A Brilliant Musical Legacy
Old Legend Lover | Central Indiana | 02/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Peter Allen was a musical genius whose genuine talents were often overlooked because of his flamboyant lifestyle and Garland/Minnelli link. This 3CD set captures his magic, as both a songwriter and singer, from the very beginning of his career to the very end, and is well worth the price. It consists mostly of his own material, but there are also the songs from others that he always loved singing ("Just a Gigolo," "The More I See You," and "As Time Goes By.") It even includes his earliest recordings with Chris Bell (they were billed as 'Chris and Peter Allen' so everyone assumed they were brothers) such as "Waltzing Matilda" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." But it is his own work that stands out, and so painfully reminds us of what we have lost.Certainly not the greatest singer who ever lived, he still knew how to deliver his own lyrics more effectively than any other song stylist, and was, at the very least, a mesmerizing entertainer. Among his classics (all here) are "Everything Old Is New Again," "Don't Cry Out Loud," "I Honestly Love You," "I Go To Rio," "Fly Away," "Bi-Coastal," and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do.)" He was first discovered by Judy Garland (or, more likely, by Garland's fourth husband, Mark Herron) and wrote "Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage" as a tribute to Judy. As Liza Minnelli's first husband, they became the "Continental Americans," and I always felt he wrote "Honest Queen" about her. He was the most autobiographical songwriter of his time, and his personal pain is obvious in such songs as "Taught By Experts," "Harbour," "Two Boys," "You and Me, We Wanted It All," "Once Before I Go," and "Tenterfield Saddler" which paid homage to his gentle grandfather while confessing his father's suicide.You will be touched by something on this CD...be it pathos or humor...and for me Peter Allen summed it all up when he wrote the lyrics "Just ask me I've been there...seen angels and sin there...I knocked and they let me in there...I've been through it all.""
PETER ALLEN MASTERPIECE~BRAVO!!!
Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 09/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Peter Allen was a magnificent performer and a great songwriter showcased brilliantly in this great three-disc collection filled with his wonderful classics. This is the Box Set fans have been waiting for since the start of compact discs! Included is an interesting text that give background information about this gifted talent who went way too soon and listening to live concert tracks reminds us what a sad loss it is to no longer be able to experience Peter in concert which was always a joyful experience! Luckily attended BETTE MIDLER'S West Coast Debut at the West Hollywood's Troubador in 1972 with PETER ALLEN the opening act and what a debut that was and this was the last time PETER opened for anyone! The "opening act" happened to be the strong musical force who blew the audience away being clear this raw natural talent was ready to soar & take-off and take-off he did! Grand collection contains many of PETER ALLEN'S brilliant live performances from his explosive 70's performances and it doesn't get better than this...PETER ALLEN packed out wherever he performed with excitement and energy beyond compare and the ovations at these wondrous events were endless and exhilarating!PETER ALLEN remains to date my all-time favorite male performer but sadly remains incredibly underrated like another musical icon Johnnie Ray...is this because they happened to be gay? If so, shame on our society as this is sick and unjust and a sad commentary on the state of a society when it comes to discrimination...arts are suppose to be above this being a free open form of expression...never again will we have talent of this magnitude so cherish these once in a lifetime brilliant talents. In addition to bearing his soul in front of audiences, PETER ALLEN was prolific in the studio giving extremely soulful performances on self-penned classics such as "BACK DOORS CRYING" where Peter gets down and exclaims "using the low-life to polish my wit-choosing the crazies-and hoping they fit-saying half empty is the same as half full-all of my lines getting harder to pull" you go deep into his soul and ultimately this is the real blues. PETER was never one to hide his feelings and we are the lucky ones for that. Classics abound in this awesome collection and nobody did "JUST A GIGOLO" as fine with such tremendous depth & stunning to see PETER do this live! Down to the raw blues is the devastating "I'VE BEEN TAUGHT BY EXPERTS" and never has music had a finer hour. "PARIS AT 21" is a magical tour-de-force that is amazing to experience and the low-down blues masterpiece "SIX-THIRTY SUNDAY MORNING/NEW YOUK I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU" is the ultimate and if this doesn't move you then call 911! PETER started playing piano at four years of age and "LOVE CRAZY" is a great live track with PETER at the piano pounding it out like nobody else can to this day...HARBOUR is a soaring emotional experience and "RIO" is PETER at his rhythmic best while "QUITE PLEASE" is an anthem that is a complete classic that nothing else comes close to! This extraordinary guy had T A L E N T in spades...anyone with a love of gifted soulful musical giants, do not miss the greatest ever! PETER love and miss you much..."
Good Box Set by the Original Boy From Oz
Bradly Briggs | 05/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Peter Allen was a brilliant composer who released about ten albums including two live ones.I recieved a special copy from a fan from THE BOY FROM OZ fanclub. It's the most complete collection of his songs to date. The first disc is entitled "The Songwriting Years" and includes most of his 1970s work as well as his now famous "I Still Call Australia Home" (the second Oz anthem... Australian that is) The second disc is actually the 1977 live album IT IS TIME FOR PETER ALLEN. His Carnegie Hall album is only repersented by his rendition of the Oscar winning "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) but is on disc three which
doesn't include his final recording Making Every Moment Count But as it says in the liner notes Peter's songs were his autobiography and we get to hear two rare tracks from an album by Chris and Peter Allen aka The Allen Brothers (no relation)
Maybe if the Oz stage show gets more popularity, and many fans want Hugh Jackman to star in a movie version, his family trust will dig up more of Peter's hidden treasures."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1
