Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits 2

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

 

 

I own the LP and although I haven't listened to it in YEARS, I don't remember, and CAN'T IMAGINE, anything explicit on it. If Andy Williams is considered explicit, we are all in a lot more trouble than what we thought.

The "easy listening" label which has stuck to Andy Williams doesn't do justice to his power, wide range, and impeccable control. This CD focuses on vocally and stylistically challenging singles that he recorded in the late '60s and early '70s.

"(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" had a tricky melody and demanding range that Williams executed smoothly and dramatically, earning him a 1971 Top 10 hit. His cover of Jimmy Webb's classic "MacArthur Park" displayed a vocal virtuosity that Richard Harris' more familiar version never pretended to have. And he ended his 1972 hit "Love Theme from 'The Godfather'" on a note somewhere in the stratosphere.

With go-go beat, blazing electric guitars, and double-tracked vocals, "Music to Watch Girls By" was Andy's unlikely version of a 1967 TV commercial theme for Diet Pepsi. In 1999, thanks to its use in a British commercial for Fiat, the re-released record entered the British charts at number 9 and spawned a huge Andy Williams revival in England.

Williams' tragic version of Leon Russell's "A Song for You," a 1971 forerunner to the modern power ballad, was the first single of this song to chart. It would be covered by the Carpenters in 1974 and Ray Charles in 1990 (the latter even borrowed the piano intro from Andy's version).

Williams' relaxed sense of style is evident in the 1973 cover pic, which finds him jumping through a collage of photos of himself, donned in an all-black outfit.

Andy Williams' "if it moves, cover it" philosophy meant that he recorded a lot of really bad songs in the late 1960's and early 1970's. However, he was one of the last traditional pop singers to continue to produce hits, so maybe he was doing something right. He had one of the most beautiful voices ever to appear on record, but his interpretive skills were suspect, and the arrangements often didn't do justice to his voice.

But this album has mostly good and some great songs and performances. Best to my mind are the theme from "Love Story" and "Speak Softly Love" from "The Godfather" in which he hits an impossibly high note at the end of the song. I saw him do this song in concert about fifteen years ago, and it was chill inducing. The downside to the album is that there are some mediocre tunes and arrangements, but if you're a fan of good music, it's a worthwhile purchase.

I liked the music. I bought 2 of his CD's for a trip I recently took and now everytime I play the CD's at home, I remember exactly where I was! I loved the songs, felt some reviews were too picky!

Andy's got a pretty voice, if it weren't for the muzaky arrangemets, you might be able to overlook the fact that Andy sounds as if he doesn't mean or understand anything he sings. He's clueless. He lacks the gift of understanding lyrics as jazz critic Will Friedwald once pointed out in his book Jazz Singing, thoug hhe's got a beautiful voice, try one of hsi all standard albums, this cd does have camp value, meaning this is so bad, it's almost good, great as background music for sipping martinis and smokin cigars.