Customer Reviews

As Long As I'm Singing: The Bobby Darin Collection

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A quite legitimate argument could be proffered that Bobby Darin (born Cassotto) was the most unique and extraordinary singer in the history of American popular music. I know that in these sordid, pretentious, and intellectually-challenged times similar claims have been made about everyone from Snoop Dog to Big Head Todd. But a genuinely credible case could be made for Bobby Darin. Here's why: Darin was that rarest of performers capable of ingratiating himself to fans of all ages, races, and musical tastes. He had million-selling singles in musical categories as diverse as Jazz/Swing, Country & Western, Folk, and Rhythm and Blues. Darin was hailed as a brilliant performer from industry giants as diverse as Johnny Mercer, Perry Como and Henry Mancini on the one hand, and Neil Young, Rod Stewart and Elvis Presley on the other. He had a natural jazz feel and a sense of syncopation that eluded even Sinatra and Bennett. He had a sense of showmanship and an inborn panache that was unmatched. Sammy Davis Jr. and Wayne Newton both hailed Darin as the most connsummate cabaret performer in the world. Now, let's throw in the fact that Darin is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the American Songwriters and Composers (ASCAP) Hall of Fame. Add to all of this the fact that Darin, despite making less than a dozen films, was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor ("Captain Newman, M.D.") and was the recipient of the Golden Globe Best Actor Award ("Pressure Point"). He was nominated for four Grammies in 1959 and won two of them ("Best New Vocalist" and "Song of the Year" for "Mack the Knife"). He was nominated again in 1963 in the category of Best Rhythm and Blues vocalist ("What'd I Say"), and then was nominated still again in 1966 in the category for Best Male Ballad Singer ("If I Were A Carpenter"). And let's not forget that Darin was nominated and/or received these Grammies when the competition included Frank Sinatra, Jack Jones, Vic Damone, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett (as opposed to Madonna, Snoop Dog, Britany Spears, Jennifer Lopez and the rest of contemporary pop culture's cookie-cutter, mass-produced pseudo-talents). Finally, throw into this mix the fact that Darin was a talented dancer, impersonator, and multi-instrumentalist, and you have arguably the most talented performer in American show business. If all of these facts aren't sufficient in convincing you that Bobby Darin was, in so many tangible ways, in a class by himself, then simply access the most persuasive evidence---his recordings. Listen to "Beyond the Sea," "You're the Reason I'm Living," "Things," "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?" "A Nightengale Sang in Berkeley Square," or "Try To Remember." You might even want to check out "Me and Mr. Hohner," which presaged rap and hip-hop by twenty-five years. Try and think of a more versatile singer---assuming of course that he or she, like Darin, had a genuinely pleasant voice. Try this on for size: Could Sinatra sing "Dream Lover?" Could Neil Young sing "Clementine?" Could Marvin Gaye sing "Artificial Flowers?" How about Michael Feinstein singing "You're the Reason I'm Living?" Such pairings of singers and songs would be ridiculous at best. Yet Bobby Darin sang'm all, and sang'm well. While Marvin Gaye is considerd a "soul singer," Neil Young a "rock singer" and Sinatra a "big band singer," Darin mastered all three of these genres and many more as well. So why isn't Bobby Darin an American icon? Sadly, Darin is underappreciated for two critical reasons: First, he died at the tragically young age of 37. Because he knew he would die so young, Darin ventured into all musical genres and, although he mastered them all, he didn't remain in any one long enough to become identified with it. Unlike Sinatra and Bennett who are identified soley as big band swing and ballad singers, Darin mastered that category but he was also a folk, rock and roll, and Country-Western singer. Ironically, his own masterful versatility was detrimental to his legacy: it was virtually impossible for a man who had only so many years to live and perform to become firmly ensconced in the American psyche. The second reason for Darin's being underappreciated is the fact that he had the misfortune of appearing on the show-biz scene contemporaneously with a swarm of limited-talents who were also of Italian-American lineage like Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydel, Dion DiMucci, Freddie Cannon, Lou Christie, etc. Hence, lots of WWII generation folks hastily and unfairly categorized Darin with these far lesser lights. They heard "Splish Splash" and walked away from their phonographs believing Darin was just another teenybopper. Only in retrospect is Bobby Darin beginning to receive the credit he has long been overdue. The apex of this deserved Darin renaissance might well be the forthcoming Darin biopic starring the talented Kevin Spacey. This film might well be the final, ultimate catalyst necessary to open the eyes of those who heretofore were hesitent to mention Bobby Darin in the same sentence as Sinatra and Bennett. Hopefully the Darin biopic will induce viewers to exit movie theatres with an inclination to learn more about the late, great Bobby Darin. Perhaps then whatever remnant of class, taste and sophistication still existent in the oxymoron known as "contemporary pop culture" will manifest to sing the praises of a genuinely brilliant performer who was every bit as talented, if not more so, than Mr. Sinatra and Mr. Bennett.

Bobby Darin was simply one of the most talented performers of all time. At a time in music when performers took few chances, Darin did it all. What's amazing is how he excelled in every genre he attempted.Even Sinatra, arguably the all-time greatest pop singer, often sounded foolish when attemping contemporary material. Check out Darin's folk songs, they are the real deal. Darin refused to be typecast, and in the long run it probably hurt him. If he would have stuck to the standards, he would probably be right behind Sinatra in stature. I would never fault an artist, however, for attempting to expand his, and our, horizons. The Rhino box is a tremendous testament to a vastly underrated artist.

This boxed set offers a good sample of the tremendous talent of Bobby Darin, who could sing rock, pop, showtunes, lounge, folk, country, blues, and gospel in the same show without breaking a sweat or missing a beat. The first disc consists of rock songs, while the second and third focus on his pop material. The fourth disc ends with a smattering of country hits (some of which topped the country charts), a bit of gospel, a good dose of folk, and several protest selections. Darin wrote or co-wrote 164 songs over his short career (he died in 1973 at the age of 37), and this boxed set includes several of his works from all genres. This is the ideal collection for the Darin fan, although there are CDs on the market that fill the gaps that a four-disc set inevitably leaves. (You'll want Capitol's "Spotlight on Bobby Darin" disc for his knock-out performances of Sinatra/Crosby standards only a few of which come on the boxed set.) I never tire of this set because it always offers a song to match my mood (and because Darin simply was one of the most talented people to appear on the recorded media).

Bobby Darin may have only lived to the ripe old age of 37,but what a tremendous talent he was-I just purchased a CD player over a year ago & this collection was the first one I bought-Keep in mind that Bobby wasn't content on just doing rock & roll-As this anthology shows,he was capable of covering other genres of music,most notably,country,folk,& pop-True,there were those who branded Darin as a Frank Sinatra wannabe,but that's what put bread on the table-Also,it should be noted that Darin was a great intepreter of other people's work-Listen to his rendition of Ray Charles'"I've Got A Woman",Randy Newman's "Sail Away" & John Sebastian's "Darling Be Home Soon".The folk portion of his career was memorable,as well-"If I Were A Carpenter",written by Tim Hardin,was Bobby's last top 10 hit in 1966 & a great song,to boot-The achingly beautiful "Simple Song Of Freedom" is another favorite of mine-The enclosed booklet contains testamonials from people such as his son,Dodd,Dick Clark,& Roger Mc Guinn-A biopic of Darin was supposed to have been released some time ago,but unfortunately,that has been shelved for the time being-Kevin Spacey was supposedly chosen to portray Darin-Good choice-He has a decent singing voice & would do justice to Darin's material-In conclusion,if you're a major league Darin fan,buy this boxed set-It's worth every penny.

I was a kid when Bobby Darin hit the big time. I thought this collection would probably be Ok, mostly nostalgic but nothing to get worked up about. Was I wrong! Darin is absolutely terrific on this four CD set. I wish now I had seen him in a night club show in the era he was doing them. It must have been an incredible experience. Darin had a bad heart due to bouts of rheumatic fever as a child and figured he had to get all of his artistry out with great intensity and speed. Everything he sings packs a wallop as a result, regardless of theme or style. He had incredible range, covering just about every style of singing which then existed. Sadly, he was right about his lifeline. His heart killed him at age 37. In many songs, I thought I was listening to Sinatra when Darin was doing his style, which is quite a compliment because I am rarely fooled when it comes to Frank's singing. It's hard for me to imagine how anyone could go wrong on this set. Darin sings it all spectacularly and he sounds like he recorded it today. It is that fresh sounding.

Often dismissed as either a "teen idol" in the mold of Frankie Avalon, who, it is charged, brought about the temporary decline of rock and roll, or an opportunist simply eager to cash in on the current fad, the late Bobby Darin was, in fact, a genius, an observation once made by no less a light than Neil Young. The former Walden Robert Cossatto was a man of almost unlimited talent and a true trailblazer who refused to be boxed in by anyone's expectations, be it those of the critics or the audience. As an actor, he more than held his own opposite Sidney Poitier in the excellent "Pressure Point," then stole "Captain Newman M.D" from co-stars Gregory Peck and Tony Curtis, earning an Oscar nomination in the process. It was in music where his talent really shone, of course, and this boxed set provides a very good overview of this remarkably versatile performer's recorded output. Whether singing one of his own excellent compositions ("Dream Lover," "Simple Song of Freedom"), or delving into the songbooks of others ("Mack the Knife," Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter"), Darin was an artist of the first rank, able to tackle any genre or style with an ease and brilliance that few other artists (if any) could match. He was, very simply, one of the 20th century's greatest performers.

Every disc is good, and Darin's voice ranks only just behind Sinatra in my opinion. I love what the man did to jazz up some old classics ("Bill Bailey" and "Clementine") and nobody, not even ol' Blue Eyes, ever did a better version of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." This box set shows how incredibly versatile Darin was. He could sing everything: pop, rock, country, folk, jazz, gospel. And sing it with the best of each genre. I always liked Darin's songs, but until I bought this set I had only heard about 6 or 8 songs he had done. What a find! Now I'm scouring the record shows, looking for old vinyl by this terrific singer.

The Bobby Darin box set, "As Long As I'm Singing," is a showcase of Mr. Darin's unique ability to sing jazz, rock, folk, country-western, gospel, and standard Tin Pan Alley as no other vocalist in the history of popular music. He was naturally gifted with innate rhythm, timing, and musicality. Yet, Bobby Darin does not receive the respect and recognition that he has long deserved. I believe the reason for such an incongruity and injustice is the fact that Darin dabbled successfully in so many musical genres, that the "purists" in each one refused to fully accept him---since he did not focus his entire energy on any one musical subfield in particular. Thus, the rockers didn't fully accept the swinging, finger-popping cabaret singer in Darin because "genuine rock singers" must look filthy, take drugs (or at least act like they do) and sing exclusively loud, three chord, twelve barre songs. The middle-of-the-road lovers of popular standards only partially embraced Darin because Bobby didn't wear his tuxedo and sing Tin Pan Alley classics one hundred percent of the time. The jazz world only partially accepted Darin because "true jazz singers" surely don't sing meticulously arranged, structured ballads like Bobby. In truth, Bobby mastered all of these musical genres, whether or not the alleged "purists" in each one is sufficiently intelligent or honest to acknowledge that fact. Darin was indeed an anamoly---he sang all musical forms as though he were born to do so. This fact didn't sit well with the pretentious, full-of-themselves critics who guard their respective musical genres from incursion by those who just might be more talented than they are. Could you picture Eric Clapton singing "Beyond the Sea?" Or, conversely, could you imagine Tony Bennet singing "Splish Splash?" How about Johnny Cash doing "Artificial Flowers?" Or The Rolling Stones doing "If I Were A Carpenter?" You see, Darin did them all, and he did them all magnificently. Alas, time wasn't on his side. Any vocalist who attempts to master all popular musical genres and, subsequently, be accepted by the snobbish guardians of their respective gates, requires at least a normal life span to overcome such simplemindedness and become universally accepted and acknowledged. Because of his heart affliction, Darin was not afforded such longevity. But in this sensational retrospective collection, the listener can hear why Bobby Darin is now being hailed as a great jazz singer, pop singer, rythm and blues singer, etc. Perhaps now he will begin receiving the praise his enormous talents warranted, but never received, while he was still with us.

This guy was clearly one of the greatest ever from the beginning of his brilliant career...who else but Bobby could go from the rocking "Splish Splash", then to the stylish and sophisicated "Beyond The Sea" then take something unlikely like "Mack The Knife" and make classics and huge hits out of each one of these incredibly diverse songs...clearly nobody but Bobby! Bobby's musical genius is so unique and special and this magnificent box set explores the brilliant range of this masters work and shows that nobody has ever come even close to the accomplishments made by this peerless singer of all types of songs with no limitations. Bobby Darin music has real soul in spades plus hot rhythm with killer timing and an amazingly glorious sounding voice! It is all here to savor and enjoy for anyone who wants the real deal and the best of them all! We miss you Bobby Darin...this is another really special wonderous talent who went way too soon. Enjoy this musical treasure chest of classics that Bobby poured all of his heart and soul into and in the process left behind an incredible body of work that clearly illustrates why his LEGENDARY status is well deserved!!!

Finally a box set of one of the great vocal innovators and one of the most underrated singers of the past 50 years. This will convince the casual listener that Bobby Darin was a superlatively talented artist.

What a tragedy that he died so young at 37. He is dwarfed by the huge shadow cast by Frank Sinatra. Though Darin didn't have the poignant and unmatched ability of Sinatra to phrase a lyric, his uptempo songs are nearly as good as the Chairman of the Board. He is cool, hip, has fine range and has an innate jazzy feel that infuses all of his swingier songs. The musical arrangements and musicianship displayed here is also exemplary. The orchestra that backs up Darrin is fantastic.

My personal favorite is "Beyond the Sea," one of the great swing pseudo-ballads of the 50's, recently resurrected as the backdrop of a TV commercial. Darrin proves he was the natural successor to Sinatra with his masterful vocal here. "Guys and Dolls" and "Down with Love" are nearly as good and showcases Darrin's talent. The best ballad is probably "Was There a Call for Me?" which reproduces the boozy hangover feeling of being dumped about as well as any song.

Darrin's later work was never as hip and contemporary-sounding as the music on this disc. This is an exceptional collection with many catchy, memorable tunes, and proves beyond a doubt that Darrin was an amazing talent.