Johnny Mathis - Essential Johnny Mathis (40 tracks) +Album Reviews

Play Misty For Me

Edgar Olivares | New York City, NY USA | 08/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My relatives were Johnny Mathis fans when I was growing up. I liked his music then so I was curious to hear this double-album. Not surprisingly, I'm glad I got it.

The forty tracks on this compilation cover 1956 through 2000. To the new listener, it's an excellent introduction to a legendary artist. To the long time fan, it's a very impressive collection with tracks not found on previous Jon Mat compilations. The first eight tracks are mono. Most of his early hits like "Chances Are", "The Twelfth of Never" and "It's Not For Me To Say" were performed with Ray Conniff. Other hits include "Wonderful! Wonderful!", "A Certain Smile", "Gina" and his popular duet with Deniece Williams "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". There's one Christmas song: "Sleigh Ride". "99 Miles From L.A." was originally from the 1975 album "Feelings" but here it's a live version. "A Time For Us" is actually the Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet.

He also sings songs from Broadway shows such as "Gypsy", "Cats", "West Side Story" and "Evergreen" to name a few. He also has a few movie tunes here as well. There are also several cover songs including most recently "Unbreak My Heart" and "Because You Loved Me". A few album cuts and some minor hits make up the rest of the album. The booklet has no essay; instead there's a track listing with recording dates, chart positions and some photos.

If you're just getting familiar with Jon Mat, you found a great place to begin your collection. If you have other collections already give this some consideration since it covers slightly more material. If you want just one Johnny Mathis compilation, this is it."

Give this guy a spotlight !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Essential Johnny Mathis is a splendid two CD set that is an absolute must have for fans of the great Johnny Mathis. The sound quality is excellent and I like the artwork.

"Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)" starts the first CD with Johnny crooning just as well as any crooner ever could! The arrangement highlights Johnny's vocals and this suits me just fine. Johnny handles this tune with sophistication. "When Sunny Gets Blue" features Johnny with a lush musical arrangement; his voice is as smooth as silk. "It's Not For Me To Say" is a Johnny Mathis classic; he aces this number and it's gorgeous to hear! "Wonderful! Wonderful!" stuns me with its beauty; and listen also for "Chances Are." "Chances Are" is a rather romantic number that features Johnny front and center; it's beautiful when he delivers this so flawlessly.

"A Certain Smile" again features Johnny's excellent vocal talents and the arrangement makes good use of the strings; and there's also "Misty." "Misty" is easily worth the price of this CD set alone; I love every minute of it! "What Will My Mary Say" is another huge hit for Johnny Mathis; he bats this one straight out of the ballpark! Awesome!

The first CD ends with Johnny singing "The Look Of Love." Johnny never sings a superfluous note and this really impresses me.

The second CD continues the hits. "I'm Coming Hone" is a fantastic tune and Johnny sings this with panache, heart and soul. "What I Did For Love," a song from A Chorus Song, showcases Johnny's vocal talents as he sings this with great sensitivity. "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a beautiful duet between Johnny and Deniece Williams; their voices complement each other perfectly and I love it!

"Begin The Beguine" is a particularly fine number and it shines like gold when Johnny sings it; and listen for Johnny on "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?" This ballad was always one of my very favorite love songs; and Johnny delivers this like the pro he was and remains! "Because You Loved Me" is also a number I really like. Great!

"Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" may not be the newest song on this two CD set; but Johnny makes it sound fresh and new as he sings this with a lot of style! The second CD ends with Johnny performing "On Broadway." Johnny covers this song with a somewhat jazzy arrangement and the backup singers bolster Johnny's exquisite delivery of this ballad.

Overall, this two CD set is guaranteed to make Johnny Mathis fans smile! This is also a wonderful package for those of us who enjoy classic pop vocals and even a few of the "oldies."

Thank you, Johnny!

"

You might be better off buying the box set

A Reader | La Jolla, CA United States | 12/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You won't find "Tonight" (from Westside Story) in this collection. And you also won't get liner notes. Seems like a rush job to cash in on this remarkable singer and snag wallets from the pockets of nostalgic baby-boomers without doing a thing to earn the right.

The best thing I can say about this collection is that most casual fans will like the first disc, and they'll get turned on to new things they'll like on the second disc. I know of no other single CD disc you can buy that has as extensive a collection of recognizable "greatest hits" than what you'll get all on the first CD of this 2-CD set.

But if you're a real fan... get "The Music of Johnny Mathis -- A Personal Collection" 4-CD box set. It's really not a lot more money. (In fact, for a box set, it's a steal.) And you get informative liner notes. I know that's a lot of music, but like walking through someone's prolific garden, you get to pick and choose. And you probably won't miss what you were looking for. (Unless if you were looking for his great recording of "All the Time"...) Ah, well... I tried to help."

An outstanding balladeer

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny was one of the most successful balladeers of the twentieth century although he does not get the recognition that he deserves for his achievements. This compilation includes most of the songs for which he is famous, together with a selection of other tracks that demonstrate his brilliance. Three British top ten hits (Someone, My love for you, I'm stone in love with you) are omitted but those seeking the definitive British hits collection should go for the earlier double CD, Very best of Johnny Mathis, which contains all his British hits, however minor. This set, compiled in America, offers a very different selection of songs although there is some duplication.

Johnny had his first American hit (Wonderful wonderful) in 1957. Other American hits from the fifties and early sixties included here are Chances are, Twelfth of never, It's not for me to say, Wild is the wind, Teacher teacher, A certain smile and Misty, of which the last three also became UK hits. As ever, Brits were slow to appreciate American talent in those days.

Through the sixties, Johnny focused more on albums than singles (he became Columbia's most successful album artist) but he scored some big hits in the seventies, making number one in Britain with a Christmas song (When a child is born) and making number one in America with a duet (Too much too little too late) with Deniece Williams. All these hits can be found on this collection.

Apart from the hits, this collection includes plenty of songs from stage and screen. Among these are Memory (from Cats) and What I did for love (from A chorus line), both of which Elaine Paige also recorded (she was the original singer of Memory). Great as Johnny is on these songs, he's no match for Elaine. However, Johnny's versions of the other classics here are as good as any that I've heard including Maria (from West side story), On Broadway (from Saturday Joe's café), A time for us (from Romeo and Juliet), Life is just a bowl of cherries (from Fosse) and Small world (from Gypsy).

There is plenty to interest fans who just want one Johnny Mathis collection as well as those who already have some of Johnny's music and wish to buy more."

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