Search - Marilyn Monroe :: The Very Best of Marilyn Monroe

Pretty bloody excellent....

Review Lover | At a place... | 01/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Marilyn Monroe, as an actress, I can only stand in small doses. Her movies are excellent, all of them have something worthwhile and redeeming - even the more mundane offerings like 'Bus Stop' and 'Niagra' are finely-crafted pieces of film - and the more sublime ones like 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' and 'Some Like It Hot' are honest-to-God classic examples of the comic genius of both 1950s Hollywood and Monroe herself.



For all that, however, I can still only watch the pink and fluffy Goddess for short bursts before I long for something that takes itself a little more seriously.



And that's when I turn to this!



Monroe as a singer I could listen to forever and a day. Worthy of a far higher degree of praise than popular culture has traditionally accorded her, Monroe's singing is a very rare experience indeed. Her range is impressive, and her style is actually quite thought-provoking - listen to the contrast between the bubblegum-light 'Down In The Meadow' and the melancholic, heavy 'River of no Return', and you'll appreciate the fact that, at least as a singer, Monroe was more than capable of shrugging off her Fantasy Gal image for a deeper and more developed means of communication.



This CD is particularly noteworthy for having all the classics, and also some rarer gems like 'I'm Gonna File My Claim' and 'After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It', both great numbers that are so often omitted from Monroe anthologies and such. Her interpretation of 'A Fine Romance' is one of the best ever, and her pairing with the immaculate Jane Russel on 'Little Girl from Little Rock' is worth the price of the CD alone.



If you look at all of the most vocally revered female songstresses of this period - Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Judy Garland - all of them have very fine voices, and an unusual vocal 'hook' - Billie's high acid melancholia, Nina's deep bass ad-libbing, and Judy's rolling, emotional high notes - and Monroe is no different. Her quivery, quirky soprano is fascinating to listen to, and matches her public personality as well as Ms. Julie Andrews' voice matches hers. It brings great depth to what would otherwise have been a relatively ordinary voice - but that's an advantage true of all singers.



One to own and listen to again and again, 'The Very Best of Marilyn Monroe' is something anyone with an appreciation of female vocalists will absloutely treasure."

Pretty much all of MM's musical highlights(with some excepti

jon sieruga | Redlands, CA USA | 06/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Though not particularly known for her musical attributes, this collection of sex symbol Marilyn Monroe's vocal abilities is pleasant. Sure, she's breathy and doesn't have much range, but her innate fire and talents as an actress give some of these tunes a real kick. "After You Get What You Want" from "There's No Business Like Show Business" may be the best song Monroe was ever offered; "I'm Gonna File My Claim" and "River of No Return" are equally impressive. Two songs noticeably missing are "Runnin' Wild" from "Some Like It Hot" and a charming version of "That Old Black Magic" from "Bus Stop", which Monroe recorded in character(with a hick-town twang). Otherwise, a first-rate package."

MarilynMonroe4Ever

A. N. Perry | Pennsylvania | 03/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Marilyn Monroe fan for 20+ years and the more i learn about her the more i appreciate her as a human being as well as an actress.I only found out a few years ago she had a recording contract with MCA.I must tell you she was one of the most underrated actress as well as a recording artist.I personally don't own this CD BUT i do have the songs on here and she was an amazing singer.Everytime i listen to her, i admire her even more then before.The ONE flaw on this cd is track 18 When I Fall In Love.This is NOT her voice.Ask any Marilyn fan, and they'll tell you the same thing.The vocalist that sang that song was and low pitched and had no emotion. Marilyn on the other hand, had emotion as well as melody.

So the only reason i'm giving it 4 instead of 5 is because of that song."