THREE CHEERS FOR THE PRINCE OF THE BARITONES !!!
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/02/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Alan Dale is yet another crooner that doesn't get the recognition that he deserves these days; and I can only hope that this will change with time. Alan had a fantastic voice that let him belt out a tune, croon it or even sound like the best of the opera singers--he could do just about anything he set his mind to doing. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent; and that artwork is really good, too.
The album starts off with Alan Dale singing "Waiting For The Robert E Lee." This old standard sounds great when Alan tackles it; he belts this out to make it sound new and very fresh. How's about that brass? Al Jolson would be jealous! "Old Marie" showcases Alan as a true blue crooner who could compete with the best of them; and that music fits in wonderfully with Alan's vocals. "Judy" is yet another song that Alan Dale aces as effortlessly as if it were just breathing--Alan's talent was all THAT good. His voice is very strong and he shows off his vocal range just a little if you listen closely. "Mean To Me" is a gentle ballad that Alan sings with panache and true feeling; he wears his heart on his sleeve to make this a great number that you won't forget anytime soon.
"Rainbow Gal" has Alan Dale squarely front and center for an upbeat number that Alan bats straight out of the ballpark! Alan never sounded better and songs like "Rainbow Gal" are excellent examples of how just how well Alan Dale sang. "Here In My Heart" is a most passionate and romantic ballad; Alan sings in a very operatic style as he does this to perfection--and beyond! "Here In My Heart" is easily a major highlight of this album. "In Old Sorrento" has Alan singing this tune with some Italian lyrics; and even though I don't understand precisely what Alan's singing in Italian the song has a deeply romantic and moving quality to it that I find absolutely charming anyway.
"Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" is a classic Latin tune that Alan makes all his own with his incredible sense of timing; and those backup vocalists harmonize very well. "Lisbon Antigua" has an arrangement that uses the brass very well to accompany Alan Dale as he sings this faultlessly; and I really like "I'm Sincere." "I'm Sincere" shines brighter than silver and gold put together when Alan Dale sings this like a great opera star could; Alan also does a great job on "Wham! (There I Go In Love Again)." I love it!
"Your Love Is My Love" is another terrific number that puts Alan right in the spotlight; he croons this closer to the lower end of his vocal range for a great effect. Listen also for a very spirited rendition of an early rock tune I first heard performed by Little Richard entitled "The Girl Can't Help It." The album also ends very strong with Alan Dale turning out a passionate treatment of "Lonesome Road."
Alan Dale could perform a wide variety of tunes and this CD proves it. I strongly recommend this for his fans; and anyone who enjoys high quality music from the late 1940s, the 1950s and even the very early 1960s will find much to like here.
"
Finally! A CD of some of the great singer's original record
E. S. Frasuer | Los Angeles, California | 12/05/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's great to finally have some of Alan's ORIGINAL recordings on CD.
Apart from his presence on "various artist" hit compilations, his
only previous CD was of old radio transcriptions.
At last we have the REAL THING! In addition to Alan's famous hits "Cherry Pink" and "Sweet and Gentle" and "Rockin' the Cha-cha", "Lisbon Antigua", "Dance On", there is his memorable FIRST hit (at the age of 22) "Oh, Marie", which combined a traditional Italian first chorus with a jazzy second chorus featuring the great Johnny Guarnieri on piano. To early fans, this is Alan's most beloved recording,
and a genuine collectors item. Later on, he applied the same treatment to "Sorrento", and happily that record is also featured on this CD. Then there's the Hoagy Charmichael charmer, "Judy". The great Judy Garland loved the song so much she adopted the name. That was long before Alan sang it, of course, but his lightly swinging treatment is so appealing one can well understand her feelings.
Nobody sang great operatic ballads better than Dale, and several such are included here: "Here In My Heart", "My Thrill", "I'm Sorry", "Gioia Mia", "I'm Sincere", etc. Also two numbers from his film, "Don't Knock the Rock" --- the title song, and the warmly romantic "Your Love Is My Love" (the melody is somewhat reminicient of Bob Maxwell's haunting "ShangriLa").
I was especially excited to see that two of his Columbia records are included, because it proves that they are still in existence. I hope that the rest of his Columbia recordings will appear on a future CD, for which I offer these suggestions: "There's No Tomorrow", and "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (on Columbia's subsidiary Harmony Records), "This Is Heaven To Me", the wonderfully sensual "Moon and Sand", "Ride the Magic Carpet", "Today, Tomorrow and Forever", the glorious "I'll Buy You a Star", and the swinging "Of All Things".
My congratulations to the producers of this CD for the fine selection and the great transfers. Keep them coming!
"
Track Listings (27) - Disc #1