Is Pet Clark Still Hip? "You Bet Your Sweet Bippy!"
Rocky Raccoon | Boise, ID | 08/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Petula Clark is pegged as the women's favorite. Her smash hit, "Downtown" captured all the exhuberance and independence of swinging London and swept it across the continent. Subjectively, she inspired the primitive video classic opening to 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' only with a different tune. The other songs are worth celebrating about, too, however. This male reviewer happens to be partial to her beautiful "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "The Grass Is Always Greener". With her engaging vocals and an uplifting accompaniment on every song, her collection sounds like the best soundtrack to the best Broadway show. Still, it may be a generational draw, more than gender. For this reviewer can listen to "Sign of the Times" with its progessive jazz delivery and still feel hip. There isn't a bad song in the mix. The styles are also varied. "You'd Better Come Home" and "Kiss Me Goodbye" are fine pop standards. Then, "Colour My World" and "My Love" are big band punchy. Also, "This Song" is so Italian, she develops a slight accent. Dean Martin could have made this song his own. Then, there's the playful "Don't Sleep in the Subway," impressive for its statement of independence. The variety is hallmark indeed.
As stated in the liner notes, Rowan and Martin knew her as "Pet Clark," an affectionate shorthand for an able singer who still can bring so much joy in the world. Can she be considered relevant after four decades? "You bet your sweet bippy," one might say."
A Fine Collection
G. Carter | Temple Hills, maryland United States | 08/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If your looking to start your journey with Petula, this collection is a great start, now this is a nice overview of Pet's career and then you can invest into getting other collections or her Lp's, what you get here is some of the best pop songs from the 60's and earlier 70's, and as one reviewer stated this set has been remastered nicely, the music and Petula's voice is so clear."