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Cliff sings

david jones | Merseyside United Kingdom | 10/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"bought the long player in 1959 but lent it out and it was never returned,since the mid sixties i have been trying to replace it,with no success(saw it once at a record fair on sale for £50,went home for the money,but when i got back it had been sold.
Although Cliff Richard improved with age,in my opinion he never got better than this album. "Cliff" was not as good as Cliff sings,but still a nice piece of nostalgia.
Cliff Richard mixes standards and rockers,on Cliff sings which is a format which doesnt always work(Gene Vincents debut album being a case in point,great singer,awful disc."

A Real British Rocker

Ken Douglas | Landlocked in Reno | 02/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cliff Richard has always been more popular in the UK than the US. That he's a rocker there's no doubt, but he was never the British Elvis Presley as some said in his early career. He's always been Cliff Richard with his own brand of rock. In fact, John Lennon said Cliff Richard put out the first real British Rock record.



The first record of this set is a live rocker. From "Apron Strings" to "I Got a Feeling," you just wanna get up and dance. Then you're brought right down with the only downer on the record, a song called "Jet Black." I didn't like it in 1959 and I don't like it now. But the song quickly segues into rock and roll again with an Elvis Presley sounding (and I just said he wasn't the British Elvis, I stand by that) "You're So Square". And he follows up with Ritchie Valens "Donna". He also does a dynamite version of Buddy Holly's "That'll be the Day". Ritchie and Buddy had been two months dead when this record came out, but I like to think they'd like the way Cliff did their songs. This is a great live record, meant to be played loud.



The second record in this set was recorded in the studio and it sounds very rockabilly. I didn't know that back than, but I think I know it now. Cliff does just about the best version of "Blue Suede Shoes" I've ever heard. "The Snake and the Bookworm" and "I Gotta Know" continue on in this same vein." In fact "I Gotta Know," is my favorite song on the record. Cliff also does a strange, echoey version of "As Time Goes By," the theme song from my favorite movie. I kinda think he coulda left it off as I don't think it fits, but that's just me. He coulda left off "A Touch of Your Lips" as well, but again, that's just me. I like the rock, not so much the ballads.



Both these records would have made my top thirteen for 1959, but since EMI packaged them together, it leaves room for another on my list. This is a deal, two fab records for the price of one. Can't beat that with a stick.



This Record is Number 8 on my list of the Best Thirteen Records of 1959."

The Earliest Cliff Richard

A. L. Jermaine | New Zealand | 03/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here are Cliff Richard's first two albums out on one CD - 32 songs in total. I remember "Cliff Sings" but not his first one"Cliff". Both LPs came out in 1959. My first disappointment was with "Cliff". It has great songs but it was recorded at a live show and so full of girls screaming thus affecting listening pleasure. The CD, however, is worth the money for the sixteen songs on "Cliff Sings". I remember this one from my young days - I was 19 at the time. Wonderful Cliff originals but also some quite splendid standards/classics - "I'll string along with you", "Embraceable You", "Little Things Mean a Lot" etc. Ah, sweet memories of youth."