Customer Reviews

Capitol Years

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This British import is the best single-CD representation of Peggy Lee's artistry that I've come across. There's remarkable cohesion in terms of the recorded sound--quality of the voice, orchestral textures, ambience; there's a well thought-out mix of Peggy's essential "hits" along with her creative artistry as a songwriter and interpreter. Not only does it include the Ellington-Lee collaboration "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'," but it's virtually the only available collection with the sublime "The Shining Sea," the Johnny Mandell-Peggy Lee collaboration that, in my judgment, is Peggy's most shining moment. It's also available on the scarcer, high-priced "Blues Cross Country." Don't be deceived by Peggy's reprise of the song on the 1990 "Peggy Lee Songbook," recorded 25 years later and markedly inferior to the original version.

The inevitable downside is that this Capitol release has none of Peggy's fine work for Decca during the 1950s. Also, the inclusion of Peggy's own "Manana," a big hit for her and one she sang to the end, is probably necessary, but leading off the program with it in the age of political correctness is a more questionable call.