Sheer magic
08/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don't get the title wrong - although this CD has an English title, only two of the 20 songs on it are performed in English. The other 18 songs are sung in Japanese. I'M GONNA BE WARM THIS WINTER contains Connie's greatest Japanese hits, among them the Japanese versions of her U. S. smashes FOLLOW THE BOYS, DON'T BREAK THE HEART THAT LOVES YOU, IF MY PILLOW COULD TALK, and VACATION. There is also the Japanese version of PRETTY LITTLE BABY, her greatest hit in Japan which holds the record of all-time best selling single to this day. This CD is a real treat for every serious fan of Connie Francis, for it shows a musical side of her that is almost unknown in the U. S. and in Europe. The sound quality is excellent, and the booklet (written entirely in Japanese) shows some rare photos and record covers. Although most people won't understand a word Connie's singing, this CD is a must-have for every serious collector who wants to have more than just your usual STUPID CUPID."
This is certainly not The Last Samurai soundtrack!
Tadeusz Zdrojewski | Warszawa (Warsaw) Poland | 08/29/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"You will probably not recognize if Connie sings sushi bar menu instead of these songs, but this is a very interesting position, especially that her international hits sound in Japanese much more pleasant than e.g. in German. The collectors of Connie's linguistic exercises probably had turned already attention on issued 8 years earlier CD "Greatest Hits in Japanese" (1990, Polydor, POCP-1507, 25 tracks) still available in Japan for the same money. Here we get only 18 Japanese tracks, and the only audible difference is higher level of recording. Also the track "Baby's first Christmas" was remixed in stereo (note: both discs contain tracks mostly recorded in mono!) and is 5 sec. longer (final bells are not faded). I wonder what the last two tracks in English were added for? Instead of them the remaining Japanese recordings (9 tracks, i.e. "Where the boys are", "No one", "Someone else's boy", "Roundabout", "Forget Domani", "Jealous heart", "When the boys meet the girls", "Love is me, love is you" and "Danke schön") should be included to make this exotic set complete. Their absence here is very painful. Therefore, I recommend the former collection instead of this album. However, to collect all available Connie's Japanese performances you will need them both since the first one does not contain cuts "If my pillow could talk" and "Your other love"."
ONCE AGAIN, CONNIE CAN SING ANYTHING
Terry D. Robertson | Asheville, NC USA | 05/29/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is second and the less of the two releases of her hits in Japanese. It contains her Americans hits overdubbed--an amazing feat when one considers she could sing in up to 13 languages. The music is familar, the lycis unintelligible unless you know the language but who cares. Connie is well loved in Japan and I personally always buy the their product because of the superior sound quality. This should be included in every serious Connie Francis collecton. Ah, so tasty!"
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1