Ooh, Joni !!!
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Something for the Boys/I'm Your Girl is another excellent twofer Joni James CD that has all the tracks from two of Joni's record albums entitled Joni James Sings Something For The Boys and I'm Your Girl. The sound quality is excellent; and the artwork is very well done.
The track set begins with Joni singing very sweetly on "Hey, Good Lookin'." "Hey, Good Lookin'" features Joni singing with energy, positive vibes and all the enthusiasm anyone could ever muster. The handclapping works as a fine innovative type of percussion; and the male backup chorus works fine! "(I Left My Heart In) San Francisco" has Joni doing a rarely heard spoken opening verse; and when Joni sings this classic love song the number really takes flight! The male backup vocalists could have been left out of this; but they don't make the number any worse--this is Joni's song all the way!
"Moon River" gets the royal treatment from Joni; she sings this with a very slightly faster tempo than I'm used to but it all holds its own very well. "Never On Sunday" starts with a great musical flourish and Joni performs this with panache! "Never On Sunday" was always a great number and Joni does it great justice.
"What Kind Of Fool Am I?" would get the stamp of approval from Sammy Davis, Jr., who so often loved to sing this ballad; and listen also for Joni on "Make Someone Happy." The number opens with the men humming along; and Joni never misses a beat!
"Baby, Won't You Say You Love Me" has a very elegant guitar arrangement; and it uses the strings to great advantage, too. "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" gets a softer, slower tempo than I've ever heard; but Joni makes this a masterpiece in her capable hands. Great!
"It's Magic" starts with a fine piano solo; and Joni takes this number to new heights! I associate this tune with Doris Day; but Doris would be very proud of Joni's sublime rendition of this classic love song. Joni never sings a superfluous note, either. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" shines like silver and gold when Joni delivers this to perfection--and beyond! Joni plays with the tempo to make this her own ballad; the jazzy arrangement works very well for this tune. The CD concludes very well with Joni singing "I'll Walk Alone." This tune is perfect for the ending; Joni delivers this with style and grace; she sings her heart out and it's all very beautiful.
Joni James could really sing a song; and this CD more than amply proves it. This is great for fans of the great Joni James; and people who appreciate classic pop vocals and love songs will want this album as well.
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