Search - Various Artists :: Sentimental Journey: Pop Vocal Classics, Vol. 3 (1950-1954)

And the nostalgia continues...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sentimental Journey, Vol. 3 is an excellent third installment in this CD series; it has a wide diversity of artists and the sound quality is really pretty good considering the age of these recordings. The artwork is very tastefully done as well.



Tony Bennett starts the CD with his rendition of "Because Of You;" Tony sings this very well and it's great to hear his voice from the earlier years of his illustrious career. Tony's voice is very strong and full of warmth and this makes "Because Of You" even better! Great! Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads perform one of Johnnie's signature songs entitled "Cry;" Johnnie could really deliver a ballad with so much genuine feeling and sensitivity and that certainly made him quite popular with the ladies! The Four Lads back up Johnnie very nicely; but this is Johnnie's ballad--make no mistake about it. Of course, "Come On-A My House" was a huge hit for the great Rosemary Clooney; she loved to sing this song and just one listen shows you why! The keyboard work is probably from an organ and it works wonders for this classic pop tune that I could never tire of--wow, how Rosemary Clooney could sing!



Percy Faith & His Orchestra do a wonderful job performing "The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)." "The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" is a very pretty melody that uses the strings very well and the rest of the arrangement is brilliantly executed. Jo Stafford's "You Belong To Me" shines as she sings this so flawlessly; Jo sang this song often and she always gave it her all! Jo sings "You Belong To Me" with panache and it's easily a major highlight of this album. Similarly, Kay Starr's "Wheel Of Fortune" stuns me with its beauty; rumor has it that they had to do well over 40 takes of the rolling dice sound at the beginning of this tune in order to get just the right sound of rolling dice! Kitty Kallen, who retired all too early, sings "Little Things Mean A Lot." This was her signature song and Kitty delivers this like the exceptional songbird she always was. I really like "Little Things Mean A Lot;" it's truly timeless in every respect.



Dean Martin does his usual fine job as he sings "That's Amore;" and Al Martino's "Here In My Heart" is equally impressive. Al Martino sang beautifully but here again I am left baffled as to why he isn't better remembered today. "(Why Did I Tell You I Was Going To) Shanghai" features Doris Day front and center; and there's also Guy Mitchell doing a great job on "My Heart Cries For You." "My Heart Cries For You" is incredibly beautiful and I'm sure you'll be charmed by this tune. The CD ends very well with Eddie Fisher singing "Wish You Were Here." Eddie sings this with all his heart and soul; what a terrific number for the ending of this album!



This is certainly a fine CD in this CD series of oldies but very, very goodies! I highly recommend this CD for people who like the "oldies" and classic pop vocals. If you like this type of music you will not be disappointed.

"

One Of Rhino's Early Efforts - And Still One Of Their Best

Matthew G. Sherwin | 08/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This series from Rhino, dating back to 1993, remains one of their best offerings. And considering their quality output since then, this is saying a lot.



The 18 tracks included represent some of the biggest hits for the vocalists concerned in that portion of the 1950s immediately preceding the birth of R&R when "big bands" had become primarily back-ups as opposed to being the feature (as they were thjroughout the 1930s and 1940s). And, in the magnificent insert which includes 13 pages of liner notes by Will Friedwald, author of Jazz Singing (Collier Books, 1992), you get complete details on each cut, including original label numbers and chart performances, along with photos of Kay Starr, Doris Day, Jo Stafford, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Rosemary Clooney, and Johnny Ray.



Dedicated to the memory of famed songwriter Sammy Cahn (1912-1993) - "It's funny how a theme Recalls a favorite dream" - all four volumes are highly recommended, although each stands on its own for the period covered."

Anyone at all fond of the big band era should own this CD!

Matthew G. Sherwin | 09/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is, without a doubt, one of my favorites in my own collection. Anyone who is at all a fan of the big band era must own this, as the entire CD is fantastic. It is worth purchasing, though, simply for Jo Stafford's rendition of "You Belong to Me" and Georgia Gibb's "Kiss of Fire.""