Search - Dionne Warwicke :: Dionne (Reis)

TORCHY & SUBLIME VOCALS~BRAVO DIONNE!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 11/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dionne Warwick made an impressive and legendary catalog of lp's on small independant Scepter Records label from the early sixties through the early seventies with too many huge hits to count then with the release of "Dionne" made her major label debut on Warner Brothers Records and the results are totally awesome for anyone who appreciates this legendary singer in her finest form with a brillant selection of songs arranged to ultimate perfection by Burt Bacharach, Don Sebesky and Bob James all legendary giants in the music world! In better musical times than the early seventies sadly obsessed with "singer/songwriters", this collection of classic performances would have yielded a number of "top ten" hits and a few deserved Grammy Awards.

Opening with the hauntingly beautiful "I Just Have To Breathe", clearly Dionne is in great voice with masterful arrangement and brilliant keyboards by Burt Bacharach then this winning combination continues with a sultry ballad "The Balance Of Nature" then on to a catchy uptempo "If You Never Say Goodbye" that has great rhythm changes and with airplay would have been a huge hit. "(They Long To Be) Close To You" is the definitive version of this classic & contains a gorgeous Dionne vocal surrounded by a stunning Bob James arrangement that should have made this the "hit" version. Clearly this great masterpiece full of lost opportunities and obvious from the remarkable quality found throughtout this superb work was not promoted or marketed properly...gorgeous and haunting "My First Night Alone Without You" is totally unique and "Be Aware" is a passionate and illuminating anthem by Dionne with a revelant socially conscious message & should have been a huge hit like "What The World Needs Now Is Love" was seven years earlier. Next engrossing performance is equal to Elton's great version and "Love Song" is beautifully arranged and shows how versatile Dionne is in a variety of musical settings...magnificent stunning performance elevates "One Less Bell To Answer" to intense vocal heights and emotional depths never heard before in this timeless classic as Dionne turns this song inside out giving one of the most electrifying performances of her brilliant career yet continues with a riveting showstopper "If We Only Have Love" which alone make this incomparable collection worth acquiring as these are truly tremendous and timeless classic performances!!! Closing this masterful set of songs all with superb arrangements and peerless vocal performances is the fascinating "Hasbrook Heights" which is classic Warwick/Bacharach/David at its finest & Bravo to Dionne & Company for this wondrous masterpiece that is a glorious musical treasure to be experienced over and over!!!

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A definite Dionne classic

Jaime L. Galarza | delaware | 12/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I became a fan of Dionne Warwick in 1971. I recall purchasing this record for only 25 cents simply because the plastic wrap

was missing. Much to my surprise the songs were really beautiful and the musical arrangements excellent. Dionne's voice was at her peak. Her renditions of "Close to you" and "One less bell to answer" are unique. My favorite song had always been "If we never say goodbye". This compact disc release make the sound more fresh and crispier than the record. Thanks to spy records for this release."