Customer Reviews

Essential Collection

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Even in her American homeland, Lesley didn't have many hits. In Britain, she only had two hits (It's my party and Maybe I know) and only the first of them is famous. Nevertheless, compilations of her music continue to be released at regular intervals.

This particular compilation has all the essential hits, these being It's my party, Judy's turn to cry, She's a fool, Maybe I know, You don't own me, Sunshine lollipops and rainbows, Look of love and my personal favorite, California nights. Most of the other songs here were minor American hits -minor in terms of chart placement but major in quality. You know the way pop music goes - once singers are deemed unfashionable, radio schedulers ignore their music.

Selecting a compilation among a choice of several is normally a tricky business. With Lesley, it's simple - the cheapest is the worst and the most expensive is the best, with the prices of those in between reflecting their quality. So (for example), this compilation is superior to the 12-track 20th century Millenium compilation but not quite as strong as the 30-track compilation, Start the party again, which one of my friends has reviewed. The only way to improve on that is to go for the double-CD (Anthology, now apparently out of print) or the 5-CD boxed set, both of which I reviewed a long time ago.

With 18 tracks, this compilation is probably just right for most people seeking Lesley's hits of the sixties.

This Lesley Gore collection really shows that even in her early teens, this girl could sing! Besides her choice of materials to record, all the arrangements are full and compliment Miss Lesley's voice and style.This collection reflects her hits but she was and is so much more then just the hits. Any recording by Lesley showcases a gifted and talented singer and a superb master of her voice. I feel that in today's market, she can show these new arrivals what it is all about. All they really have to do is listen and they will learn. I give this CD collection 5 stars!

Lesley Gore embodied the teen angst of growing up and navigating the turbulent waters of young love. She was hugely popular with girls and boys. She was either your friend or your girlfriend and everybody felt they knew her. Her wonderful songs captured an innocence that would soon be lost for the youth that adored her as Vietnam loomed like a dark cloud on the horizon.

I've had several of Lesley's albums over the years and almost everything that was great about her is here on this one. It is the perfect blend of bubblegum and teen sincerity. I pop Lesley in whenever I'm feeling a little nostalgic and it never let's me down. She was beach parties and surfers riding the big wave, going steady and having your heart broke for the first time. From the upbeat and melancholy to the sweet, this one covers it all.

Good music can come in a lot of forms, and this is definitely good music. It's easy to listen to and will leave you feeling better than you did when you put it on. How much music do you own you can say that about? We'll surely never see this blend of youth and innocence ever again, but it certainly is nice to know we can go back and remind ourselves what was great about the 60's.

You'll have difficulty finding anyone who doesn't like Lesley and you will also if this is your first listen to her. It's more than worth the purchase price for this much enjoyment. You don't want to miss this terrific music.

If you haven't heard Lesley Gore before then this CD is for you. She has a great voice. The pop singers today don't even come close. If this lady isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame she should be! In the '60's she was the teenage princess of rock and roll.

Lesley Gore had her first hit in 1963, at sixteen, with "It's My Party, and I'll Cry If I Want To." (The president of the studio where she'd been working had warned her not to be too disappointed if it wasn't released.) But "It's My Party" was a great big, instantaneous hit, being played on New York's WINS, WMCA, its most popular rock and roll radio stations, one short week after it was recorded/released, and hitting #1 on the national charts six short weeks later. It was quickly followed by "Judy's Turn to Cry," "That's The Way Boys Are," "She's a Fool," and "Maybe I Know." And, before you knew it, Gore was the biggest solo female hitmaker of the early 1960's. And, seemingly, she was chronicling a high school girl's angst. So a lot of people considered her music to be bubblegum. Nevertheless, she had, still has, a big, beautiful pure voice, with a lovely, soaring upper register, and a dynamic delivery. Just was lucky enough to catch her in person; she still has that great delivery.

And she was already an accomplished musician at 16; she was discovered, through several piano demos of hers that were circulating, by none other than celebrated jazz master Quincy Jones, who acted as her producer for the first several years of her career. So let me remind you, Quincy Jones is not generally considered a bubble gum kind of guy. For your further consideration, this collection includes the melodic "California Nights," and "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," from this early phase of her career; their intonation and phrasing are clean and crisp, almost jazzy. You'll also find "You Don't Own Me," collected here; generations of high school girls have had to grow into this one. The scope of her music, in fact, solidly illustrates the fact that Lesley Gore never was strictly a bubblegum chronicler of high school heartbreak: she always had more on her mind.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF LISTENING TO THE LESLIE GORE CD AT MY SISTER-IN-LAW'S HOUSE WHEN WE WERE UP NORTH ON OUR VACATION, RECENTLY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I HADN'T HEARD HER SINGING IN A LOT OF YEARS, AND I LOVE IT!! SHE TOLD ME HER SISTER IN PENN. PICKED IT UP ON LINE FOR HER. SO WE WERE PLAYING IT ONE DAY, AND I SAID 'I REALLY HAVE TO HAVE THAT CD TO TAKE BACK TO FLORIDA WITH ME. SO WE FOUND IT ON-LINE WHERE SHE DID, AND I ORDERED IT, AND PLAY IT OVER AND OVER. I THINK MY HUSBANDS READY TO MAKE IT DISAPPEAR. BUT, DON'T WORRY, I REALLY THINK HE KNOWS BETTER!!

ONE OF THE BEST BUYS I'VE MADE IN A WHILE!!

THANK-YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING IT FOR ME TO PURCHASE!!

Lesley's early 60s girl-group sound is showcased in this CD like the jewel it is. The vitality of songs such as "Look of Love" and hard-to-find "Summer and Sandy" bring us back to a fun, innocent, idyllic time and time and place we dreamed of during a turbulent decade. Rock on, Ms. G!