Search - Various Artists :: Unsung Irving Berlin (Studio Cast)

A Berlin treasury

Jack Bess | Chicago, Illinois | 11/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a real treat for the Irving Berlin fan. With one exception, these songs were all new to me. I particularly like hearing songs from his early ragtime days. The singers all do a fine job.
Of special interest, to me at least, is "As Long As I Can Take You Home," a song from Berlin's mystery-shrouded later years. Written in 1966 and revised in 1978, it doesn't rank with his great ballads, but it's still a very sweet and touching song to his wife. Another fine ballad is "Sentimental Guy."
I have one reservation -- the arrangements. They're a bit heavy at times. What rankles me the most are the rinky-tinky arrangements given to some songs from the 1910s. It's especially bad on "If You Don't Want My Peaches..." which happens to be well sung by Berlin's granddaughter. But the sauciness of her performance and the lyrics are at odds with the awful arrangement marred by xylophone and pennywhistles (which some arrangers resort to when trying to evoke the ragtime era -- you almost envision the band wearing funny hats or something...)
That aside, this double CD is a labor of love and contains at least a few songs from unproduced shows that could have been hits. I hope there will be many more volumes of Unsung Berlin."

Marvelous!

Damien Slattery | Dublin, Ireland | 04/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 2 cd set is a love letter to the songs of the great Irving Berlin. The recordings are restrained enough to highlight the skill of Berlin's compositional gifts. Rare gems-resound here! Extremely recommended!



Damien Slattery"