Customer Reviews

The Best of Jack Jones

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Jack Jones is one of the greatest male singers of all time. Hailed by his peers, adored by his fans, he has an unmistakable sound and classic style. This collection, distributed by Universal Records as an import is the perfect collection of Jack's greatest performances. From the latin based "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FOOL" to the obscurities almost impossible to find on CD such as the Bond theme "FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE", Johnny Mandel's "THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE", and the French tinged "IF YOU GO AWAY", Jack shines on 22 spectacular tracks. His trademark "THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM" is also included. Other standouts here include the film theme "WHERE LOVE HAS GONE", Jack's damn-near definitive (male) reading of the Dionne Warwick classic "ALFIE" and my favorite not available on any other CD, "OUR SONG". Do yourself a favor and get this CD as soon as you can if you appreciate great songs, sung perfectly!

Jack was very popular in America in the sixties, during which decade he recorded initially for Kapp, before switching to RCA in 1967. Like many other American singers, Jack found it hard to gain acceptance in Britain although he eventually achieved that in the seventies. Even then, he never had a UK hit single though he had several hit albums. To some extent, this mirrored what happened in America, where his albums were more successful than his singles.

This album, focusing on Jack's early music, contains the songs that established his reputation in America including Wives and lovers, The race is on, Call me irresponsible, Dear heart, Lollipops and roses, Lady and The impossible dream. Jack was also a brilliant interpreter of other people's song as he shows with fine covers of Alfie, People, Bewitched, From Russia with love, Strangers in the night, I will wait for you, Michelle and If you go away - most of these songs will be familiar to fans on both sides of the Atlantic, whether or not they've heard Jack's versions. Other outstanding songs include Day in the life of a fool and Our song.

Committed fans should note that some of Jack's original albums are now available on twofers. Thus, some of the rarities referred to by other reviewers are not quite as rare now.

You'll need to buy another compilation to hear Jack's music for RCA, but as a sampler of his music for Kapp, this British budget collection is as good as you'll find.

Our Song... as another reviewer rightly said, is a high point on the album, and this is quite possibly the only place to hear it on CD at this time.

Jack always delivers, and this is a very strong collection of songs. Opening with one of my personal favorites, A Day In The Life Of A Fool, Jack treats us to some classic covers, including the Bacharach-David masterpiece Wives And Lovers, Lennon and McCartney's Michelle and McKuen/Brel's If You Go Away.

Jack has never been afraid of taking chances, and his jazzy treatment of Michel Le Grand's I Will Wait For You, is just one of the delights from this Classic Jack era.

Sadly, this does not contain my fave Jack cover And I Love Her, but I could forgive anything of a man who flew out with the USO to share his genius with the troops in Nam.

But then, that's Jack.

The Best of Jack Jones focuses on many of the great songs Jack recorded for Kapp Records before he left Kapp for RCA in the latter part of the 1960s. Jack's talent is abundantly clear on this album; he sings each song with panache and it's terrific. The sound quality on this album is excellent and I like the artwork as well.

"Day in the Life of a Fool" is a strong start to this album; Jack handles this with style and he never falters. The lush musical arrangement complements his vocals to perfection and that's grand. "Alfie" is another gem in Jack's capable hands; his rendition of this tune is flawless. His excellent diction bolsters his performance and the music uses the strings to great advantage. "People" also gets a fine treatment; Barbara Streisand must have been quite pleased with Jack's recording of this! In addition, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" gets a very sensitive arrangement and Jack sings this as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing.

Lionel Bart's "From Russia with Love" is one of my favorite tunes on this album; Jack sings this faultlessly and he doesn't let go of a single superfluous note. "Lollipops and Roses" is rather easy on the ear; Jack does this to perfection--and beyond! I also like "Wives and Lovers" despite its somewhat dated chauvinistic lyrics; it's still a good song and Jack makes it shine with his excellent performance!

"Call Me Irresponsible" is another awesome song that shines brighter than silver and gold combined when Jack sings it; this music is all THAT good. "Strangers in the Night" charms me with its beauty; it's easily a major highlight of this CD and Jack never sounded better, either. "I Will Wait for You" has Jack swinging gently to make this an outstanding number; I love his rendition of this classic ballad.

"The Shadow of Your Smile" has Jack singing at his very best; and I'm quite impressed. "The Impossible Dream" by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion comes from "Man of La Mancha;" and it remains a true Jack Jones classic. The musicians play well but wisely they never try to steal the show away from Jack--he remains front and center which is right where he belongs! "Michelle" is a cover of a Beatles song; and Jack delivers this beautifully.

"Love with the Proper Stranger" is so well done; this music just plain sounds right and I love it! "Lady" is another great number Jack performed on Kapp Records; this song is very pretty and you won't forget it anytime soon. "Our Song" has a wonderful arrangement and the album ends very well with Jack Jones performing "My Best Girl." This is adapted from "My Best Boy" in the show called "Mame."

Jack Jones remains a huge star; he tours to this day so catch him in concert if you can! This album more than demonstrates his talent and we are all better off for Jack sharing his gift with us. This is a great CD for any fans who don't have all of these tracks already; and it's an especially good album for newcomers just discovering the artistry of the incredible Jack Jones.

What more can I say that the title of teh record doesn't already say... This is a great set of Jack's greatest hits, and shows why he's considered to have the greatest set of pipes in teh industry. his vocal control is amazing, and these arrangeemtns are swinging and tasteful for the 1960's. Jone's appealing baritone always uplifts standards and even inferior material. a great set of hits.

Terrific easy-listening music. I added my review partly because the 1-star rating from the listener in Wilmington seemed to be inconsistent with his glowing review. If you like Sinatra, NK Cole, you should enjoy this.

This is the best CD I've purchased in years. Fantastic song selection and sound quality. Jack Jones' gorgeous voice brought me back to a special time--a time when romance and love were much more than physical...

I heard "Roses and Lollipops" on the "Music of your life" radio station, and I remembered Sid in "Officer and a Gentleman" saying, "Jack Jones, we need you now." He was right! I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of this man's voice- I wonder if "Wives and Lovers" wasn't so politically incorrect, that he might not get the recognition he deserves? The smoothness and dynamic range of his voice is wonderful, and this collection is very easy to listen to. His version of "Impossible Dream" is particularily inspiring. If you like great vocalists, get this CD.

... there's no argument that Jack Jones has one of the greatest voices ever recorded in the adult easy-listening format, right up there with the likes of Engelbert Humperdinck in terms of being very precise in his vocal delivery... it's unfortunate that his abilities were not pushed further beyond balladeering, because "Wives And Lovers" veers slightly on the swing side and it sounds terrific - uptempo stuff really suited him. The "Love Boat" Theme was a nice change of pace for a guy who was taking himself too seriously for way too long.

I simply enjoyed hearing these olde but goodies from Jack Jones. His style is soothing, His range mellow. I haven"t heard him in several years and this CD made me remember that talent is still talent no matter how long its around.