Customer Reviews

Eh Paisano: Italian-American Classics

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'd never think in a million years I could hear these songs in of all places, London! It was in a beautiful small Italian resturant and as soon as I heard Angelina, I was in Italian heaven on earth. I almost started to cry since it's been years (don't ask how many) and I'm sitting there eating a beautiful meal, with a beautiful wife and listening to old beautiful Italian classics. To all kids out there, I'm going to set an example and be extra good (if it's not too late) so maybe I'll see this CD under my Christmas tree this year! A great CD to own if you have at least one drop of Italian blood in you. A great gift.

If you want to know what Italian-Americans listen to - at least those who grew up in the past two generations - this compilation contains all of the important highlights. Well, all except "Luna Mezza Mare" according to my husband who is second generation Italian-American.

Despite that single oversight, he loves this album, and I've grown quite fond of it too. Track #1, "That's Amore" is a perfect showcase for Dean Martin's superb voice, and is a song even I remember (I grew up as an Anglo California girl, lightyears in culture apart from my husband's East Coast, Italian upbringing). I love the energy and craziness of Louis Prima, which is highlighted in his "Angelina", and the segue into "Zoomba Zoomba". The guy always sang something about food it seems. He turns up the energy even more in "Just A Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody". As an aside, he was a prolific songwriter and composer who had those, plus "Sing, Sing, Sing" to his credit. He was also one of the New Orleans musicians who formed a mutual admiration society with Louis Armstrong.

Lou Monte is featured, but this album does not showcase his best work. He was one of the more popular singers among Italian-Americans. Connie Francis' "Mama" is a great piece for her. Many people do not know she is Italian-American, and also recorded songs in Spanish and Italian on some of the many recordings she did - she was also popular in Italy.

For party songs, nothing compares to "Eh, Cumpari" (this rendition by Julius LaRosa). To this day it's spontaneously sung at every party if there are more than three Italians around.

Jerry Vale, another popular Italian-American has a few excellent tracks on this CD, but the definitive one is "Mala Femmina" (bad woman).

If you like Italian-American music, and especially if you grew up around it, this album is nostalgic and gives a peek into a wonderful culture that is the best of all that's Italian and American.

Where can you find Louis Prima, Dean Martin, and Jerry Vale on one CD? Easy. . . Right here. This is a great CD! It features all the best from the greatest Italian-American singers of all time.

This CD features Jerry Vale's terrific renditions of "Mala Femmina" and "Innamorata," Domenico Modungo's classic, "Volare," (And, yes, he was the original) Lou Monte's classic "Pepino, the Italian Mouse" (Lou never did catch Pepino!!!) and the original jazzy version of "I'm Just a Gigolo" from New Orleans's own Louis Prima.

This is a complete collection. All the great songs from Italian-American artists are featured here on one CD. If you are not a fan of Italian-American classics, you will be after hearing this CD.

Great Listening. . . . Great Fun. . . . . Great CD

I loved this!! These are the songs that were played in my home especially on Sunday when my father was making Gravy(Sauce). I remember rolling the meatballs and sing Pepino the Italian mouse and Eh Cumpari. You don't have to be Italian to love these songs. This is a very memorable time.

Your whole family will sing and dance for hours repeatedly to this cd! My 9 year old loves it, and has learned so much about the spirit and fun of being Italian-American. If you're 30-something like me, you will recognize many of these tunes and relive your childhood with happy memories of your parents and these songs.

first heard this in an italian restaurant and searched for six months before finally turning to amazon.com. it's livelier than "mob hits" because each song is about the fun connected with being Italian. Monte and Prima are childhood heros and can't be beat.

This one has three "musts" if you're into Italian music: That's amore" with Dino, "Al di la" with Emilio and "Spanish eyes" with Al Martino. But don't forget the toe-tappers: "Angelina" and "Just a gigolo". How anyone could be disappointed in this collection beats me. This is music for anyone who loves to sing and dance to Italian music. It even has the only Italian recording to reach #1 in the U.S.: "Volare". And this is the original!If you like good, life-embracing music, look no further, this is what you need to get your heart singing!

This is a super CD, and brings back all the memories of childhood and being and Italian American. The songs are funny and romantic, it just doesn't get any better than this.

First of all, the Amazon list of artists is incorrect. Here's the correct list:

That's Amore - Dean Martin
Volare - Domenico Modugno
Mama - Connie Francis
Angelina/Zooma Zooma - Louis Prima
Mala Femmina - Jerry Vale
Pepino The Italian Mouse - Lou Monte
Spanish Eyes - Al Martino
Eh, Cumpari - Julius LaRosa
Cara Mia - Jay & The Americans
Ciao Ciao Bambina - Domenico Modugno
Runaround - The Three Chuckles
Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody - Louis Prima
Here In My Heart - Keely Smith
For the First Time - Tony Reno & The Sherwoods
Al Di La - Emilio Pericoli
Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing - Four Aces
Darktown Strutters - Lou Monte
Innamorata - Jerry Vale

Amazon has the songwriters listed by mistake ... [Update: Hmmmmm....I see Amazon fixed the list the day after I posted this review.]

Ok, I agree with the other reviewers, some of these aren't really Italian classics at all. I mean really "Splendored" was the theme song from a film set in Hong Kong! And just because the title is "Cara Mia" doesn't mean that the Jay & Americans 60s pop-hit evokes any Italio-nostalgia (because it certainly does not). I can't even fathom the least guess as to why the Runaround/Chuckles number is included.

I suppose what this boils down to is that Rhino watered down the album's concept to keep total royalty cost where they wanted it to hit. Then they put someone in charge of making the selections that didn't know enough about the genre to pick out some less-pricey tunes that would still fill the bill.

Still, I am quite grateful for this issue. I bought it to get Emilio Pericoli's "Al Di La" (the theme song from the 1962 film "Rome Adventure"), a rendition that is otherwise totally OOP (out of print). It IS a classic and though it's been covered well, Pericoli's IS the definitive version. Give THAT number a listen and you'll probably buy this collection no matter the balance of its content.

And, as other reviewers said, a number of these songs ARE available widely. The listener won't have to look hard to find Dino's "That's Amore" or Prima's "Gigolo." But who can argue these tunes are out-of-place in this compilation? Not me, that's for sure.

On the plus side, there's several less-definitive versions of Italian-American classics on here well worth hearing, including the Modugno and Vale numbers. Both artists are seen as among the top Italian crooners. You might remember Vale crooning "Pretend You Don't See Her" at the Copa in "Goodfellas."

And, as the infamous "Mob Hits" compilation proves, there's quite a few non-Italian numbers that ultimately fell into favor as classic Italian-American tunes. And Martino's "Spanish Eyes" is one of best of those. I already owned a Martino compilation just to have that song. And let us not forget that Martino portrayed the Italian-American singer Johnny Fontane, a thinly-veiled reference to Ol' Blue Eyes, in "The Godfather."

Yes, there's better overall compilations around, and of course anyone can go to the sources, picking up "best of Dino," "best of Jerry Vale" and so on. But listeners typically buy compilations since they aren't interested in acquiring that much depth.

There are a decent number of well-done Italian favorites here, including several lesser-known, back-in-the-day, back-in-the-pizzeria authentic classics that won't appear on the more homogenized compilations (eg, Monte's "Pepino," LaRosa's "Cumpari"). Or in any in-print issue for that matter.

All that being said, I'd describe this compilation as best suited as a secondary supplement to a larger Italian-American collection ... or to supplement other compilations or soundtracks (eg, "Mob Hits," "Moonstruck").

On its own, it is NOT a sufficient survey of the genre, which is why so many reviews are negative. But it does hold value for those who want to add a bit of depth to the compilations they already have in their library, due to several jewels such as Pericoli's "Al Di La."

Mangia!

Anyone who comes from a large Italian family (or wishes they belong to one) should own this CD. The songs bring me back to my past when Mama fried meatballs for Sunday afternoon dinner for the family (and then some). Some of the songs make you cry like a baby ("Mama" by Connie Francis) and others make you laugh until your sides hurt ("Eh, Cumpari" by Julius LaRosa). My entire family heard this CD and ordered it immediately from Amazon. You should, too.
- Andrea Mastrocinque, New York