Customer Reviews

Tony Bennett's All-Time Greatest Hits [Vinyl LP Record]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sinatra referred to Tony Bennett as the 'best singer in the business', and after listening to many of Tony's albums it is hard to argue. This 'best of' collection from 1972 includes some magnificent recordings, including 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco', 'Love Look Away', a heart-stopping 'I Wanna Be Around', a rousing 'Sing You Sinners' and more. It is a time capsule album of Tony's earlier career.

While his voice is sensational -- it deepens into something beyond compare by the early 1960s -- a few of the songs are the product of their era, notwithstanding Tony's talent. The early 1960s style of adding a background choir and additional echo has a kind of charm, but it sounds like -- well, the early 1960s. The good news is that apart from a 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' that sounds like a bad cabaret tune and a cover of George Harrison's 'Something' that really isn't for Tony (he's a Cole Porter, Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart kind of guy -- best when the music swings or in great ballads), most of this album is a real treasure.

However -- some of the albums from which these songs were culled are worth buying. 'I Wanna Be Around' is a superb album, as is 'Who Can I Turn To'. And, if you enjoy live music, the 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert is an outstanding recording that includes much of the classic material here, in rousing renditions. Two CDs of live Tony Bennett in 1962 -- what else could you want?

If you are looking for an introduction to Tony Bennett, or just appreciate his powerful voice and inimitable spirit -- the guy always sounds like he's smiling into the microphone, and that happiness comes through -- you should enjoy this album. If a couple of the tracks sound a bit like kitsch, so be it.

As I'm only 33, a lot of people laugh when they see this CD in my collection (particularly among the Def Leppard and Live CD's!). My mother adored Tony Bennett, and his greatest hits collection was a perennial feature in the car and home 8-track players. I've always loved this record--Tony had (and still does have) an incredible voice, and the songs featured here are the creme de la creme of pop songwriting in the 40's and 50's, including the immortal "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" and my two personal favorites, "Rags To Riches" and "Just In Time". Of course, having to be "cool" as a teenager I denied Tony for many years. So laugh away if you want, kids--this album rocks in the truest sense of the word! Long live Tony Bennett!

I suppose I'm like many latent Tony Bennett fans. I'd heard of him before he did the unplugged album, but as he got more exposure my interest in him was piqued. Let me cut to the chase: Tony has a great, wonderful voice, and this album really shows it. I bought the "Hot and Cool" album (Ellington tribute) when it came out and I've enjoyed it, but I wanted to get an album from his early days, when his voice had power to burn. You'll certainly get it with this album. Find yourself a really good set of speakers, turn the sound up, and listen to Rags to Riches and Stranger in Paradise. I guarantee you'll be favourably impressed. There are a couple of arrangements that verge on shmaltzy, but that's a small price to pay to hear Tony sing with such colour and joy in his voice. It's a wonderful album and a great way to get to know Tony Bennett, especially if all you may have heard is later stuff.

Aside from the classic "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," Tony Bennett's vocalizing is an acquired taste. But Bennett does grow on you. Initially, his voice is a bit grating and the listener may grow concerned that the veins in his neck might pop at any minute. Eventually, however, you realize that while he is not an exceptionally smooth vocalist (like Como or Damone), he is nonetheless a very good one. He has a powerful voice and, while he at times awkwardly tries too hard to swing like Bobby Darin (who, in my opinion, stands alone as a master uptempo vocalist), he usually has good taste in his choice of songs. Tony Bennett may not have the looks, panache, or magnetism of Bobby Darin or Dean Martin, but like his two paisanos, he can sing. Add his name to a list that also includes Vic Damone, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Nick Lucas, Al Martino, Russ Columbo, Buddy Greco, Julius LaRosa, etc., and you have a veritable who's who of American popular singers, all of Italian descent. His "Greatest HIts" CD is a must for any serious collector of American popular song.

Tony Bennett is the last of the great crooners.

Bing, Frank, Dino, Nat, and Perry are all gone now. The best way to enjoy these mammoth crooners is to buy their vast remastered albums.

Tony has a new one called "40 Years The Artistry of Tony B". It covers most of the highlights of Tony's lavish career. Some of my favorite standards are "Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Gigolo and Gigolette", "Rags to Riches", "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", and "Just in Time". Tony could also do some wonderful Sinatra-style singing too: "Chicago (That Toddling Town)" is a good one from the Carnegie Hall appearance in 1962.

This CD compilation is about half way there. Someone should sit down and REALLY evaluate a 25 song classic CD that includes only Tony's best based on listeners' favorite picks. Songs like "Something" just don't cut it for me. I think some of his early sixties and entire fifties material is pure gold.

It is no surprise when the Chairman of the Board once said that "Tony is my favorite singer."

Terrific sampling of Tony's recordings from 1951 through 1972. He sings so smooth that it seems like he is a musical instrument. My favorites: 'Sing You Sinners'.... (Man, he can swing) 'Just In Time'........ I can't get this out of my head!.. Awesome' 'Love Look Away'...... Dreamy 'I Wanna Be Around'... Superb 'The Shadow Of Your Smile'..Makes me cry And his great signature song.. San Francisco.. The musicians are simply the best you will encounter.

Highly recommended.

I just recently bought this cd, and I actually just recently saw him in concert in Los Angeles and it was sooooo beautiful, I can die happy now! My life is worth living! This CD is good for anyone who just wants a collection of some of Tony's greatest songs, its a great compilation. Why does everyone criticize so much? Its Tony for God sakes, the man has done so much! Give him some credit...u know at his concert he said : " I was the Britney Spears of my day" lol but then he came back to mention : " Im not going to get into that" it was quite entertaining, bottom line : THIS IS A GREAT CD AND IT DOES HAVE ITS GREATEST HITS, IF YOURE LOOKING FOR MORE, GET ANOTHER ONE OF HIS CDS, QUITE SIMPLE...oh and by the way, Im not 'over thirty' . As the last review describes this a good cd for the 'over thirty crowd' Im 17, hows that for non-typical lol ok bye...

Fans of TONY BENNETT who don't want to spend too much must choose between three collections:THE ESSENTIAL, THE ULTIMATE and that ALL TIME GREATEST HITS.Either one should do the trick ,since all the better known songs are included.The FORTY YEARS box set is of course more complete and will satisfy long time fans much more being a more complete overview of the man.You have now no excuses to leave your heart in SAN FRANCISCO.If you know TONY,ask him if he'd like to record a tribute to JOHNNY MERCER.

This CD gives the best of Tony's original work with the authentic sound that I grew up listening to in the 50's and 60's. I find his more recent work almost a pardoy of his superb earlier sound. As far as I'm concerned, "The Shadow of Your Smile" is the best song of its kind ever recorded. This CD includes his best work along with his most famous.

Some of the reviews I've read here do hit the nail on the head.These "Greatest Hits" cover 20 years (1951-71), and,perhaps inevitably, some of them may not stand the test of time.Others have been recorded by others,perhaps better. Still,with 22 cuts,some are bound to be great and they are! "Stranger in Paradise" is interpreted well here. Ditto for most of the others. I actually like the Spanish sounding "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".You can imagine a flamengo dancer castenetting in the background. There are three in a row that Tony owns: "Put on a Happy Face",among the most zesty numbers ever,"San Francisco",one of my all-time favorites,and I still visualize the cable cars and spectacular views when I hear it, and "I Wanna Be Around",the great comeback from someone who's been unceremoniously dumped."Shadow of your Smile" is top notch,as is "Smile",though Nat Cole's version is far better. All the rest are right on the money,though "Something",which Sinatra actually recorded twice,never hits the mark for anyone,including the late George...Strongly recommended for the over thirty crowd looking for a change from the blaring noise usually in the top 40.