The time to hesitate is through
grooverider | Toluca Lake LA | 06/09/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Finally, this great album is available on CD. I remember Mary Hopkin's big hit, "Those were the Days" and I remember not really caring for this song at that time. An English dance hall hit? The 60's really did accomodate just about any style of music, but what Mr. Mathis did with this song is just amazing, he made it his own. Enough cannot be said about what sounds like a typo, "Light My Fire", though Jose Feliciano did it in his own style and had a huge hit, too. Johnny Mathis sings it with much strength and Robert Mersey's incredible arrangement surrounds his voice with a majestic Latin/Jazz version that is as strong a song as the original version. "Little Green Apples" is another standout version of a great Bobby Russell compostition, originally done by the wonderful OC Smith, but again, in a soulful arrangement that brings out the best in what makes Johnny Mathis, Johnny Mathis. "This Guy's In Love With You", a #1 hit for Herb Alpert, is slowed down and sung ever so romantically in an arrangement by D'Arneill Pershing (one of two of his arrangements).
Much credit must go to the very underrated, Robert Mersey, who produced the entire album, and who arranged & conducted all but two songs. He really understood the many strengths of the most wondrous voice that is Johnny Mathis and surrounds it with arrangements that complement and highlight it so that I can say that this album is one of the best in a long line of albums dating back to the 50's. Super romantic songs like, "Every Time I Think of You" and "You Make Me Think About You" round out an album that can be played today, and it still sounds so good! It was very fortunate to have Johnny Mathis return to Columbia in the mid 60's after a short time at Mercury because Columbia seems like home for him.
"Love Theme From "Romeo & Juliet"" was released in 1969 and included many of the hits of the time. "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" was notable because Ernie Freeman's arrangement switched the two songs from "Hair" around, and it still worked. "The Windmills of Your Mind" is very much a counterpart to Dusty Springfield's version. Songs like "Without Her" by Harry Nilsson and Bacharach/David's "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" again help to emphasize what Mr. Mathis could do to make contemporary hits of the time his own.
Many, many thanks to Collector's Choice for finally releasing what many fans have been waiting for, for over 40 years!"
Not the best of Mathis'
Carlos from Rio | Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil | 08/25/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Collector's Choice has made a good job with Sony Music. At last Sony allowed reissue a series of Johnny Mathis' rare albums, some very good, some neglectable.
Albums were issued in twofers containing separate CDs for each album which impacts on very good sound quality.
Program consists of 4 albums from the first Mathis era on Columbia Records, the best part of the story. Great idea to count on twofers which joins 2 collaborations each, one two collaborations with Don Costa and another with two collaborations with Nelson Riddle.
Another twofer includes two unnecessary compilation albums on Columbia with material originated in the Global Records masters. Better have issued the original Global albums, mainly the first ones with Don Costa, Allyn Ferguson, Glenn Osser and Lincoln Mayorca. Albums like `Tender is The Night' and `The Sounds of Christmas' with Don Costa, or `The Wonderful World of Make-Believe', The Sweetheart Tree', and `This Is Love' or `Love is Everything' with Glenn Osser are greatly beyond a mere fanatic fan interest, simply top quality top Mathis.
There is a gap in Mathis career when he returned to Columbia after his Global Records times. More worried about getting easy success with commercial hits, he's recorded many cover albums with only a few good material here and there.
Unfortunately, Collector's Choice picked up a good set of CDs from this second Mathis era on Columbia or maybe these albums were the only ones that Sony would have allowed to reissue. These neglectable albums and twofers include `Love is Blue', `Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet', and `Those Were The Days' where you'll find professional Mathis but quite no inspired Mathis.
One exception is certainly the title `Up Up and Away', a great and inspired set with arrangements by the great Glenn Osser, the staff arranger at Columbia Records who made his way working for Mathis and for Tony Bennett. This album is offered in the twofer with the neglectable album `Love Is Blue'.album
Hope that Collector's Choice does not stop trying.
"
Mathis at His Prime
Ed | Wind Gap, PA United States | 06/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Unlike his contemporaries such as Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, Jerry Vale, etc, who released cover albums of hits of the day in an almost cookie cutter fashion, Johnny Mathis re-interpreted many of the songs in a way that made them his own. In the "Those Were the Days" album he gives a surprisingly soulful, jazzy treatment of "Little Green Apples" and almost exceeds Feliciano's heartfelt rendition of "Light My Fire." The Robert Mersey arrangements are just extraordinary and lead Mathis in vocal territory far beyond his early hits such as "Chances Are." For those who only know Johnny by those Glenn Osser, Percy Faith "sweet" records this new compilation is bound to be a delightful and startling surprise. I once heard a Chicago DJ say, "Johnny Mathis doesn't write songs .... until he sings them." The re-issue of these classic albums is great news for Mathis fans new and old."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1