Search - Lettermen :: Complete Hits 2 (Chi)

More wonderful hits from The Lettermen

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Volume two of The Lettermen's Complete Hits gives us twenty-eight more outstanding songs from this trio. Their sound is very easy on the ear; they can sing and harmonize faultlessly and their fans love them for it. They enjoy great success to this day; the artistry on this CD is so refined that you'll know why The Lettermen have been so successful when you hear these songs! In addition, the quality of the sound is very good; and I like the artwork even if it is somewhat similar to the artwork for the first volume of this two volume set.



The album starts with The Lettermen singing their very best on "Symphony for Susan;" this is really great and the musicians enhance the ballad even more. Of course, the music stays somewhat in the background; the musicians wisely never steal the show away from The Lettermen. "Almost There" is also very easy on the ear; after you hear this you'll be asking yourself "What can't they do?" They deliver "Almost There" with panache and the music fits in perfectly with their vocals. "Secret Love" shimmers when The Lettermen sing this to perfection--and beyond! The percussion works wonders for "Secret Love," too. "Can't Help Falling In Love" is one of my all-time favorite love songs; The Lettermen do a fabulous job of this and it is a stand-out ballad on this CD.



"To Know Her Is To Love Her" sounds terrific and very special in The Lettermen's capable hands; their rendition of this ballad is faultless. The drums and percussion work well for this tune and it all holds its own very well. "Summer Song" is very pretty; and listen for The Lettermen to outdo even themselves on ""I Love How You Love Me." The strings sound great and "I Love How You Love Me' is a charmer for sure. "If Ever I Would Leave You" gets a very sensitive treatment from The Lettermen as they sing this gracefully; and I'm impressed.



"Try To Remember" from "The Fantasticks" glows brighter than silver and gold combined when these three men do it up right; and "Venus" is also very pretty. "Go Away Little Girl" features The Lettermen squarely front and center--great! The strings and the percussion work well on "Go Away Little Girl;" and I think you'll like this tune. "Love Means (You Never Have to Say You're Sorry)" is another gorgeous ballad when The Lettermen sing it; I could never tire of hearing The Lettermen sing this one with so much sophistication.



"This Guy's In Love With You" sounds just like what Burt Bacharach and Hal David must have wanted it to sound; perhaps Herb Alpert might have been just a little bit jealous of their rendition! There's yet another gem in "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." This Righteous Brothers tune gets a fine cover from The Lettermen who deliver this with passion and genuine feeling. There's also a fine medley of "Touch Me In The Morning" and "The Way We Were;" I love it. "Up Up And Away" gets the royal treatment from The Lettermen; and the CD ends very nicely with the threesome singing their hearts out on the Spanish charmer "Eres Tu (Touch The Wind)." "Eres Tu" is a beautiful love song by Juan Carlos Calderon; and I always love to hear this tune.



Overall, fans of The Lettermen should get this excellent CD. It has so much great work by The Lettermen that you can scarcely afford to skip over this one. It's also a fine starter CD for new fans, especially when combined with the first volume of this two volume set. The Lettermen currently consist of original member Tony Butala and two men who joined later on, Donovan Tea and Mark Preston. Catch them in concert if you can!

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