Customer Reviews

As Time Goes By: Best of

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I vaguely remember my Mom listening to Jimmy Durante on the radio when we lived in Brooklyn and I was a little boy. This was before we moved to a house on Long Island .My Mom had also watched him on TV and I remember peering over the arm of the couch at this funny little man mainly fixated on "the old shnazola" as he would call it.I remember thinking how odd he was and wondering why my mother seemed so enchanted with him.To me he was the funny little man with the big nose. Then some 40 years later while browsing through the curios at a charming late night gift shop in Sag Harbor N.Y.,I heard that wonderful voice again. That voice brought back the feeling of his music meandering through our little Brooklyn apartment and those wonderful brooklyn memories. That night I dicovered the eloquence of Jimmy Durante. He is not blessed with the vocal ability of any of the singers of his time. But I'll bet that none of them ( I mean none ) could interpret a song like Mr Durante.He sings these great songs like they are his alone. One of them,"Hello Young Lovers" he sings as if singing to his grandchild and her/his lover; with emotion so real you kind of wish he were your grandfather singing it to you about you and your lover. This is a delightfull and precious work.A compilation of mostly love songs sung as only Jimmy Durante can sing them.I strongly urge you to purchase this unique and beautifully interpreted piece of music history.

I am 14 years old and most 14 year olds like heavy metal and rap, but I like people like Jimmy Durante, Louis Armstrong, Johnnie Ray, The Platters, etc. But this is the best collection of songs I have ever heard. I listen to it about six times a day.

I've started an unscientific questionaire to determine a person's age. If someone has no idea who Jimmy Durante is, they are younger than 40 years old. It's a shame really. As this collection shows, you don't have to be beautiful, glitzy, or have multi-million dollar studio remixing to be a truly talented entertainer. Jimmy Durante had talent and ability in spades! I keep introducing this music to people under 40 whenever I get the chance. Every once in a while, they listen.

As a kid growing up, I found Jimmy Durante to have a style that was somewhat comic--and my reaction was exactly what he cultivated as part of his public persona. For those of us who were young during the waning years of his career, Jimmy was a clown.

Even now, no one ever could call his voice beautiful, yet I can think of no more fitting a talent to sing the songs on this CD. His raspy style perfectly fits the original moods of classics such as "As Time Goes By," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "Try A Little Tenderness." Every melody on this CD is a gem, and the way Jimmy styles them simultaneously makes the listener want to weep and to dance. Can there be a higher compliment for a crooner?

Besides being a hilarious comedian, Durante had a wonderful tender side, as brought out by these timeless ballads. "The Schnozz"'s throaty voice will never be mistaken for Caruso's, but his expressiveness and sensitivity more than compensate. The only problem is that, with the exception of "Hello Young Lovers," I can no longer sing any of these songs without going into my impersonation of Durante... he has defined them for me. Be careful!

I had purchased 3CD's by various artists & of course was anxious to listen to parts of all of them right away. This was the 1st one I played and could not move on to the others. This has a great selection of songs. The Band is wonderful and of course the lyrics of Durantes songs offer us all some great advice. I was plesanty surprised at the quality fo this CD and would definitly recommend.

Many of you might remember Jimmy Durante as the narrator from the Frosty the Snowman holiday special from over 35 years ago and the rerun will continue into eternity. However the schnozz had quite the talent when it came to making music. As Time Goes By:The Best of Jimmy Durante certainly lives up to its name with classics such as Make Someone Happy, September Song and I'll See You in My Dreams. Worth the money to purchase this C.D. and enjoy what a talent this man gave us!

Jimmy Durante has been a favorite of mine for the last 60 or more years...This recording brings back memories of my childhood (I'm now 72 years old)..It has the warmth that I remember him for ..

Someone mentioned hearing this in a little shop in Northern California. Perhaps that is the same store I heard it in. The store was in Sonoma. The store ownere there said that it was the best selling item. She said that EVERYONE was buying this CD. Many brides who were planning their wedding receptions bought it for their first dance or the dance with their father. I used it during a conference for music during one of the dinners. It sets such a magical tone. Even if you grew up long after Jimmy Durante, you'll love this CD.

I walked into a little shop in northern California and they were playing this CD. It was hauntingly beautiful, in a scratchy sort of way, and I had to have it. When I asked her who it appealed to she said everyone, and every age, that comes into my shop. It's the only CD I sell.