Search - Betty Buckley :: 1967

This is what life is all about...

Ms. Mazeppa | Chicago, IL | 10/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit, when I kept reading words like "joyous" as a descriptor of Ms. Buckley's teenage voice, I assumed it was some sort of gentle, coded way of saying, "She wasn't very skilled yet, bless her heart."



Still, I bought this recording out of sheer curiosity. I know Betty Buckley's music as being full of depth and experience. I figured this lost recording of her at age nineteen was just a lark, and there wouldn't be much to it.



But wow. Just. Wow.



This might actually unseat her Carnegie Hall recording as my favorite. One wonders: How did this facility for phrasing get into a kid that age? Imagine how it might sound if the ghost of Sarah Vaughan had taken possession of Kristin Chenoweth; that notion begins to get at the unique mixture of sophistication and sheer lightness that comes across in this music.



This recording is glorious. The voice is different from Buckley's more mature voice, to be sure. But what a joy it is (there's that inevitable word!) to hear in this sweet girl's voice, the hints and traces of what was to become.



Make no mistake: This is not merely an archival recording of Betty Buckley before she got her feet under her. This is a teenager who could have readily held an audience at any number of top jazz clubs or cabaret venues.



The only down side in listening to 1967 is that it forces one to consider how many years went by without recordings from Betty Buckley. And one can't help but grieve that loss a little bit. How wonderful it would have been to have a fuller recorded history of this singular talent in evolution.



The selection of songs on 1967 is inspired. Some songs I'd completely forgotten existed, it had been so long since I heard them. But each is deftly delivered (with really brilliant twists in tempo here and there). I'd tell you my favorite track, but it seems to be that whatever track is playing at the time.



(For what it's worth, I've already spent an entire day tormenting people at work with my rendition of Betty's rendition of "One Boy". My version is not as good. So unless you sing as good as Betty and work somewhere where it's not weird to belt out a song about goin' steady, I suggest you avoid listening to this recording over breakfast.)



It's not one or two songs that make 1967 worth buying; it's the total effect. What really haunts me is the sweet, aching quality evoked by this recording as a whole. It doesn't go overboard into a sappy or camp mode. Rather, it leaves me with the feeling of having watched a movie like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg-- where one finishes with a smile and a sigh and only the sweet, tender memories of being young.



What a lovely surprise."

Exuberant Youth at its Best

Jill Tan | Singapore | 07/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of Betty Buckley ever since I watched her play Norma Desmond in London in the 1990s, and have loved her singing since.



It is wonderful that Playbill decided to release "1967" and "Quintessence", for it is so true that they bookend 40 years of this talented singer's remarkable performances. One should buy both recordings, and have the unparalleled experience of listening to how her voice has matured over the years - full of vibrant whimsical youth in "1967", and developing into mellow wisdom in "Quintessence".



And for a "mid-term review", the album "With One Look" should not be missed - her heartbreaking "Dreaming" and the regretful (yet sometimes humorous) "Old Friend" are absolute beauties of song and lyric interpretation.



The liner notes for "1967" provide the interesting back story to how this recording came to be, and this album is truly a gift to all Betty Buckley fans - exuberant youth at its best.



Thank you Ms Buckley for sharing your talent and enriching our lives!



"