Customer Reviews

Close As Pages in a Book

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

 

 

Barbara Cook brings all her subtle artistry to bear on this album of Dorothy Fields songs. Barbara's attention to the nuances in Fields' witty, sexy lyrics is quite remarkable. One of the many highlights is an aching version of "Make The Man Love Me", a gorgeous Arthur Scwartz melody with one of Fields' most heartbreaking lyrics; unrequited love at its most moving. Barbara's wonderful rendition of "I Must Have That Man" also proves she has no equal in this department. There is also a wonderfully romantic "I'm In The Mood For Love" (with a sensuous orchestral backing) and the crystalline quality of "April Snow" is extremely poignant. On the upbeat side, we have a definitive "Sunny Side Of The Street", turning this jazz standard into a theatrical statement. Every song is a winner: Fields and Cook (and, of course, the wonderful Wally Harper) are an extremely happy team.

I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO MUSIC FOR A LONG TIME, AND I THOUGHT I KNEW ALL THE BEST VOCALISTS - BUT I DIDN'T - UNTIL I HEARD BARBARA COOK. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW I NEVER HEARD OF HER - SHE IS ABSOLUTELY "THE BEST". "CLOSE AS PAGES IN A BOOK" STARTS OFF WITH A JAZZY RENDITION OF "IT'S NOT WHERE YOU START - IT'S WHERE
YOU FINISH", THEN THE BEAUTIFUL "CLOSE AS PAGES IN A BOOK" AND
FROM THERE, YOU HEAR SONGS LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD THEM
BEFORE - SUCH AS "I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE", "MAKE THE
MAN LOVE ME", "DON'T BLAME ME". BUT BARBARA COOK SINGS THEM LIKE
YOU ARE HEARING THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME!! A TREASURE.

This album is filled with amazing renditions of songs with lyrics by the great Dorothy Fields. Songs filled with longing and heartache, especially "April Snow" and "Make the Man Love Me"--achingly beautiful. Add to that a swinging version of "Sunny Side of the Street," Wally Harper's amazing accompianment and you've got one great album.

I was very pleased to get this CD as I was a big fan of the original release on cassette and had long ago lost it. It is a wonderful addition to my Cook library. She is like no other performer and why she has not yet received a Kennedy Center Honor is beyond me. She is a major and uniquely American talent.

This Barbara Cook CD makes for a very pleasant listening experience. Her exquisite vocal quality and her professional approach to each song are just a tribute to her years of singing meaningful lyrics. She's not just singing, but telling you a story from her heart. "Close As Pages in a Book" is filled with songs about love and life. The voice, the melodies and the lyrics are pure music. And Barbara Cook is keeping it all alive. I personally prefer the ballads to the upbeat tunes, but only because the upbeats don't really do justice to her lovely voice. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and "Exactly Like You" are a little too campy. But the other ten songs are absolutely perfect. I especially enjoyed "Close As Pages in a Book", "Make the Man Love Me", "April Snow" and "April Fooled Me" / "I'm Way Ahead".
You will not be disappointed by this Barbara Cook offering.