self-respecting soul collection. Music collection, really.
It's got a beat and you can dance to it. Ot just sit there alternately swaying and bopping your head like a deranged pigeon.

Oddly overrated classic soul LP.......2006-05-23

This is probably Redding's most famous and acclaimed single LP; it's one of only two that Rhino keeps in print domestically at mid-price. (The other is the ubiquitous semi-compilation, DOCK OF THE BAY). Redding's incredible force of personality carries all of his LPs, and they're all quality entertainment, but most of them are erratic. OTIS BLUE is as uneven as any of them but contains a handful of seminal performances.

Side A is much stronger than side B, and contains all of the original material Redding brought to this session. As expected, the three originals are all outstanding. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" is a justly famous, dynamic torch ballad; "Ole Man Trouble" (repeated, perhaps to more poignant effect, on DOCK OF THE BAY) receives a cavernous arrangement, anchored to a dissonant Steve Cropper riff, with lyrics of overwhelming despair. And the version here of "Respect" is sleeker and punchier than Aretha's, although necessarily it lacks much feminist interest. I prefer it anyway.

There are also three Sam Cooke songs, which suggests that Redding might have had a fuller tribute in mind to the then-recently deceased legend. Otis improves on both "Shake" and "A Change is Gonna Come" - the latter is skeletal and gut-wrenching, the former gloriously raunchy. (Despite the album's title, Redding's concerns throughout the album are pretty earthy - a lusty blues showcases Cropper on both sides of the LP, although the performances aren't among Redding's most memorable.)

Side B features a take on "Wonderful World" that is more radical, but not nearly apt or successful as the late-Cooke pieces on Side A. There's also a perfunctory version of "My Girl" that, like the two blues, slows the album's momentum and leads me to wonder why this is usually classed as Redding's masterpiece when discs like THE IMMORTAL OTIS REDDING are just sitting there unnoticed. After an odd (but basically reverent) version of "Satisfaction", complete with fuzz guitar, Redding takes William Bell by the collar and shakes "You Don't Miss Your Water" free, cutting to the quick just as he did with "A Change Is Gonna Come". His rendering of the immortal soul ballad is as eccentric and indispensible as The Byrds'.

Either three-and-a-half or four stars. DOCK OF THE BAY, which is just as cheap and is, to a certain extent, cobbled together (side B extracts tunes from three previous Redding LPs and one Stax compilation) is probably a better starter.

Best soul album ever........2005-09-05

This is for me the best soul album ever.
All songs are beautiful, contains true soul arrangements without
frequent and disruptive background vocals.
Redding is in top form. His songs like Respect or I've Been Loving You Too Long are great and his covers like Satisfaction or Down in the walley too.
This is essential music for every soul fans.
Note: I have this album on mono.

Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook

Average customer rating:

GREAT, but....
You can BETTE it'll please ya !!!
Excellent
This CD is Outstanding
Bette is the Bomb

Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook
Bette Midler
Manufacturer: Sony/ Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000BYMYK
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

You'll Never Know
This Ole House
On a Slow Boat to China
Hey There
Tenderly
Come On-A My House
Mambo Italiano
Sisters
Memories of You
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening
White Christmas

Amazon.com

It's nice to see Bette Midler putting her spin on an American classic after less-than-convincing detours through adult-contemporary cheese. This tribute focuses on Rosemary Clooney in the early to mid-1950s--so we don't get any of the fabulous Nelson Riddle material--but it's a fairly strong offering. It was produced and arranged by Midler's old musical director, Barry Manilow--who actually dueted with Clooney on a couple of songs in the 1990s and here replaces Bing Crosby on the duet "On a Slow Boat to China." Mostly, the CD is about hits: "Hey There" and "White Christmas" are done in straightforward manner, while Linda Ronstadt fills in for Rosemary's actual sister Betty on a slinky version of "Sisters." Happily, Midler plays "Come On-A My House" down instead of up (the old Bette would have milked its comic aspect) but the singer lets loose on "Mambo Italiano." That's pretty much the only time the Divine Miss M peeks out from behind Clooney's elegant persona, and it's a delight. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

GREAT, but...........2007-06-26

This is a fine tribute to a truly great singer. Bette is in wonderful voice, and does full justice to Rosemary Clooney. "Mambo Italiano", and "Slow Boat to China" are delightful; in fact, I prefer Bette's "Slow Boat" to the original. "Come On A My House" is quirky enough to be great. It's actually a historically important song; the harpsichord was ubiquitous in the days of Bach and Mozart, but by the 1950's, it was forgotten; Miss Clooney used one in the background, and the instrument made a comeback. Of course, Bette uses it, too. Most people don't know that "This Ole House" was originally a hymn by the late Stuart Hamblin...quite a story. "Sisters" is a pure joy, with Bette paired with Linda Ronstadt; I can't tell their voices apart, but I can't tell Rosemary and Betty apart on the original, either.

Great album...five stars for the musical quality. But, 31 minutes is kind of short for a full price album. Also, and this may be picky, the breaks between songs are a bit shorter than I like. Caveats aside, still a super choice. Enjoy.

You can BETTE it'll please ya !!!.......2007-01-23

Bette Midler and Barry Manilow do justice to the masterful art of Rosemary Clooney with this album of Rosemary's hits. The sound is exceptionally crisp and clear; the song selection sublime and the musical arrangements very well executed. This CD proves it.

The album starts off with "You'll Never Know" and Bette begins this song with passion a cappella. The musical arrangement that then joins her is flawless and Bette's voice is strong, vibrant and full of energy. The CD changes gears somewhat for the next track, "This Ole House," which Bette performs with an awesome country twist.

Most of the CD boasts classic ballads that true music aficionados could never forget. These great songs include "On a Slow Boat to China" that offers some great chemistry and banter between Bette Midler and Barry Manilow; "Hey There;" "Tenderly;" "Memories of You;" "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" and "White Christmas." Excellent!

"Mambo Italiano" is a fun song and Bette works this number to the hilt with her passion; she communicates her emotions so well for this number. Linda Ronstadt does a great job with Bette for their duet of "Sisters."

The liner notes include great pictures of Bette and Barry Manilow as well as the credits for each song.

Unfortunately, however, although there are eleven songs on this CD, the total running time is barely more than 30 minutes. That's too short a songbook to honor and remember the great Rosemary Clooney. Where are some of the songs Clooney did with Nelson Riddle? Amazon correctly mentions that the focus of the material is too skewed toward the early to mid 1950s. Could a Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook, volume 2, come to fruition in the near future? It would sure please this author! Unfortunately, these drawbacks frustrate me so I will take off one star to make this a four star review.

Overall, Bette does a superlative job of honoring Rosemary Clooney with the help of Barry Manilow and Linda Ronstadt. Bette delivers a strong, upbeat and vibrant performance that leaves you wanting more! I agree with the reviewer who writes that this CD will make you want to hear Rosemary's original recordings of these classic songs. Fans of Rosemary Clooney and Bette Midler will definitely enjoy this album; and I highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals as well.

Excellent.......2006-11-10

We thoroughly enjoy this CD and the song selections chosen. The combination of Bette's vocals and excellent background musicians make it a great choice for anyone who loves the nostalgic era of Rosemary Clooney. Makes you want to learn how to swing dance!

This CD is Outstanding.......2006-11-10

My husband and I like Bette Midler to begin with . . . . but . . . this is by far the best album we have of hers. We dance, we sing and in general enjoy every song on the album.

We're going to purchase her new Christmas album in hopes that it is equally as great!

Bette is the Bomb.......2006-07-28

Rosemary Clooney had some beautiful songs that needed to be shared with the younger generations. And who else but Bette could do them with such passion! This is a treasured CD.

Average customer rating:

Jerry Vale
Beautiful voice
the greatest Italian singer ever
Jerry Vale sings the Greatest Hits
I'd buy it again.

Jerry Vale Sings the Great Italian Hits
Jerry Vale
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Italian Love Songs
Eh, Paisano! 100% Italian-American Classics
Viva Italia! Festive Italian Classics
The Italian Collection, Vol. 1
17 Most Requested Songs

ASIN: B00000AEGS
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Innamorata (Sweatheart)
Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)
Ciao, Ciao, Bambina
Non Dimenticar
O Sole Mio
Mama
Arrivederci, Roma
Al Di La
Male Femmina
Ah! Camminare
Summertime In Venice
Come Back To Sorrento
Luna Rossa
Amore, Scusami
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Rusella E' Maggio
Oh Marie
More

Customer Reviews:

Jerry Vale.......2007-03-12

Beautiful cd - what a wonderful voice - those were the good old days!

Beautiful voice.......2007-01-12

Excellent italian music. Reminiscint of my early days in New York with the Italian-American genre of music.

the greatest Italian singer ever.......2006-05-22

First of all, the best Italian-American album ever. Put this in the CD player, pour a glass of wine, sit by the pool, add a little salami, provolone, and tender olives, lite the porch lites out back, and you are back listening to the songs Mama and Papa sang. This CD is so good you cant stop listening to it. I am not kidding. My kids listen to it with me. Mt father-in-law and I would sit by the pool every Sunday night, sip wine and listen to Jerry...it was heaven on Earth...and I miss those nights so much...buy this CD and see for yourself...you will know exactly what I mean. The memories are all we have left. Come join me.
Bobby

Jerry Vale sings the Greatest Hits.......2006-03-10

Nice to hear the old songs again. The quality of the CD is very good, highly commendable

I'd buy it again........2006-03-09

My father had this album many years ago.
The recording is just as perfect as I remember.
I'll be buying more Jerry Vale music.

Average customer rating:

Much too little
These Kids Were Alright (* * * 1/2)
The Who - 'The Who Sings My Generation' (MCA)
Raw Energy
The Generation May Have Aged, But The Music Hasn't.

The Who Sings My Generation
The Who
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Quick One (Happy Jack)
The Who Sell Out
The Who by Numbers
Odds & Sods
Who Are You

ASIN: B000002PE4
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Out In The Street
I Don't Mind
The Good's Gone
La La La Lies
Much Too Much
My Generation
The Kids Are Alright
Please, Please, Please
It's Not True
The Ox
A Legal Matter
Instant Party (Circles)

Amazon.com

A glowering cover photo, on-the-run sound quality, and music to match. That's My Generation, and while it's hardly as consistent as The Who Sell Out, it's just as much fun to play. With the band steamrolling the title anthem, "The Kids Are Alright," "A Legal Matter," and a couple of James Brown covers, you can bet it was for them, too. Rock & roll for the hottest day of summer. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Much too little.......2007-06-27

Sure, it has three classic singles that need to be heard time and time again by anyone who considers themselves a Who fan: "My Generation", that brash, loud, tough, angry anthem with the bass solo; "The Kids Are All Right", arguably Townshend's best pure pop song; and the piano-driven, funny "Legal Matter", Pete's first vocal with the group. Actually, I find the record's second half in general to be much stronger than the first, offering the humorous, light-hearted "It's Not True", the chaotic surf-blues instrumental "Ox", and the early confessional "Instant Party (Circles)". If only the other six were this good... but no. Two bad James Brown covers, the latter with the worst imitation of Mr. Dynamite I've ever heard ("I Don't Mind"; "Please, Please, Please"), a couple pained pop ballads ("La La La Lies"; "The Good's Gone"; "Much Too Much"). And while I like the distorted guitar solo on "Out on the Street", the rest of the song is thin. Half of this plus half of A Quick One would've made the record of the year. But this is a far cry from Sell Out, let alone Who's Next or Quadrophenia.

These Kids Were Alright (* * * 1/2).......2006-12-05

Forty-one years on, the debut record by The Who is still impressive. Classics like "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright" are certainly not to be second-guessed, and most of the other originals give the album plenty of muscle. "The Good's Gone" and the humorous "A Legal Matter" highlight Pete Townshend's superb riffing, and in the latter case, voice. "Much Too Much", "It's Not True", and the psychedelia-flavored "Instant Party (Circles)" are fine mod tunes. Finally, the instrumental romp "The Ox" is the clearest indication of the mayhem that The Who were to create on stage, if not ever again on record. The bits of feedback on this track surely perked up the ears of guys like Jimi Hendrix, as well as Lou Reed and John Cale, perhaps just enough to make them realize the potential it could have in their own work. This song - along with "My Generation" - serves to rightly place Townshend and Co. among the forefathers of punk.

However, "La La La Lies" and "The Kids Are Alright" indicate that The Who may have also been the originators of another genre for which they are rarely credited: power pop. All of this genre's elements are in place on these songs - azure vocal harmonies, echoey guitars, prominent bass lines, and marching drums. It was this formula that would be adopted by the likes of The Flamin' Groovies in the 1970s and Guided By Voices in the 90s, bands who were among the very best power poppers of their respective decades. Also included on My Generation are two James Brown covers. Now, I have quite frankly always found The Who's claims to be purveyors of "maximum R&B" to be disingenuous at the very least. These covers - "I Don't Mind" and "Please Please Please" - sound a bit forced, as if they were trying to prove their R&B credentials (not that I doubt their love of the genre, nor the fact that it inspired their sound). That said, there are some good R&B-inspired moments here, such as the opening track "Out in the Street".

At times, The Who Sings My Generation sounds a bit too rough around the edges for its own good. Granted, full-on Spector-esque production certainly wouldn't have served the band's energetic assault any more effectively. The Who's second album, A Quick One, would prove to be a bit of a holding pattern, but it's follow-up - The Who Sell Out - would be their triumphant great leap forward. Knowing how ambitious and refined their music would become, their debut sounds almost charming in its youthful recklessness. But whatever its shortcomings, their is no overlooking the fact that the single "My Generation" landed in the mid-60s London scene like a hand grenade, and proved that The Who wasn't just another rock band. Their influence would expand exponentially over the decades, and as an opening statement, The Who Sings My Generation remains a powerful one.

The Who - 'The Who Sings My Generation' (MCA).......2006-10-09

First hit the streets in 1965,as this was The Who's stunning debut record.I haven't heard this title in a LONG time,now.Great mod rock,British Invasion style.At the time(of course),this lp was reportedly the first of such to possess such energy.Remember on the old Smothers Brothers show,how the band was introduced as,"The Who..,THIS,folks is excitement"? It WAS.Still is.Tunes here I found most inspiring were the somewhat soulful "I Don't Mind",the melodic "La-La-La Lies",the historic(it's own right)"My Generation","The Kids Are Alright","It's Not True" and "The Ox"(never realized this track was on their very first album).Simply a must-have.

Raw Energy.......2006-07-14

A very different flavor of Brit rock. Whereas Lennon, McCartney, Ray Davies, and the Zombies had that air of refined English gentlemen, well-schooled and well-mannered (even when they were pretending to be bad-boy American rockers), Townshend and Entwhistle were clearly not as deft with their voices, although they played their instruments as well as the best of them, and their songwriting skills always seemed more juvenile than the rest. But that's what makes them unique, and their obvious disdain for that kind of McCartney-esque perfectionism in composition and arrangement and their obvious joy at playing loud, high-energy rock and roll reminds me of 70's punk. Just listen to this great first album and you'll feel the punk attitude coming through. Oh, and Keith Moon was the greatest rock drummer of the 60's. Maybe all those heavy-metal drummers of later years were just as fast and strong (and certainly had more elaborate drum sets and stage shows), Moon was a whole lot more fun.

The Generation May Have Aged, But The Music Hasn't. .......2006-06-28

The first official album by the Who shows them as simple hard Mod rockers who did more than just destroy their instruments on stage. Its hard to imagine that this predates the punk movement by well over a decade because most of the qualities of punk are here. Gritty loud three chord songs, simple melodies, and playing that was faster and harder than just about anything that had existed at that time. Sharing the spotlight with the punk qualities was the die hard Mod theme that would influence bands well into the 70s and 80s.

Mid 60s London was a swinging good place to be. While America had their hippie movement, hipsters from England were dressed up in outrageous neo-European clothing and were jamming at late-night clubs. Thats when the music came into frame. The British were obsessed with American R&B. So they started playing it themselves only with a rougher edge. Imagine if James Brown had gone punk and you get the idea. The Who were a working class group. Yeah, I know they later became rich and famous but their music, back then, was not about being rich and famous but was told from the level of the British teenagers who bought it, listened to it, and enjoyed it. Though The Who were not the first British band to try out an R&B sound (The Beatles and the Mersybeat movement predate them) they were the first to combine it with the British born hard rock genre of crunching guitars, feedback, crashing drums (Keith Moon is easily one of the best drummers of all time) and angry frustrated lyrics.

Rodger Daltery was, and still is, a major vocal influence. Though his voice would get better over time, never again would he sound this angry yet secure about his subject matter. Pete Townshend and John Entwistle were an amazing guitar and bass duel who could keep the pulsating and loud music from seeming to skimpy and watered down. Many rock fans regard them as the best lineup ever for a rock band.

The album is a collection of hard rockers of mostly R&B influence however some tracks like the anthemic title track, and the highly experimental, The Ox, with its almost atonal attack of white noise and disortion may have been seen as a prelude to the psychedelic movement that would shortly unfold. The songwriting may not have been as mature as it would shortly become but some songs like, The Kids Are Alright, and, A Legal Matter, were more serious in meaning than most R&B songs at that time.

Before The Who made the rock opera, Tommy, or the arena rock masterpiece, Who's Next, they were the band you hear as you play this album and wonder to yourself "would rock had survived this long had it not been for groups like this?".

Average customer rating:

THE Best of Two of the Best........
It is what it is, and I like it
faking and industry crass commercialism
A treasure
Best of the Best

Ray Sings, Basie Swings
Ray Charles , and Count Basie Orchestra
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Duets: An American Classic
Before Me
Bring It on Home... The Soul Classics
From This Moment On
Half the Perfect World

ASIN: B000H0MNOE
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Tracks:

Oh What A Beautiful Morning
Let The Good Times Roll
How Long Has This Been Going On?
Every Saturday Night
I Can't Stop Loving You
Cryin' Time
Busted
Come Live With Me
Feel So Bad
The Long And Winding Road
Look What They've Done To My Song
Georgia On My Mind

Amazon.com

To fake or not to fake: That is the question consumers must answer for themselves in assessing this feat of aural Photoshopping: an "imaginary concert" created by combining recently discovered soundboard tapes of Ray Charles's vocals from a mid-'70s European show and newly recorded backing by the Count Basie Orchestra--the "ghost band," still on the road 22 years after Count's passing. Charles is in exceptional voice, singing the heck out of standards like "How Long Has This Been Going On?," Genius classics like "Busted," and pop covers like Melanie's "Look What They've Done to My Song." His performance is a thrilling corrective to forgettable posthumous albums like Genius Loves Company, designed to cash in on the new audience created for him by the movie Ray. But as competently as the Basie band fill in the blanks under the direction of Bill Hughes, with Joey DeFrancesco guesting on organ, most of the new arrangements are rather pallid, and the ensemble lacks the personality of both the Basie orchestra and Charles's best groups. And as attractive as Ray Sings, Basie Swings may be for the casual listener, the gimmickry will appall serious fans, particularly since neither Charles nor Basie--who never collaborated in life--was around to lend his approval. Is The Doors Sing, Woody Herman Swings next? --Lloyd Sachs

From Amazon.ca

Ray Sings, Basie Swings proves not only that there's a market for Brother Ray's every last recorded utterance (and a breathless one at that), but that musical grafting can reap some seriously satisfying rewards. After Concord Records A&R chief John Burk mined his label's vaults in 2005 and came across tapes labeled "Ray/Basie," he made a move to re-record the songs, originally performed in the 1970s; the result is these 12 tracks, in which Charles's whiskey-weathered, old-soul vocals are laid over arrangements by the current Count Basie Orchestra. Charles fans couldn't ask for a classier pairing or more seamless studio wizardry: The classics, from "I Can't Stop Loving You" to "Busted" to "Georgia on My Mind," play as though orchestrated by the Genius himself--tight, nuanced, and intimate-sounding. Less familiar tracks, like the down-home deep-South number "Every Saturday Night" and a couple of covers ("Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" and "The Long and Winding Road") offer so much in the way of novelty it's tempting to forget that what's playing is mostly the result of modern experimentation. Deep as the disc runs--and no one who who hears the broken-hearted "Cryin' Time" will deny it runs deep--the most essential track on Ray Sings, Basie Swings may be its most lighthearted one: There is no hearing Ray Charles sing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning"--even if it's four in the afternoon, even if it's raining torrentially--without agreeing. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

The producers of this CD discovered archival reels of Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra performing live together in 1973. Although the vocals were superior, the remaining elements were or extremely poor quality. They decided to bring the current Count Basie Orchestra into the studio and, using the latest technology, they carefully and painstakingly laid down a new musical backdrop for Charles' towering vocals.

More from Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra

Genius Loves Company
Ultimate Hits Collection
Ray!
Soundtrack

America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years
Count Basie at Newport
Swing Shift

Customer Reviews:

THE Best of Two of the Best...............2007-07-03

Ray Charles' songs and the Count's music...an incredible combination that truly showcases the best work ever put together by these two timeless artists. Thanks to technology and a lot of painstaking work, Charles and Basie's "recording" with each other will top the "wish-list" of all jazz/R & B collectors for many years to come!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is what it is, and I like it.......2007-06-11

I was standiing in a well known book store a while back, suffering through Rod Stewart's Still the Same...Great Rock Classics Of Our Time, when finally a young employee put me out of my misery with this great recording. What a breath of fresh air! Compared to Rod's yawning, lifeless, "the tape is full, when do I get paid?" sounding recordings, here is Ray belting it out with all the soul and power that few could ever possess. Sure, I found out later, that we had been a wee bit had, that this was a bit of "aural Photoshopping". but what a great job it was. As a graphic designer, I have created many pieces by splicing 2 or 3 separate photos together. This CD is sort of like that. As long as the purchasers of this work know this before they buy it, I see no problem. It is what it is - a beautiful piece of music, and I like it.

faking and industry crass commercialism.......2007-05-30

This is the recording that never was. One will never know what the original ray charles tapes sounded like--all we know from the liner notes is that much was unuseable and that through the genius of modern technology, ray charles' lyrics were improved and melded with an improvised new basie (after the Count) band's music. Whether Ray would have wished it his way or did it this way is an unknown and the effort, in the circumstances, exploits an artist and his public to improve the bottom-line of a recording company. That, in my view, is a sad commentary on the state of today's music "industry."

A treasure.......2007-05-26

Of the many wonderful Ray Charles collections, this disk is one that would be a perfect introduction to those who might not have experienced the music from this late genius of his realm. Perfect recording for the upcoming summer months out by the pool, or at the beach!!!

Best of the Best.......2007-04-26

This is one collaboration...well re-mixed, dubbed, whatever CD that you could ever ask for.

Average customer rating:

What can one say? Essential
Stunningly Unsurpassable
The Greatest Album of All Time
not just for the lonely
Sit them up Joe

Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In the Wee Small Hours
Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
Where Are You
September of My Years
A Swingin' Affair!

ASIN: B000006OHF
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

Only The Lonely
Angel Eyes
What's New?
It's A Lonesome Old Town
Willow Weep For Me
Good-Bye
Blues In The Night
Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
Ebb Tide
Spring Is Here
Gone With The Wind
One For My Baby
Sleep Warm
Where Or When

Amazon.com essential recording

Look past the tacky, sad-clown velvet painting on the cover (a Grammy-winner for album design in 1959!), there's nothing cheap or sentimental about this record--the bleakest and blackest album of popular songs ever recorded, so quietly powerful it can leave you slumped in your chair with the ice cubes still rattling in your glass. Every single "suicide song" (as Sinatra liked to call 'em) on Only the Lonely is a stunner that will take your breath away. Nelson Riddle's arrangements are like shadows, almost colorless and motionless, so that all you hear is the ache in the singer's voice. "Angel Eyes" and "One for My Baby" each deserve an album to themselves-- so exquisitely moving that at the end of three minutes you feel like you've just heard a lifetime of loneliness. My only regret--and it's a big one--is that this flawless masterpiece doesn't include Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," which truly belongs here; Sinatra put it into an already overcrowded recording schedule and, when fatigue and the difficulty of the song defeated him after a couple takes, he gave up and never attempted it again. We got the chillingly lovely "Willow Weep For Me" instead, so I'm really not complaining--but that just adds to the pang of loss that this album expresses so vividly. Drink up! --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

What can one say? Essential .......2007-08-01

If you have ever had your heart broken. If you have ever thought about tossing in the towel and trying your luck with the afterlife. If you have ever felt completely alone and without a friend in the world. If you have ever hit rock bottom. In other words, if you are an adult member of the human race, then listen please to this recording. This man has been there. He is one of us. And that is why I love him so. His voice can summon any emotion it wants from us. On this album, it's all about sadness, and heart ache, and deep emotional pain, it's an album of longing, of lonliness, and of repressed emotions finally finding its stage to let it all out.

Short & Sweet - this is one of his best! 5 stars isn't even enough. This recording is simply in a league of its own.

Stunningly Unsurpassable.......2007-05-25

Firstly, please know that I am not anything remotely close to an afficiando when it comes to Frank;nonetheless, it's quite difficult for me to imagine that he has ever surpassed this absolute gem in his entire career. I can only believe, now and forever that he may? have equalled this brilliant effort but never surpassed it. From start to finish, the performance, the songwriting, arrangments,choice of songs and even the order in which they appear are amazing in every way. Frank's delivery is so pitch perfect that you instantly know that you have never heard better pure singing in your entire life by anyone and that you never will again. If you cannot feel the heartbreak, pain and utter despair that pervades this album, you have no heart, no soul and are so devoid of any real life that you may already be dead.The remastered sound is so crystaline and detailed that you will swear you are literally in the studio. Like Sinatra, I am also certain that this was also the apex for Nelson Riddle as well. On occasions that are ever so rare, it all comes together in deeply magical ways,and this is one such occasion. If you simply live and breathe, buy this NOW. Even if you neither live nor breathe but have a good healthy morbid curiosity about Frank you should still buy it. This album will make you feel things you have never felt, things you didn't even know you felt as it's truly that powerful and if I could I'd give it 100 stars.Think of this as the greatest works of Rembrandt,Picasso and Dali all combined into one magnicient work and then you have some understanding of the broad and achingly beautiful brush strokes that all combined somehow managed to paint here.Without a doubt this is one of the greatest works of art ever produced and a thousand years from now people will still care and still listen. When one encounters a work such as this, there is no test of time for time truly stops and the music is indelibly and universally timeless. Let's all drink a toast to Frank and the great Nelson Riddle for that and know that others will toast them forever as well. Only those on the wagon are excused.

The Greatest Album of All Time.......2007-05-02

The Beatles can't touch this. Full of tenderness and heartache. Only Kristin Hersh's work even aproaches it.

My only beef is on the recording of Where or When. At the end, when Frank hits the last note, his voiced gets very tinny and lost in the orchestral arrangement. Anyone else agree?

not just for the lonely.......2007-01-30

Here we have Frank at his best ,as he often said hes a saloon singer.
Each track makes you feel the heartache he is going through.
All the songs on this CD are aptly chosen,the usual timing,phraseing& diction which have become the hallmark of the greatest vocalist of the 20th & 21st century.

Sit them up Joe.......2006-11-06

The ultimate piano/vocal of all time, "it's a quarter till three!" Just the best

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook

Average customer rating:

I Love Ella in Paris!
A Best Seller in Heaven
The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems
I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!
new ella fitzgerald fan

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book
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ASIN: B0000047EG
Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

All Through The Night
Anything Goes
Miss Otis Regrets
Too Darn Hot
In The Still Of The Night
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Do I Love You?
I'm Always True To You In My Fashion
Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
Just One Of Those Things
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
All Of You
Begin The Begiune
Get Out Of Town
I Am In Love
From This Moment On

Tracks:

I Love Paris
You Do Something To Me
Ridin' High
Easy To Love
It's All Right With Me
Why Can't You Behave?
What Is This Thing Called Love?
You're The Top
Love For Sale
It's De-Lovely
Night And Day
Ace In The Hole
So In Love
I've Got You Under My Skin
I Concentrate On You
Don't Fence Me In
You're The Top (Alternative Take)
I Concentrate On You (Alternative Take)
Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (Alternative Take)

Amazon.com

Long considered a jewel in Verve Records' very impressive crown, Fitzgerald's songbook collections of various composers--a series that was started by the success of this set--are all wonderful, but her natural wit and intelligence was at its most perfect with Cole Porter's erudite, urbane songs. While not as scat-oriented as her small group outings, these Porter sets offer her most realized pop performances. Also, the gold remastering does a fine job of bringing out the nuances in the arrangements, making this a treasure for the serious collector and the casual listener alike. A true American music gem. --Skip Heller

Customer Reviews:

I Love Ella in Paris!.......2007-01-30

I received this CD for Christmas. I never listened to
another Christmas carol after this started playing.
This not only has Ella's great vocals, but it has songs
that everyone, at least everyone of my age, knows
and loves. On a trip to Paris we listened
to it every evening in our apartment while sipping our wine and watching
the barges glide down the Seine. When Ella sang "I Love
Paris", that did it for my friend. She bought it as soon as she got back home.

A Best Seller in Heaven.......2007-01-06

The de-lightful-est! The de-lovely-est! It doesn't get better than this!

Vaishali, Naples, FL

The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems.......2006-12-13

"In Ella Fitzgerald there is a basic purity of sound and of style; she sings truly and she sings honestly. She is the Hemingway of the singers. Is there another singer alive today whose work, like Hemingway, is so basic and simple on the surface and yet so meaningful? There are none, of course. In the jargon Hemingway loves so well, today it is Ella, the champion, against the field." ~ Norman Granz ~

"What it is we recognize and enjoy as distinctively "Cole Porter" in Cole Porter lyric? Actually there are many great things in Porter lyrics and this gives them a continuing charm by always giving us something new to discover. But there is a key trait or quality that is paramount in a Porter lyric. It is intelligence that is the reigning force in Porter, putting all his facts, facilities and philosophies into the right balance to make good entertainment. And that, after all, is his purpose." ~ Fred Lounsberry ~

This two-CD-set presents the very best of Cole Porter songs as interpreted by the legendary songbird, Ella Fitzgerald at her best, and arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman so remarkably wonderful. It's one of the best-ever Songbook series she recorded. This set offers a compilation of the most popular Cole Porter gems from stage shows and motion pictures from 1929 thru 1954, except for one track, "Miss Otis Regrets," which is neither from stage nor screen.

Cole Porter was one of the few great songwriters who can creatively write a song by himself and didn't need a songwriting partner. He was at par with Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser in that category. In these recordings, his songs really shine through with Ella Fitzgerald's beautiful interpretations, from "Begin The Beguine," "Do I Love You" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" to "You Do Something To Me," "Easy To Love" and "I Concentrate On You."

This is essential not only to all Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter fans, but also to anyone who loves the Songbook series.

A collector's item.

I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!.......2006-09-02

I love this cd so much that at least one of them (it is a 2-cd set) are in my cd changer at ALL times. This is truly one of the best investments in music I have EVER made and I am so glad I bought it!!! This has to be one of the best ella cds out there...PERIOD.

new ella fitzgerald fan.......2006-07-03

I never listened to this type of music before. I am a Jewel fan & had saw that this was her favorite cd, so I decided to give it a try. I am very impressed. Great cd!

Average customer rating:

love this cd!!
Its like a greastest hits compiled of originals
Whitey Ford sometimes sings the blues...
Everlast expands himself, but stays true.
i like this album.....truth for a change

Whitey Ford Sings the Blues
Everlast
Manufacturer: Â© 1998 Tommy Boy Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Experimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

White Trash Beautiful
Shamrocks & Shenanigans: The Best of House of Pain and Everlast
Devil Without A Cause
Break the Cycle
Forever Everlasting

ASIN: B00000AFH2
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Tracks:

The White Boy Is Back
Money (Dollar Bill)
Ends
What It's Like
Get Down
Sen Dog
Tired
Hot To Death
Painkillers
Prince Paul
Praise The Lord
Today (Watch Me Shine)
Guru
Death Comes Callin'
Funky Beat
The Letter
7 Years
Next Man

Amazon.com

When you think about it, House of Pain really were ahead of their time. Tracks like "Jump Around" may have been light on the content side, but they delivered in the production department--they played with sounds in the same way that Missy Elliott and Timbaland have popularized, and they crossed over to a rock audience long before Puffy ever tried it. On Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, Everlast's second solo album, the opening is an appropriation of "The Fat Boys are Back"; a couple of songs favor a sensitive folk-rock touch, with Everlast on guitar; and others reach back for House of Pain's best rock-influenced sounds. Though plenty of others have rhymed over rock and folk tracks, Everlast has a good feel for it and his songs are solid. If this isn't a career album, it's damn close. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews:

love this cd!!.......2007-06-11

i think everlast is great, i like most of their music. he has a great voice and sings about real life. i am an almost 40 yr old mom who listens to a wide variety of music.

Its like a greastest hits compiled of originals.......2006-05-31

The second solo album in Everlast's career, 8 years after Forever Everlasting, is by far his most selling album. It has sold over 3 million and rising. Of course What Its Like, the CD's main single, is an amazing song, thats not the only reason to buy this cd. Track 3, Ends, also reached the Rock Top 10. Painkillers, a track on the CD about him having surgery, at the time was just a story, but it became very real when Everlast had a heart attack during recording. He still managed to finish this cd, and 2 others in years to come. Another song on the CD, "Get Down", has the best production of any hip hop song I've ever heard, and I have heard numerous songs. The cd also has two spots by Sadat X, a spot by Casual, and another by Cee-Lo. I own every Everlast album, and if I were to suggest buying only one, this would be it.

Whitey Ford sometimes sings the blues..........2006-03-14

This album is worth having, if only for the 3-4 good songs out of the chuff that constitutes the rest of the album.

If i wanted hard core ganster bangin rap I would buy it... from the genre Dodgy rap - however, I wanted something a little more chilled.

When he sings the blues he does it well - and when he runs out of blues material he fills the space with a half baked white boy snoop pup style.

Everlast expands himself, but stays true........2005-08-16

What a great album. Everlast, after dissapearing for a little bit after he left House of Pain, comes solo. I was skeptical about getting this album when I saw an interview Everlast did, since he stated he was trying to get away from being a hip hop artist and show that he could do the guitar and go into rock and blues. But I saw the guest list on the back, Sadat X of Brand Nubians not on one but two tracks and Casual of the Hieroglyphics crew, aww man I was struck since I was living in the area at the time and loved the group. Prince Paul had a sketch. So I got the album. Wow, this was just tight. My favorite tracks are Money (Dollar Bill) with Sadat X on the Hook. What It's Like, Get Down, which has a tight beat and an accoustic guitar to compliment it, Tired, which Everlast just tears the tracks apart with his lyrics and the beat was just bangin, Painkillers, Funky Beat with Casual and Sadat, and Next Man, the bonus cut, which was just plain sick. Those are my favorites, but pretty much everytrack is good for repeats. This is a must have. One of the classic cd's, in my opinion.

i like this album.....truth for a change.......2005-05-07

this album is about how real life is and i like that because some
people have become blind to things in life and take them for granted
and thats what this whole ablum is about and i suggest you buy this album
"then you might really know what it's like"

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