Search - Joanie Sommers :: Johnny Get Angry

A classic snapshot of the transitional early 60s

Michael B. Marshall | 02/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Amongst my large collection of vinyl, one of most treasured is my rare, original 1962 stereo copy of this Warner Brothers LP.



I love this record for two reasons. First, it is arguably the best single collection of Sommers material ever released on a single album, running from the upbeat "pop hit" ("Johnny Get Angry," a true time capsule of what American top-40 radio really sounded like just before being overrun by the British Invasion) to "Since Randy Moved Away," a classic girl group piece, to "Little Girl Blue," a beautiful, soft and slow Hart/Rodgers lounge ballad which wonderfully displays her jazz legacy.



Every style Joanie ever engaged in is represented on this album, and it's consequently a wonderfully engaging listen - a 40 minute variety show of an incredibly competent singer at the high water mark of her career. Yes, her subsequent "Softly the Brazilian Sound" 1965 LP is often viewed as her most capable effort, but "Johnny Get Angry" is the most varied and enjoyable.



Secondly, for the shrinking universe that still cares about recording quality, this is early Warner Brothers stereo studio work at its absolute best. The soundstaging on the recording is incredible, and listening on a good system, you can feel the pulse of the stand-up bass and actually hear Joanie taking some breaths. The CD release of the album doesn't quite capture all of that "micro-detail," but comes close enough. Bottom line: if you want the "wow, the singer is standing in my living room" experience, this recording delivers.



Unfortunately, Sommers competencies as a perfomer were always under-appreciated, and her post-1960 sound just didn't fit with the movement of the pop world towards "insightful singer-songwriters." Consequently, she quickly fell out of fashion after this LP was released (her TV appearances pretty much drying up by the late 60s), and I've found that even well-read music fans today are usually unaware of her.



So -- for those who appreciate pure singing and sound quality, and enjoy the sound of the early 60s -- meet Joanie on this CD.



You won't be disappointed."

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Dennis Petticoffer | Orange, CA United States | 12/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Johnny Got Angry" consists of all original tunes written by Joanie's friend and fellow cartoon voicer, Will Ryan. Will is an Emmy nominated cartoon producer and composer, who has written songs for Disney, as well as singers Patti LaBelle and the Pointer Sisters.



This is the second of two new Joanie Sommers releases this year. The other features jazz/pop covers, while this one is eclectic in scope, leaning toward rock and novelty tunes. Subtitled "Songs That Should Have Been Written, But Weren't," the CD picks up where Joanie the pop star left off in 1964 when she hit the charts big time with "Johnny Get Angry."



The title song is a politically correct sequel (following 40 years of sexual enlightenment) to "Johnny Get Angry." In the new version, Joanie dumps her bullying he-main boyfriend, punctuated with the line: "I won't be seeing Johnny anymore....As for Johnny, he's dating Leslie Gore."



These days, Joanie is associated primarily with jazz vocals, but here she proves she still has the chops for rock and roll on songs like "Kid Galahad" and the Mersey beat tribute to the Beatles, "I'm Glad You Want to Hold My Hand."



Other highlights include the James Bond parody tune, "(Never Say Yes to) Dr. No," and an enchanting, multi-track confection (think: psychedelic Carpenters) called "Songs From an Alternate Universe." The album ends with a delightful song sung partly in Japanese (no doubt as a favor to her Japanese fans and Will Ryan, a collector of Joanie's Japanese album releases).



Because this album was released only in Japan, the price will probably be too steep for any but the most loyal fans. It's too bad more people won't get a chance to hear it, because it's one of those rare, enchanting albums that belongs in any fan's music collection.



"

Joanie Summers - "Johnny Get Angry"

C. Cooke | Laurel, MD | 01/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I finally have Joanie Summers' greatest hits - now I won't be angry, as Johnny should be."