Note to Sony/BMG: Release the entire Bennett back catalogue!
lamont cranston | 07/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These are two classic Bennett albums that have never seen the light of cd until now. Don't be misled by the BGO label which is new to this reporter; liner notes confirm this is an officially licensed Sony/BMG re-issue and sounds spectacular. The Broadway Medley arranged by legendary arranger-turned-Wall-St-tycoon Marion Evans on For Once In My Life is worth the price of admission on its own. It's that good (and always has been). Consider the rest of the disc found money. You will be richly rewarded.
Pity of it all is that this re-issue reminds us how few of the vintage Bennett Columbia albums have actually made it to cd; My Heart Sings (Ralph Burns arr), Tony Makes It Happen (Marion Evans arr), Love (Robert Farnon arr), Sunrise Sunset, To My Wonderful One, Alone Together (Jonathan Schwartz take note - you're missing out on the royalties), Long Ago & Far Away (Frank DeVol arr), Yesterday I Heard the Rain (even though Gene Lees is a misery), A Time For Love, The Many Moods of Tony, Love Story, Get Happy with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hometown My Hometown - add the three albums he did for MGM, and you sort of get the idea. One would think that the target Bennett audience is still one that prefers the actual discs to downloads, so why is everyone at Sony/BMG and the Bennett camp asleep? Danny - wake up! Steve Berkowitz @ Legacy - wake up! Why do we have to scavenge the UK and Japan for albums that were recorded within blocks of Sony/BMG headquarters in NYC?
While one never tires of hearing Because of You or San Francisco, boxed set after boxed set of the same old same old (although they buried When Lights Are Low in its entirety within one of them, so the practice has not been a total loss), allowing so much of the catalogue to sit around collecting dust in the vaunted Columbia vaults remains one of life's great disappointments.
And then there is the never issued, but ready to release Live at the Sahara from the peak Las Vegas period.
Nevertheless, this BGO cd will be a welcome addition to your collection and go right to track 4 as soon as it arrives in the mail. You'll be glad you did.
The Shadow knows.
"
For once in OUR life(time).....
Giovanni M. Marra | 08/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THANK YOU BGO RECORDS! As an avid Tony Bennett fan and like so many others, beyond craving ANY of the 60's albums that MADE BENNETT THE GENIUS HE IS, I was thrilled to see SOMEONE do SOMETHING to get SOME OF THESE ALBUMS on CD. I can only hope BGO takes some more of the unavailable gems and gets them in their proper place - remastered and onto the compact disc medium for the masses to enjoy and finally add to their collections.
These two albums, recorded within close proximity of each other, seemed the logical choice for the initial plunge into Tony's hey day at Columbia (although the end of them; he would be off the label in 1972 for some 14 years to explore artistic interests and other labels of his own). Teamed with longtime stalwart arranger/conductor Torrie Zito for the majority of the sides on these two albums, Tony is in prime voice, encouraged by the fantastic supporting arrangements. Aside from the obvious standout title track, FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE boasts some of Tony's most touching moments: A wistful reading of the Gershwin classic 'THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME' may be the best known to man (Ella Fitzgerald's version with the incomparable Nelson Riddle comes slightly close). An unknown gem (boy, could Tony do wonders with an 'unknown gem'!), 'HOW DO YOU SAY AUF WIEDERSEHEN', co penned by Johnny Mercer, evokes the heartfelt emotions of a war torn countryside and two lovers lost in the shuffle while recalling happier times and should've been an instant classic. (It is as far as I'm concerned). 'DAYS OF LOVE' works equally as well in the heartstring tugging department, with a peerless arrangement that builds to a wonderful cinematic type ending Tony can show is pipes on. As my fellow reviewer has mentioned, the swinging BROADWAY MEDLEY is a great centerpiece to one of Tony's finest albums, in my humble opinion.
I'VE GOTTA BE ME follows the usual path of Bennett, a fine mixture of standards and this time, a few tunes of the day (1969 being the day). My opinion of this album is a near tribute to singers (and the writers of the songs) who had previously recorded much of the material Bennett did here; most people I talk to feel Tony didn't have any business recording 'THEME FROM VALLEY OF THE DOLLS' after Dionne Warwick did, but I find it a fine reading and a sensitive arrangement, and one of Tony's latter day 'cover' triumphs. 'WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE' shows an exuberant Bennett fueled by a scorching big-band style arrangement by Torrie Zito that implores the singer to reach new heights, and he delivers. And who the hell in their right mind would touch 'I'VE GOTTA BE ME' after Sammy Davis Jr. turned it into an anthem? Tony would, that's who. And he never tries to steal or improve on what Davis did (no one could, not EVEN Tony), but returns to its original Broadway form and turns in a fine swinging performance that becomes even more hopeful than Davis' version. The jazzy torch songs are here in profusion: Lalo Schifrin's 'THAT NIGHT', with it's haunting melody (again, Zito's arrangement is flawless here), and the slow swinging "PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM' from some forgettable Woody Allen flick, as well as piano master Jimmy Rowles' own 'BABY, DON'T YOU QUIT NOW'. Another unknown gem appears here, 'A LONELY PLACE'. Picture a darker, 'upside-down' version of Tony's semi-hit, 'A TIME FOR LOVE'. A sensational counterpart to FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE, BGO is to be commended for this release on two counts: One, that we have two of Bennett's albums previously unreleased on ANY medium other than vinyl in our hot little hands, and two, for pairing up these two to give even the most novice Bennett fan a taste of some of his best works. One can only hope and pray the other unreleased on CD form albums (THIS IS ALL I ASK, YESTERDAY I HEARD THE RAIN, THE MANY MOODS OF TONY and WITH LOVE, to name four immediately that I personally would enjoy) will soon find their way to the shelves via the generous folks at BGO RECORDS. I salute you, BGO, from 'across the pond' here in the USA! GET THIS CD!!!"
I'm over the sun
grooverider | Toluca Lake LA | 08/29/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Many thanks from all Tony Bennett fans to BGO, an import label, for releasing these two gems from the 60's. From "I've Gotta Be Me" we have "Over the Sun", with absolutely stunning acoustic guitar work from Gene Bertoncini, a song I've worn out on vinyl. "Over the Sun" is a perfect example of what Tony Bennett can do with a gorgeous melody and wonderful lyrics. (What a stunning arrangement from Torrie Zito, too!) Also for Burt Bacharach-Hal David fans, there are three songs: a beautiful version of "Alfie", "Whoever you Are, I Love You" (from "Promises, Promises") and "What The World Needs Now Is Love". There are not too many vocal versions of the theme from the then-controversial film "The Fox", but Mr. Bennett gives us a magnificent version of "That Night" and a tender version of "Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls'".
"For Once In My Life" was also a treasure for us fans, it gave Tony Bennett a hit, a song that he has sung with Stevie Wonder on a few occasions, so it's great to have the entire album.
(Now if only "Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today" could find it's way to CD, if only to have Tony Bennett's definitive version of another Stevie Wonder classic, "My Cherie Amour", life would really be great!)"
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1
