Customer Reviews

Croonin'

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a fan of Anne Murray since high school,and at 44 I'm even more so!This CD is the essence that is Ms.Murray! She puts her soul into these already classic and lovely songs.The inside cover has a list of the songs and the artists who previously recorded them,which were an inspiration to Ms.Murray.Dare I say it? She out does most,if not all of the "original" artists;at the very least,she honors them highly with her renditions!And these were some heavy weights;Patti Page,Peggy Lee,Perry Como,Rosemary Clooney,Eddy Arnold,Doris Day!I love the old standards in this recording;(especially "Secret Love","When I Fall In Love",and"You Belong To Me") I love even more hearing them sung in Ms.Murray's beautiful,one of a kind alto!My copy is probably going to wear out soon,as I play it constantly,getting lost in it!:)I've heard most of these songs through out my life,although I'm too young to remember when most of them were original hits, so bless Ms. Murray for recording them!

It is always rewarding when a vocalist with great chops and unerring taste pays homage to her musical roots. Anne Murray has done so with her CD "Croonin'". This album is chock full of wonderful music and memorable performances. Q

"Cape Cod", "Secret Love", "Hey There", and "Make Love To Me" are highlights in this stellar collection of great standards. Anne co-produced this album with Tommy West, co-producer of her current cd, "What A Wonderful World". Together they have produced a lush, contemporary sounding record that pays tribute to the great crooners of the 50's. How refreshing it is to hear an obviously gifted vocalist at the top of her game, who doesn't feel the need to indulge in overwrought vocal pyrotechnics when performing, an annoying trait that far too many contemporary vocalists succumb to. When you listen to the reverential treatment that Anne gives these songs, you understand why she has remained so popular for over 30 years. You understand why she has won countless Grammys and Junos. And finally, you understand what musical excellence truly is. Treat yourself to one of Anne Murray's greatest recordings.

I have many many albums by Anne Murray but my favourite is still this 'Croonin' album. She covers tunes by Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney to name just a few. Not overdone or fancy, just plain good singing. And guess what? You can actually hear every word she sings unlike a lot of other singers.

This is a group of songs that were some of Anne Murray's favorites when she was growing up in the fifties, and for my money, each is a new and improved version. As a professional musician, I am just SO impressed by the wonderful arrangements, terrific instrumental performances, and, of course, the beautiful and classy voice of Anne Murray that make this a CD you will listen to over and over. And there are so many songs on it that you won't get tired of hearing them. Most are ballads. I dare you to try to be stressed out after listening to this CD for even a short time. My cassette player ate the Croonin' tape and I was in absolute withdrawal until I purchased the CD. Enjoy.

Anne Murray is the last of the great Alto's. She has that special and undefinable vocal presense, so unique it has a mysterious way of entering your heart and soul. Listening to her haunting vocal rendition to ''Hey There'' reminds all of us that love's not just a one way street. There are only a handful of today's contemporary vocalists who can control and utilize their voice effectively, people like Linda Eder, Harry Connick, Jr., Sarah Mc Lachlan, and cabaret artists like Lee Lessack, Karen Mason, Michael Poss... just to name a few. But, will the young "bubble gum" pop-country Diva generation ever decide to stop "scatting" and just simply sing the melodies of today's songs? Our new generation of teenage singers could use a couple of vocal lessons from Anne Murray, because Anne's phrasing on the ''Croonin''' CD is a real a treat, and I think a lesson for a lot of today's teenage pop/country music stars.

I bought this CD because the songs are classics and because I thought Anne Murray had a good voice. I was wrong !! This CD is exceptional in its depth of sound and Ms. Murray's beautiful renditions. The arrangements are superb without the instrumentation overwhelming the singer. Every song is a gem. Old standards like Cape Cod and Teach Me Tonight evoke fond memories. You will not go wrong buying this CD. This one is a keeper. Oh yeah !!!..

Of course, as a 50s music fan, I am familiar with, and in almost all cases very fond of, all the songs in this collection. And while in most cases I prefer the original versions of the songs, I have to say that I like Anne Murray's renditions as well.

One thing I like about the presentation is that there is a listing of the original hit versions of all the songs here. (Though in two cases I would quibble about which were the original hit versions; I would cite Doris Day rather than Jeri Southern for "When I Fall in Love," and Les Paul & Mary Ford, rather than Eddy Arnold, for "I Really Don't Want to Know.")

I think that, although Anne Murray is generally associated with country singing, she, like Crystal Gayle, can do a good job with traditional popular songs. It helps that (as she says in a quote in the liner notes) she grew up listening to great singers like Patti Page and Jo Stafford do these songs; she clearly knows what they are supposed to sound like, and has a great respect for the songs.

A lot of other reviewers gave this CD 5 stars; I don't go that far, because the performances don't match the originals. But they are pleasant to listen to, and four stars still means it's worth listening to!

Anne has a gift for making any song uniquely her own. This album is smooth, unpretentious and shows off her great vocals without the annoying "Celine'-type vocal acrobatics-a true professional. Best tunes include "The Wayward Wind", "Make love to me", "Old Cape Cod", and "Cry Me a river"

Anne Murray has chosen a group of well known standarts from the American Music Box and deliverd them with a wonderful rendition. Strognly recommended whether you are Ms. Murray's fan or not as long as you enjoy music that made America listen in the 40's and 50's.

This cd of 50's standards sung by the Legendary Anne Murray is a fantastic set of music... many have done some of the songs on this cd and basically some haven't brought anything new to them, instead of trying to do copy versions of them, the arrangements here are different and some of the songs are given a nice country tempo, and Anne's beautiful voice just shines on this cd!