Customer Reviews

Don't Go to Strangers/Softly As I Leave You

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my 2nd review of these masterpieces! The other one was for the out of stock version! So, I'm writing another version for the in stock. I thought that these 2 as lps were the greatest torch albums ever! I still thinking that for the 2-4-1 cd. Artist, song, & arrangement combinations have never been surpassed, at least, in my lp & cd collections. Eydie magnificently sings every song! While the background music may sound occasionally strained because of the 60s style, her voice sounds richer & fuller on this cd. That must be because of modern technology. The songs are similar but still different from each other. Each one has an intelligent conversational plot line that's lacking in today's music. My version doesn't have composer information which every serious Americcan Songbook devotee needs. I must mention some of the songs. Eydie got the best female vocalist GRAMMY for IF HE WALKED INTO MY LIFE! The injustice here is that she didn't win for the entire DON'T GO TO STRANGERS album. The song, WHAT DID I HAVE THAT I DON'T HAVE is equally great! Although the 2 torchers are the closest to each other than any other 2 on the cd, & Gorme does use the same technique of alternatively belting & caressing; she makes each an unique treasure. The out & out belters (WHAT IS A WOMAN & I WANNA BE AROUND) are done as only Eydie could: vibrant, pulse-quickening, & positively demonstrative. I always laughed when Springstein was called THE BOSS when it's clear that GORME was in charge of each and every track here. The orchestra enchance her, not the reverse. Her "softer times", I WISH YOU LOVE, WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT GOODBYE) are other singers' "louder times". That is a compliment. E.G. knew how to be commanding but still artistic. Her voice was so strong, wide ranging, and on key that in difficult passges Eydie still stayed vibrantly on key.

My Father bought the "SOFTLY AS I LEAVE YOU" & "GREATEST HITS" albums on vinyl a long time ago back in the 60's and it somehow managed to survive in good shape. Later, I myself bought the "DON'T GO TO STRANGERS" album from a used vinyl store and was fairly happy with how these albums sounded on my Linn Turntable. WOW! When I heard these GL Music remasters on my Linn CD12, I could not believe the difference! (And this from a guy who usually finds the vinyl version sounds better.) An absolute must have, for not only Eydie Gorme fans, but ESPECIALLY all the people who think "WHAT'S NEW" is an album by Linda Ronstadt. The smooth soothing relaxing sound of these Eydie Gorme versions will make you forget about ever listening to the Linda Ronstadt versions again. Both of these albums are again one of MY ALL TIME FAVORITES in my collection.

This 'two for one' CD is a demonstration of the magnificent voice and stylistic ability of one of our great female popular singers. Grammy winner Eydie Gorme is quite simply one of THE BEST singers of our time. Possessing a voice that can go from an out-of-tempo whisper to solid upper register notes surfing above the crest of a huge orchestra reaching it's crescendo, Ms Gorme can literally and delightfully make your hair stand on end. Half of the Steve Laurence-Eydie Gorme marriage and singing team, both have individual careers when they decide to have some solo fun. Indeed Ms Gorme has also produced a number of hit spanish language recordings, like Nat Cole. And she specializes in 'show stoppers', belting out one after another with style and feeling.

The two CDs combined here are among her very best work and each comes equipped with a huge orchestra of brass and reeds with a full string section. I lifted the Grammy-winning MASTERPIECE "If He Walked Into My Life" and put it on a 'best of the best' cassette tapes, long ago. But following closely on it's heels is a spectacular version of the ballad "What's New?" (kudos to the orchestra and arrangement) and "Don't Go To Strangers" (a poignant modulated last note that will slow your breathing). Trust me, Eydie has an upper register that most singers can only dream of and she spends alot of time up in that stratosphere, but it's never overwrought and always in control. Shifting to the "Softly As I Leave You" side of the CD, on "You've Changed" pay particular attention to the articulation of the stunning opening verse and how she stops in mid-song and then regains the momentum to surge to the climax: daring and spectacular! She finds new feeling in "Everytime We Say Goodbye" and "Don't Worry About Me". And don't miss "For All We Know", wonderful! True Pieces D'Resistance all. Thank you, arrangers Don Costa and Pat Williams, and conductor Joe Guercio, especially for orchestral colorations like the fabulous introduction to "What is A Woman?". Five Spectacular Stars!!

Here are two of Eydie's finest albums on one CD. Hands-down, no arguments. Paired up with long time friend and one of the world's best arranger/conductors, Don Costa, Eydie was in her prime here, belting her way through broadway tunes and hit songs of the day. Gorme fans have been yearning for such stellar and definitive readings as Eydie's WHAT DID I HAVE I DON'T HAVE NOW and the heartwrenching IF HE WALKED INTO MY LIFE to finally make a compact disc, and the wait is over. Eydie's vocals, framed by Costa's dramatic brass and strings are what most female vocalists only can dream of. But no need for despair, besides some real tearjerkers there are some fun moments as well! Take, for instance, the romp Eydie makes of the Tony Bennett hit I WANNA BE AROUND. Great arranging by Don Costa and the soaring vocals by Eydie make one thing maybe breakin' up aint so hard to do! This is the first of the Eydie Gorme masterpieces to be released on CD, others are following after years on a shelf. Finally these rare Columbia sides are coming to see the light of day; and there are more to follow. Do yourself a favor, indulge a little, even if you've never owned an Eydie Gorme album, this would be an excellent place to start. You will thoroughly enjoy this collection from one of the greatest female vocalists ever.

This has become my favorite CD and demonstrates that Eydie is the best torch singer and the most talented pop singer ever. There is a lot of great music in these two albums, Eydie does each song perfectly and sounds like she means every word. You feel that "I Want To Be Around" and "Softly As I Leave You" were written for Eydie to sing not Bennett and Sinatra. I was so impressed with this CD that I've bought more Eydie Gorme CD's since. This is by far the best, although "Gorme Country Style" rates highly too.

Eydie Gorme is one of the greatest singers ever of the classic popular song and this stellar collection of fine yet passionate vocal performances feature two of her finest Lp's "Don't Go To Strangers" & "Softly As I Leave You"...largely and superbly arranged by Don Costa who is also known for brilliant work with singing legends Frank Sinatra and Morgana King to name a few, arranging credit also goes to Marty Manning for the haunting title song "Don't Go To Strangers" & Pat Williams for the stirring anthem "What Is A Woman". When the Lp "Don't Go To Strangers" was first released is was clear that Eydie Gorme had arrived as a seriously great singer in the same league as a Garland or a Streisand yet with a sound and way with a song completely her own thus winning a Grammy Award for her stunning performance of "If He Walked Into My Life" which caused me to pull my car over (back in the musically great sixties when this kind of classic song came over the airwaves!) to take in every nuance of this incredible performance then off quickly to the local record shop to secure my own copy of "Don't Go To Strangers" which more than lived up to expectations! Over the years since anyone that I have played this great Lp for has gone out and purchased their own copy thus becoming another fan of this amazing vocal legend! Songs like "How About Me" and "What's New" take on a new life with vocal beauty and emotional depth that deepen with each new listen and from "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" that big brassy song "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" becomes a brilliant anthem about self-doubt that is a thrilling vocal to experience! Both of these tremendous Lp's have no doubt inspired other singers to do collections of the classics but nobody has yet to come close to this steller collection of magnificent performances...this has got to be the textbook example collection! Thank you Eydie for this engrossing collection of richly varied and timeless classic performances as you created a true vocal masterpiece that is a joy to listen to and experience for always...you are a wondrous and magical singer and there is none finer on the planet and this double album is the ultimate musical treat and treasure and a definite Desert Island must have!!!

My mother used to play Don't Go to Strangers when I was 10-11 years old. She would turn up the stereo while we did house work on Saturday mornings. I didn't appreciate then what talent was on this record. There are some heartbreaking ballads that were sung to perfection. I have the original LP and a poor cassette recording of it, but I have been looking for it on CD for several years. I can't wait to crank up the CD player on a Saturday morning . . .

This was the first time I'd heard these wonderful albums and thanks to reviewers for the great recommendation. But I was very surprised (and suspicious) at how bright the new CD sounded. So I bought a used vinyl copy of "Don't Go to Strangers" for a direct A/B comparison via software spectrum analysis, and discovered that the CD had indeed been brightened (+2.4 dB at 2KHz; +4.3 dB at 4 KHz; +6.6 dB above 8 KHz). The manufacturer may have boosted the highs for the "wow" factor, like putting more sugar in Coca-Cola. But this is a BIG boost and I wonder if it might have been a mistake with de-emphasis from the original Columbia tapes. But I'm perfectly happy here, as have copied the original to a CD-R after taming with a 10-band software equalizer. Plus, I now have a copy of the original 12 inch album cover of the beautiful Eydie!

Keep having fun out there, Bill.

The performance of Ms. Gorme in just one of the songs ( I want to be around ) is worth the 5 stars for the CD. The orchestration and sound is spectacular!

My long playing record of Don't go To Strangers got lost and all I had was a sorry tape that I had tried to record. I pestered everyone about putting the tape on a CD but no one obliged. How thrilled do you think I was when I found her album among your CD's!? I am so thrilled with my CD of Eydie and I even got a bonus of Softly AS I Leave You on the same CD. I searched high and low to find this and now I have it. It is a true treasure to hear Eydie belt out all those great songs. Thanks, Amazon!