Thank you Japan
M. A. Dunnington | Stourbridge, West Midlands United Kingdom | 11/23/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Definately one of my most favourite Como albums. Pure and simple Nashville -he was so suited to this genre. From Japan to the USA to my home in the UK - well travelled but well worth waiting for. The Sinatra Music Society of Japan deserves great praise for reissuing this LP together with SEVEN bonus tracks. "Bye Bye Little Girl", "Meet Me At The Altar" and "Beady Eyed Buzzard" are also alternative takes to the original releases and superbly remastered. "Roaming Through The Countryside" is also new to CD and new to release anywhere - the other two "Bumming Around" and "Summer Wind" I chose to put on the USA Boxset in 1993, when I ran the UK Fan Club and assisted Paul Williams in the selections for that boxset. 24Bit remastering can be very misleading - the USA Collectibles destroyed their Como releases using 24Bit poor quality vinyl - but here the Japanese give you the remastering Como deserves - superb transfers. If only BMG in the USA or UK woke up to the Como catalogue they have - however, in the meantime thank you again Japan - as Oliver once famously said "More please".!!!!!!!"
Sublime country
Vincent T. Lynch | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 11/14/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I always felt this was one of Perry's very best albums, in part because, for him at the time, it was so very different. It was recorded in Nashville in 1965 and produced by the venerable Chet Atkins...so think the Eddy Arnold of the mid-60's if you're wondering what this album is like. Atkins kept the arrangements by Anita Kerr simple and straight forward, and I rather liked Kerr's quartet's background vocals here. Como's delivery here is simple, yet studied. Listen with headphones, and you'll hear that he's very thoughtful about his phrasing here. Most of the tunes here are delightful, with highlights including "Where Does A Little Tear Come From", "Funny How Time Slips Away" (marvelous sax solo here), "A Hatchet, A Hammer, A Bucket Of Nails", and "My Own Peculiar Way." "Gringo's Guitar" may be the album's highlight, and "Dream On Little Dreamer" is too lightly dismissed by critics. It was a minor hit for Perry and is a nice mix of country and jazz, from my point of view. BMG did a great job producing this for the Japanese label -- the sound is as good as you'll hear from the 1960's. There are several bonuses: "Roaming Through The Countryside" made me wonder why this was never released...perhaps it should have been a single. The version of "Bye, Bye Little Girl" is different than has been released previously...more mellow with a different concept. "Bumming Around", which has been released here and there, can't quite compare with Dino's version! "The Summer Wind" is truer to the song writer's intent than Sinatra's version...it's not really a swinging song, rather very melancholy. "Meet Me At The Altar" is an alternate version from what has been released previously...and I think better with an extra verse. "That Beady Eyed Buzzard" -- same arrangement, different vocal than previously released. And for me, that silly title of "Oowwee, Oowwee" hides a beautiful lyric and medley, and Como in particularly fine voice. I simply love this album."
Finally
Hans Sefranek | Vienna Austria | 02/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"thank god this most wonderful como album is finally rereleased. beautiful music, an exceptional, sophisticated artist, today they simply cant do that any longer."
