Customer Reviews

Dusty in London

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Don't be put off by sceptics who tell you to give this wonderful collection a miss. This may not be the Dusty American listeners are used to and know and love, but for my money, it's every bit as good. In these latter day British recordings (1968-72) with the Philips label, you get to "see all her faces". Displaying her incredible versatility, you get to sample Dusty not only in lounge mode (ie, as a chanteuse) but as soul mistress and pop/rock stylist (British style). These tracks, extracted mainly from "Dusty Definitely (1968) and "See All Her Faces" (1972), stand tall as monuments of her recording history with the British label. Pity Rhino chose not to showcase them (including the UK recorded tracks from SAHF) in their entirety or in their original running order. We have to wait for the omissions - all excellent - to show up in future compilations promised by Rhino. For those already familiar with these UK albums, there is a special treat in the previously unreleased "Sweet Inspiration" which is pure bubblegum transformed into a tasteful slice of soul that's distinctively Dusty. Listening to this great collection only makes the need for Mercury UK to release these albums in their original formats all the more pressing. In my opinion, it's totally wrongheaded and arrogant for uninformed Stateside critics to dismiss Dusty's Philips recordings as supperclub styled or lightweight compared to her more serious soul offerings with the Atlantic label. Listeners will discover in these tracks the other side to Dusty that has made her the much loved singer she is with the British public. This brand new Dusty (to Americans) is someone you want to get to know. Trust me. Tune in and enjoy !

Some of Dusty's best work is on this CD. Her rendition of "Piece of My Heart" just blows away Janis Joplin's original version.
This CD quickly came and went. Why?

Those of us that are long time fans of Miss Dusty Springfield know that she would have been bored to tears if she had to sing the same old style of pop music every day. She loved variety. And this compilation showcases exactly how eclectic her tastes were. Unfortunately, if the mood feels rather erratic, it's really more the fault of the compilation itself and not Dusty's song choices or ability.

Nevertheless, the testament to Dusty's superb interpretive ear, is that there really is not a bad track on this compilation. Some of the production values might be a bit askew and some of the material might be bordering on schmaltz, but Dusty's delivery is never in question.

Stand-outs, for me at least, are "Mixed Up Girl", "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart" (which Dusty wisely skews more to the Erma Franklin original instead of the overblown albeit more popular Janis Joplin cover), "How Can I Be Sure?", "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" and "Love Power".

And then there is the unique beauty of "Song For You", the gentle Bossa Nova style of "Come For A Dream", the sexually charged "Crumbs Off The Table" and the heavily jazz inflected "I Only Wanna Laugh".

At times it's hard to believe the same singer is singing each song!

Name me another singer that could navigate such varied musical waters without having to come up for air at least occasionally?

There is only one name that fits: Dusty Springfield

End of conversation. If you don't believe me, just listen...

why is this great, great cd out of issue right now? when we need to hear vocalists with the style, taste and restraint that dusty springfield had at her disposal?

this cd is a combo of two albums 'see all her faces' and 'dusty--definitely' and each compliments the other beautifully. though i don't know which songs belong exclusively to each title, it is pretty obvious that each has its own ambience and neither would detract from the other.

there are cover tunes that are soulful in nature, like 'love power' and 'piece of my heart' and there's also the most incredible lightening fast finger popper called 'since you've been gone' in which dusty is belting with such power, then she finishing the song croon up to a high 'a'. it's too hot!

but then there are soft, limpid ballads like 'who', 'i start counting' and 'see all her faces' in which she is so intimate with her listener that it's hard to believe she is not in the room with you singing right in your ear. not to mention her jazzy homages to sinatra and peggy lee with 'second time around' and 'i only want to laugh'.

and to round out the set, she covers a range of tunes from 'yesterday when i was young' and 'i will come to you' that remind you of the big ballads that only she could pull off because she always knew when to pull back the emotional part of her performance.

although she is not spoken of by many, dusty springfield's thoughtful approach and daring selection sof her repetoire is a lesson to many performers, especially the idol would bes. you leather-lunged folks better recognize!

...and she did. I can think of no other singer who displayed the versatility that our Dusty did. Cool yet vulnerable, always connected to the words, and with a style all her own, no matter what the material, she is the quintessential pop singer. This collection is a great place to start, in my opinion. I have so many favorites on this CD, but a few of them must be mentoned: "Crumbs off the Table" which rocks, "Yesterday When I was Young" and "I Think it's gonna rain today," both of which weep, and "Mixed up girl" which does both. A true original, no matter which of her many faces she displays.

This isn't a good place to start for those just beginning a Springfield collection, but for those who already own her greatest hits (of which "The Silver Collection" is the best), this is a fine collection of recordings rare to American listeners. Notable chiefly for several exquisite readings of light ballads both familiar ("This Girl's in Love With You," "A Song For You," "Yesterday When I Was Young," and "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?") and overlooked ("I Start Counting," "See All Her Faces," "I Think It's Going To Rain Today," and the truly remarkable "Wasn't Born To Follow"). Uptempo numbers balance the set, but nobody did melancholy better than Dusty, as these gems prove.

Of the three Dusty cd's I own - Dusty in Memphis, The Best of Dusty Springfield, and Dusty in London, I prefer her London collection to the other two. Less pop-oriented than Best, more sentimental (totally objective, naturally) than Memphis, it showcases her ability to project the vulnerability that tugs at the heartstrings of a romantic sap such as myself. Highest recommendation.

This CD presents the Dusty Springfield that Great Britain was fortunate enough to see on their television sets regularly, when Dusty had her own British TV show. Though some of these songs may be too Broadway for American fans, Dusty sings everything here with the same soulful conviction that she brought to her more popular hits. Her version of "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" is worth buying this CD alone. It is an absolute spot on performance. Brava, Dusty. We miss you dearly.

Dusty in London is a cd packaged much like Dusty in Memphis, which was recored in 1969. This London album is actually a consolodation of songs from '68-'71. There are many lovely photos in this product, (even more flattering than the ones in the Memphis set). Songwise, I prefer the Memphis album, but this rare, hard-to-get-your-hands on cd is also superb. Take Another Little Piece of My Heart is a wonderful way to kick off the album, and How Can I Be Sure, Girls It Ain't Easy, Another Night, and Sweet Inspiration are especially worth a listen. To prove what a talent Dusty was, her hauntingly beautiful song on this cd, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life, much in the mood of The Look of Love, can even be heard on a tv commerical today. If you know which one I'm talking about, there is no denying it is Dusty. She, like the other music greats, had such a distict voice that she is in a category all her own-- The First White Lady of Soul. Today, March 2nd, is the anniversary of her death in 1999, and Karen Carpenter's 57th birthday. Dusty would have been 68 in April. I know both ladies are greatly missed!!!

This album is classic Springfield...earthy, delightful, nostalgic and yet contemporary. The choice of songs is excellent. It will bring you home and yet fill you with joy for the future...