Customer Reviews

The Best of Lesley Gore: 20th Century Masters-(Millennium Collection)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lesley Gore may have been the finest pure singer among the female vocalists of the early sixties. Her string of seven consecutive Top 40 releases in 1963 and 1964 (including four Top 10s and a Number 1) with four more following through 1967 indicate that she was certainly one of the most popular. Lesley was only 16 years of age when her first single, It's My Party, topped the charts. Her music matured with her, from the rather bubble-gummy sound of the aforementioned It's My Party and its successful follow-on, Judy's Turn to Cry, through the seminal feminist anthem You Don't Own Me and on to the rich and beautiful California Nights.

This CD contains all eleven of her Top 40 offerings plus a bonus track (Hey Now). All are original recordings. However, it must be noted that the recordings have been remastered, and therein lies the problem with this disk.

The remastering job is sloppy to say the least. The instrumental track is too strong, frequently interfering with and occasionally completely overpowering the vocals. The background vocals and harmonies are so subdued that they frequently just disappear.

Lesley's double-tracked leads sound just fine except as noted above, and they carry the disk to respectability. However, if you have a little time and a little more money to invest, there are much better sounding collections available.

Recommended, but only as a last resort.

I saw Lesley Gore described as a "one-hit wonder," which certainly struck a wrong chord with me. While she hit #1 with her very first release "It's My Party" in 1963, she was had a lot more hits even if none of them made it all the way to the top. Her follow-up song, "Judy's Turn To Cry" made it to #5 and so did "She's a Fool." In 1964 "You Don't Own Me," the proto-feminist anthem that is arguably her best song, made it to #2. That same year "Maybe I Know" made it to #14 and "That's the Way the Boys Are" to #12. Even in the wake of the British Invasion ("I Want to Hold Your Hand" was #1 when "You Don't Own Me" was right behind it) she made it back to the Top 20 in 1967 with "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows" and "California Nights."

You should not be surprised that she was this successful because Lesley Gore was one of the dominant female singers associated with the "girl group" sound in the early 1960s, who had Quincy Jones producing most of her early sessions and doing double-track vocals of songs written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, and Marvin Hamlisch. The result is that Gore was as commercially successful a female solo singer as there was on the face of the planet during this period. Obviously we are not talking about the lady singing soul, but while other practitioners of the angst of adolescent yearning would come and go (e.g., Shelley Faberas and "Johnny Angel"), Gore personified the idea for several profitable years. The problem was that "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" started Gore out with the image of a whinny teenybopper and when you consider her entire catalogue those songs do not define the mainstream of her work which goes in the other direction as this hits collection amply proves.

There are only a dozen tracks on "20th Century Masters: The Best of Lesley Gore," and there are several Lesley Gore hit collections that have all of these songs and the proverbial much, much more. Consequently, they would be better buys, ergo the four-star rating. But in terms of limiting yourself to just a dozen Lesley Gore this list is perfect. That is because whoever picked the non-hits did a great job by selecting "The Look of Love," "Hey Now," and "My Town, My Guy and Me." ("I Don't Want to be a Loser" charted at #37 and "Hey Now" was at #76, so I guess I operationally define a hit as Top 40). This is a very good Lesley Gore hit collection given the limited number of tracks, but there are better out there to be found, so take that into account when deciding if this is the one you want to get it.

But I would like to put in a word for the Bear 5-C.D. set. This is where we all discovered there was much more to Lesley than hit singles. With Quincy Jones she recorded dozens and dozens of unique, riveting, insinuating songs with fabulous orchestrations and soaring vocals the hits only hinted at. She also did standard pop, jazz and a lot else that's surprising and along the way alternate versions of the hits no one ever heard. The impression one can get from the double-tracked hits is there is a small voice at work here, but in the Bear set you come to realize, nope, it's a big voice. It was just small in the context of the hits. Lesley was and is utterly unique and well worth discovering even at this late date.

Sonics are bright, crisp and clear on the Lesley Gore edition of Universal's ambitious Millenium series, highlighting her exuberant and expressive vocals. All the big hits are here, from the 1963 #1 "It's My Party" to 1967's Beach Boys homage, "California Nights," and for the casual fan who wants only the hits, this is probably the ticket. They're all here and sound as fresh as ever. A re-listen to "My Town, My Guy and Me," for example, the first hit Gore had a hand in writing, showcases what's so addictive about Lesley Gore's 1960s work: fierce drumming, relentless percussion, horns right out of The Drifters' "On Broadway," and Lesley's soaring powerhouse double-tracked vocals. It was 1965, and Petula Clark knew a place downtown where you could go, but Lesley had the official American repudiation to "Downtown." The women were facing off, because Lesley was just fine with her town and her guy...If you're new to Lesley Gore, get your wallet back out. This fine set will whet your appetite for the hard stuff to be found on the 2-CD or even 5-CD sets.

Many years ago, I would have never even considered purchasing this collection, but a broadening of musical horizons can be a good thing. Not sure what's going on but lately the 50's and 60's, plus every pioneering band or artist in many genres of music I have been seeking out.

Everyone knows "It's My Party", but it was a couple songs "I Don't Wanna Be A Loser", and "Judy's Turn To Cry", and then one day I heard "You Don't Own Me" on the radio and that was all it took for me seek out this best of set from Gore; and really I believe I like or love every song on here. I guess it's her vocal delivery, her voice is fine, but it's just the style...it almost fits into an early alternative perhaps vibe that struck me, like something fresh even in the years 2006 and 07 since I first starting to really listen to her music. To be honest I'm pretty much fed up with todays female pop and/or top 40....nothing really grabs me other than a handful like KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Beth Hart, Alanis Morissette, Aimee Mann to name a few. I'm a fan of Liz Phair, and of course some old school like Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Suzi Quatro also, so female singers and musicians is a big musical interest also of course.

That Lesley was so young when she made these records is indeed a major factor, and her views seem cut right from todays world, these songs seem written especially for her, and she does make them her own even there were the songwriting teams even back then even, that was probably the thing that spoiled it a bit for me, but Lesley was something like 16 or 17 years old around the time of these recordings I think and it's classic stuff from the 60's, and I just can't get enough so I'll take it over many of todays acts. Do yourself a favor and check her out, and hear some influential music from a different and sometimes not so different era, I did and really I'm glad I did.

Everything on here is amazing I think, not a subpar track to be found, all major hits for her, perfect if you want her chart toppers only, if you are brave I guess you could get an expanded version of her greatest all time minor hits also on another CD, but for my money this is all I need. 3 or 4 years ago I only new one song by her, and now I have 9 or 10 other favorites!

Leslie Gore's fame came like a bolt from the blue: a pretty, sixteen year old from Tenafly, New Jersey, she was in the right place at the right time to record "It's My Party" under the supervision of Quincy Jones--and the result was one of the great hits of 1963, a bouncy, danceable, and extremely memorable bit of teen-angst rock and roll.

"It's My Party" was such a monster hit that it is tempting to think of Gore as one of those singers who appeared and then vanished with equal speed. That isn't true. She survived the 'English Invasion' and released about twenty top forty hits throughout the 1960s; it was not until the advent of the psychedelic movement that her star began to fade. Like most compilation recordings, THE BEST OF LESLIE GORE includes the most obvious selections: "Judy's Turn To Cry," a musical sequel to "It's My Party;" "She's A Fool;" the surprisingly feministic "You Don't Own Me;" "That's The Way Boys Are;" and "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," among others. The latest recording included is "California Nights," which charted in the top twenty in 1966.

Although Jones drifted out of Gore's career fairly early on, most of her best-sellers followed the pattern he established: bouncy, bright, deeply layered in terms of music and back up vocals, and all of it very much the "All American Girl" singing about love, loss, and forever. It was all very slick--and perhaps too slick for her own good, for when styles began to change Gore came to be regarded as excessively 'white bread.' All the same, it would be a mistake to dismiss Gore's vocal talents. She did not have a broad range, nor did she have a sophisticated approach to her material (indeed, the material hardly allowed for it)--but she had an impressive directness, and more than that she had her own voice. Even in an era awash in 'girl singers' and 'girl groups,' Gore never sounded like anybody but herself, and no one else ever sounded quite like her. She stands apart from the crowd.

Like most items in the 20th Century Masters series, the songs here could use a remaster--but I didn't find them as badly presented as some have claimed. This is a nice little collection that would be a very good introduction to the Girl Next Door of the early 1960s. Recommended.

GFT Amazon Reviewer

Lesley Gore had the ability to hit every note and make us long for her insight into love's complexity. All are worthwhile, but "Look of Love" is the cream of the crop "Here I stand, all by myself, watching him with someone else - bet he doesn't even know I'm here - wish I could hold back my tears ..." is right on target. The Phil Spector-like arrangement is over the top and adds to this superior song. But really, "She's a Fool" and "Maybe I Know" are classics in their own right - well sung, well phrased and, well, just perfect. This is a must-have for anyone longing for the days where the most thorny problem we faced was "who should I take to the sock hop."

I can honestly say that I made a good choice when I decided to buy this CD. Originally I got it because of one song, but after listening to the whole thing a few times, I ended up loving all the songs. And my dad loves this CD every bit as much. The quality of the sound is very good, and the only complaint I have is that these songs are too short. They are wonderful, but they just end too soon.

Some of the best songs on here are "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry", "Maybe I Know", "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", and "My Town, My Guy, and Me". This CD is a must-have for those who are fond of the oldies, and who have an ear for good music in general.

As you can see from the title of the series, this CD of Lesley Gore's hits does not attempt to present a comprehensive set of all her fine work. There are other, more comprehensive CD sets that accomplish that so much better. Nevertheless, if you just want one single inexpensive CD to start off your Lesley Gore collection or to just become more familiar with her art, then this CD is THE one for you.

The sound quality is excellent and the songs here demonstrate how Lesley was able to turn out great music throughout the 1960s. I particularly like the song entitled "It's My Party;" and this song also starts the CD off strong. SMILE The story of teenage love and angst is continued with the second song, "Judy's Turn To Cry." I was always very impressed with "You Don't Own Me" as a song that was very pro-feminist for its time. The song has a beautiful musical arrangement as well.

Lesley's voice is both rich and strong throughout and you will really like that. "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" is sort of a "bubblegum music" song but it is very catchy and well executed anyway.

I give the CD four stars because it is a more of a broad brush-strokes display of Lesley's vocal capabilities rather than a complete attempt to showcase ALL her abilities. Nevertheless, the CD is great for people who are budgeting as this is a lower-priced CD. The liner notes by Tony Sachs are very well written and on the reverse cover of the liner notes there's a great black and white photo of Lesley singing on stage with singers and dancers backing her up in the background. You also get the dates each song hit the charts and at which number each song topped out on the charts. We are told who wrote the music and who wrote the words for each song. I guess the only thing missing would be another photo or two and the lyrics to the twelve songs here.

I recommend this CD as a must have for Lesley's fans but really more so for people who want an affordable CD to get more familiar with Lesley's talent. Fans of the "oldies" and the 1960s "girl groups" will also be very pleased. Lesley gave her competition a good run for the money then; and the songs on this CD, relatively few though they may be, prove just by themselves that she will never be forgotten!

The cds in the 20th Century Masters series are overall a largely hit or miss affair, however this collection, compiling all the big hits from one of the most underrated singers of all time, Lesley Gore, is the exception. It contains 12 of her biggest hits and has some cool liner notes. Read on for the positives and negatives.

Positives:
-You get all of Lesley's biggest hits here, including "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn To Cry", "She's A Fool", "You Don't Own Me", "That's The Way Boys Are", "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" and "California Nights".
-You get a lot of the most underrated pop songs ever on here, such as "I Don't Wanna Be A Loser", "Hey Now", "Maybe I Know", "Look Of Love" and "My Town, My Guy And Me".
-The songs sound really good.
-The collection contains 12 tracks. Most entries in the 20CM series only include up to 10.
-Is easy to locate and is ideal for a fan on a tight budget.
-Great liner notes.

Cons:
-None.

Overall, I highly tout this collection as a must have cd. Get it as soon as possible.