Tony Bennett - Duets An American Classic (19 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

I expected more

S. Costantino | Here, There, and Everywhere~~~ | 10/01/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"To me, a duet album should technically, at least some of the time, consist of the singers singing together, not just exchanging verses. That is technically all this cd is. The cd as a whole is somewhat of a disappoint ment. In my opinion, it is so mediocre, that it also seems too long. I won't say which songs I think it could do without, but at 18 songs, and nothing truly breathtaking, it really could have been made into a 12 to 14 song disc, and possibly not seemed so....tedious for lack of a better word.

There are some highlights, and to me, some embarassing moments. The first 4 tracks are a trainwreck in my opinion. The James Taylor track, seems so forced, its almost comical. The 5th track, with Juanes, was an improvement. I was going to actually turn the cd off. SHADOW, to me is not a stellar song, but for some reason, this relative newbie, with Bennett, worked really well. So I was expecting more good things to come. Sir Elton. What can one say. He is an icon. I didn't expect alot from this, so I wasn't disappointed. Its not awful, its not great, it just is. Billy Joel. Let me state, I am NOT a Joel fan, at all. I was extremely surprised to find myself actually like this one. They seemed to have a bit more stylishness going on. This was the first track I didn't find forced , at all. McGraw. This to me was an odd one. I am a fan of his, so expected to like it. To me, it almost sounded like they were singing 2 different arrangements. Celine. I expected Grandstanding,

and I got it. It explains why after her debut cd, I lost interest. Krall. Not a fan, but this arrangement, and their deliveries worked rather well together. This one could really grow on me, im sure. Stevie W. I always like Tony singing this song. I expected a different arrangement, and was initially disappointed. I was floored at the end Stevie still has amazing range. This is the 2nd highpoint to the cd, Elvis C. Why is he even here? I mean, vocally, he is not a great singer. I almost felt like this was karaoke. KD. The Duet CD was far superior to this track. Buble. Vocally, these 2 match better than any of the other

teamings. I am not too thrilled with the song choice, almost wish they did a smokier ballad. Sting can sing, really well. Its just not apparent here. This song is really messy sounding. The arrangement is kind of muddy, and slow. Bono. Its amazing to me how well Bono can actually sing. I mean, he spends alot of u2 time yelling lyrics, allbeit well. Here he actually croons. Another high point for me. Legend. I went into this one not wanting to like it. I never cared for the song. the arrangement ws ok, but vocally, unspectacular. A missmatch really. San Francisco. Its a great song. Bennetts own, and a different interpretation, by the man himself, was welcomed. Not as good as the original, but still incredible. George M. First of all, I have always thought this song was boring, and overrated. George Michael to me, di his best work, when he still called himself Wham. I didn't expect to like it.

I did, alot. Vocally, they are on different keys, but together, they work so well. GM still has a really rich voice, which surprised me. This may actually be my favorite.

My suggestion is listen to the clips, and buy the individual tracks that interest you. To be honest, I will probably sell, or give mine away, once I put them in my system. Not enough here for me, to listen to the whole cd repeatedly."

I really loved him.

Marie deVarenne | Boston, MA and Leeds, UK | 04/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There's little more dispiriting than the sound of ageing stars frantically chasing after their lost youth. Last autumn we've seen the release of Tony Bennett's "Duets: An American Classic", in which the octogenarian crooner revisits his signature hits alongside a raft of younger artists, from Bono ("I Wanna Be Around") and Sting ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams") to John Legend ("Sing You Sinners") and the Dixie Chicks ("Lullaby of Broadway").

There's no disputing that Bennett, whose career spans five decades, boasts a fine body of work. It's also fair to say that his golden years are now behind him, which makes it all the more distressing that, to mark his 80th birthday, he should see fit to pair up with a series of young pups and bask in their leather-clad glory. Surely a party and a birthday cake would have been more than adequate.

This isn't the first time that Bennett has played the duets card. His last release, "A Wonderful World", a collection of songs associated with Louis Armstrong, was recorded with kd lang. Given that lang and Bennett are both gifted interpreters with pseudo-operatic voices, it made perfect sense and was widely praised.

By contrast, "Duets: An American Classic" smacks of an artist who longs to stay musically relevant. On paper, at least, it's an album that belongs to that dubious Grammy-grabbing genre in which pop and rock royalty put on a glitzy show of mateyness while conspicuously failing to push the envelope.

At 80, Bennett justly qualifies as "An American Classic." And he sounds like one on this starry duets set on which he's teamed with the so called SERIAL COLLABORATORS... a new generation of musicians, who have all but abandoned their own musical endeavours in favour of hitching a ride on those of older musicians..from Barbra Streisand, Diana Krall and Celine Dion to Bono, Chris Botti,Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Elton John and Sting...Actually, no "tribute" album, no duets album is complete these days without appearances from them...

It's not just the poor quality of these duets that is depressing for listeners. In many cases you suspect that they are simply a gimmick cooked up by record companies at a loss with what to do with their ageing stars.

Stuck with a crumbling icon too old and out of touch to scale the charts by themselves and there can be only one solution: squeeze them into a shell-suit, bring in a hip-hop producer and force them to hang with the kids.

I really loved Tony Bennett. This album looks good on the paper, it sounds good as a background music, but I just do not feel it."

Disappointing

Edwin Mahler | Florida, USA | 10/02/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"As a confirmed Tony Bennett fan one cannot help but be pained and disappointed by the quality of many of the cuts on this latest album. Bennett and some of his collaborators have shamelessly promoted this album as something special and unique. Instead one hears an aging Bennett who tries to keep the magic going with younger artists. Bennett's vocal range is much diminshed, and no audio tricks can disguise the sad fading of a great vocal instrument. Many of the songs offered are rendered by Bennett in almost a speaking voice, virtually "scat" style. Indeed, except for the duet with Stevie Wonder, one can hear only faint traces of the penetrating room filling voice that Bennett once had. Furthermore, the other artists are unable to raise the general level of this recording, and the arrangements-in general-are formulaic and trite. To hear the current album is to hear the latest attempt of an artist to capture one more "pay day". There comes a time for even the great ones to "call it a day". For Tony Bennett the music has ended, but the memory truly lives on.

Edwin Mahler"

A Worthy Effort, But Tony's Voice Falters, Which Makes CD Di

Peter | East of Los Angeles | 04/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, I am another fan who bought into the hype of thinking this CD was one of 2006 best releases. How could you ignore it -- all the ads, billboards, Tony's tireless push on the TV talk shows. On effort alone, I would easily give this CD 5 stars. It's a HUGE, huge undertaking, teaming Tony (a legend himself) with the music biz's biggest legends and newest stars.

But the fact is....Tony Bennett is 80 years old. It's been a while since I listened to his recent recordings, and I was SHOCKED how his voice has deteriorated since his last outing, the wonderful "Art of Romance", released in 2004 when he was in great voice -- GET IT !! The voice is now reduced to a craggy, ragged, and vibrato-heavy fraction of its former self. Perhaps it was Tony's son (a very smart manager) Danny's idea to team his dad with the music biz's biggest stars, where Tony would only work half as hard at singing. Sadly, that still cannot hide the fact Tony is 80-years old and sounds like it. I say this in the fondest way when I think Mr. Bennett should seriously entertain the idea of retiring gracefully. He has one of the best bodies of work in the music biz (spanning over 50 years). Why ruin his stellar reputation and legacy with disappointing recordings such as this?

This CD does have its share of great performances from Tony's duet partners, nearly every singer shines in his/her half. First, the ones that DIDN'T make the cut: Sorry "Celine Lovers", but Ms. Dion is "El Stinko" in her wailing version of "If I Ruled the World". Does she think that screaming her way thru the song would show that she "Ruled the World"? There is ZERO chemistry between her and Mr. Bennett. They might as well sang in different parts of the world because that's what the track sounded like. The last minute of the song turns into a wailing match as both singers try to outscream each other.....Bad, bad bad ! The Dixie Chicks also sound as though they drank half a bottle of Geritol because their interpretation of "Lullaby of Broadway" sounds half asleep. Lastly, Juanes uses showmanship to hog the spotlight away from Tony in "The Shadow of Your Smile". His inappropriate showy performance is way, way off the map and you get the sense Tony really sounds annoyed with him (tsk, task...shame on you, Juanes). John Legend is largely wasted in a big-band swing version of "Sing You Sinners". His voice is buried way deep in the arrangements. A large waste of talent.

But the rest perform wonderfully. I have to say my personal faves are k.d. lang and George Michael. Ms. lang is hauntingly beautiful and powerful in "Because of You". Her memorable performance stays with you long after the CD has stopped playing. It is the only track here I could easily put on "Repeat" for 10 or 15 listens. She's THAT good ! Also, George Michael is barely recognizable in a good way as he dives deep into "How Do You Keep the Music Playing". His tenor range blends seamlessly into the melody of this beautiful song. Stevie Wonder also performs his "For Once In My Life" memorably. Stevie's voice is as rich and resonant as ever. The interplay between him and Tony is priceless, as is the one between James Taylor and Tony. Mr. Taylor starts off almost shyly in "Put on a Happy Face" but really picks up steam as the song progresses.

If you are just interested in the novelty of hearing Tony perform with duet partners songs made famous by him from over 40 years ago and don't mind his ragged, craggy voice, then "Duets" is still worth it. But if you are a fan of Mr. Bennett's going way back and can't bear to hear this legend in declining voice, then skip it. Again, I think he should hang it up after this one. The advances of time sound like they have taken a toll. Still, this would be a great CD to retire on. He has the love and support of his peers and fans from around the world, and nothing shows that overflowing love better than this CD."

When faded stars see double .

power | London, UK | 05/26/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Tony Bennett is the latest vocalist to turn to younger singing partners to bolster his declining years.

The octogenarian crooner has won Grammys for this sort of thing before - the likeable 2003 A Wonderful World that he did with k.d. lang.

And she's back - though much further down the guest list - on this 20-track all-star cosmopolitan effort.

But what a slog it is.

Sure, Bennett's voice is still good in his 80th year whether he's doing his trademark matter-of-fact delivery or belting out the occasional lung-blasting high-note on the closing "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" with George Michael.

But so many of the tracks seem oddly off-kilter with the various singing partners simply not up to the task (The Dixie Chicks doing the Andrews Sisters on "Lullaby of Broadway", James Taylor sounding less than cheerful on "Put On a Happy Face"), affected and incongruous (Sting) or overdoing it (Stevie Wonder and the ubiquitous screaming Selline from Canada).

Some of that who's who manage to locate their inner swinger (Elton John, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Bono, Elvis Costello).

Otherwise, "Just in Time" with Michael Buble proves the difference between the genuine article and the young pretender.

While having Barbra Streisand and George Michael and Delta Goodrem on one album together is surely a moment in pop history never to be repeated. Please !!

Listen to the following ones!

The Essential Tony Bennett

The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album

The Art of Excellence"

Search - Tony Bennett :: Duets: An American Classic

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