Search - Julie London :: Liberty Years

Brilliance, interspersed with showtunes

06/10/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't a bad CD, but its title, 'the best of the liberty years', is inaccurate. As another reviewer mentions, 10 or so of the tracks here are from the album 'whatever julie wants'. These tracks aren't BAD, they're just Julie doing showtunes like 'diamonds are a girl's best friend', 'my heart belongs to daddy', 'why don't you do right' etc. Personally, these songs aren't really to my taste, and in any case, have been done just as well by other artists, such as Peggy Lee. I wouldn't mention all this, only this CD put me off Julie for some years, since it purported to be a 'best of', and contained all these tracks I didn't like. Since then, I have happily discovered the rest of Julie's oeuvre, and her impeccable taste shows through in almost all the song selections on other albums. 'Whatever Julie wants' is just one to avoid for me.To be fair, the other tracks on the CD are fantastic. 'Cry me a river' needs no introduction; other highlights include the bossa nova selections (fly me to the moon and desafinado), 'love for sale' and 'the end of a love affair'.In fact, 'the end of a love affair' is worth the price of the CD alone. It is one of the most devastatingly brilliant recordings ever made, and I think this is the only CD on which it is available (it originally appeared on the Liberty album 'our fair lady')."

Another great compilation of one of jazz's finest

John Jones | Chicago IL | 10/27/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A UK compilation of some of Julie's finest material, "The Liberty Years" works as either an introduction to Ms. London or a lucky find to veteran fans, as a good share of the songs are from the out-of-print "Whatever Julie Wants." Of course her chestnut "Cry Me a River" is included, as is "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," another song closely associated with Julie. Other rarely-heard Julie gems include a delightful "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," the moody, wistful ballad "How Did He Look," and a gorgeous reading of the classic "The End of a Love Affair." This compilation also serves up two Bossa Nova treaures in "Fly Me to the Moon" and the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic, "Desafinado." So whether you're looking to discover a new favorite jazz singer or looking to expand your Julie London collection, "The Liberty Years" is a worthwhile, highly enjoyable purchase."