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WHAT A TREMENDOUS VOICE................

Philip Scott | U.S.A. | 06/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of Matt Monro since he recorded "From Russia With Love". What a great voice he has. It is truly a shame that he died at such an early age. This cd is one of the best of all cds. He really has a great delivery on his songs. The material that he uses is out of sight. I have always thought of Matt was a cross between Frank Sinatra and Steve Lawrence. Anyway i think anyone who loves the sound of a great crooner should buy this cd. It will not disappoint."

An exquisite, unique voice

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 07/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Those of us who have been Matt Monro fans for decades know his voice was a one-of-a-kind sound, recognizable after a couple of notes, and not to be compared with any other singer. There is also a purity to his interpretations that has seldom been equaled; it is the song that is emphasized, not the singer, with few flourishes in the phrasing or deviation from what is on the sheet of music.
The velvety quality of his voice, with its hint of smokiness, is intoxicating, and one of my favorite attributes of a Matt Monro song is his flawless enunciation; other virtues are superb breath control and the sincerity of his delivery. He was able to convey deep emotion, and still keep his simple style of performing a song.The compositions in this collection are fabulous, and include perfect renditions of many of my most loved melodies, like "Autumn Leaves", "Ebb Tide", "September Song", and one of the best soundtrack songs ever written and one that was sung by Monro in the film, the John Barry/Lionel Bart "From Russia With Love".
Other standout performances in this CD of mostly mellow ballads include "Time After Time" (Styne/Cahn), and "Laura" (Raskin/Mercer).
The foldout insert has some excellent liner notes by Joseph Laredo, giving a nice bio of Monro (1930-1985), from his birth and difficult youth in the East End of London, to his association with George Martin, and a rundown of what songs were to find their place on the charts, in the U.S. and Britain.These recordings were made between 1961 and 1966, with most of the arrangements done by Johnnie Spence, who also conducts the orchestra, and are lovely and lush. The sound is good, and total playing time is 53'11.
I have always felt Monro was one of the most underrated singers of the 20th century, and I hope compilations like this will continue to find him new fans, and that his musical legacy will live on, for as long a people appreciate the beauty of an exquisite voice, and the artistry that was exemplified in Matt Monro."

I Thought That Was Sinatra!

Christopher Dudley | Laurel, MD USA | 01/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That's what I said when I heard just about every track on here. I'd never heard of Matt Monro, so when I went looking for a particular song which I had thought was Frank Sinatra ("Real Live Girl"), Matt Monro's name kept turning up. So I listened to the wav file and lo and behold, that was the version I was looking for. According to the liner notes, his similarity to Sinatra was what helped launch his career, as Peter Sellers wanted a Sinatra imitator for a record he was making. Monro is not a ripoff artist, though, because even though his voice sounds similar, he still uses vocal tricks and signatures that make him his own voice.

These recordings are excellent renditions of the standards, plus a few songs I hadn't heard anywhere else. The sound quality is excellent. The liner notes have some biographical information about Matt Monro. There are some great ballroom dance songs to be found on here, and some beautiful ballads. What else do you really need to know?

Highly recommended."