Greatest Songs

Sammy Davis Jr. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Curb Records
• ASIN: B000000CSS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,142 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but not the best of Sammy's live performances, March 16, 2003

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greatest Songs (Audio CD)

I don't consider this the best collection of Sammy Davis Jr. live performances, but it does contain a number of nice performances alongside the original studio recording of The Candy Man. Several of these live songs are available on other Sammy recordings: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby (With a Dixie Melody) which features Sammy's show-stopping impersonations of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis; Mr. Bojangles; the highly energetic I've Gotta Be Me and The Birth of the Blues; and Talk to the Animals. What Kind of Fool Am I? is one of my all-time favorite songs, but I consider the version on this CD to be Sammy's least effective; this is largely because he forgoes the dramatic high notes of the climax and chooses to whisper the closing words in a low voice. When comparing this set of live songs to those available on other albums such as Greatest Hits, Live, the remaining three songs should assume the most critical importance in your decision (unless you are like me and just buy whatever Sammy Davis Jr. album you can get your hands on, regardless of whether you already own all of the songs or not). Gonna Build a Mountain is a good song, but it's never knocked me over with its energy or power. Bye Bye Blackbird is very good, as Sammy has a little fun with the audience in addition to singing what is a very good song. Lady Is a Tramp is a Sammy classic and guaranteed show-stopper. Bye Bye Blackbird and Lady is a Tramp make this an album well worth owning, even if you already have several of the other performances on another CD such as Greatest Hits, Live. If you only want one of these two CDs, though, Greatest Songs has less to offer than its aforementioned counterpart.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sammy Davis Greatest Songs, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Greatest Songs (Audio CD)

The album was not what I had hoped for. The songs appeared to be recorded in a night club or similar atmosphere. The songs were not done the way the writer of the songs intended they be performed. They are Sammy's version for a night club crowd. I did not like what I received.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only forty minutes of tracks, but worth every second...!, November 23, 2003

By 

www.DavidLRattigan.com (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Greatest Songs (Audio CD)

Sammy does not merely sing: He entertains. This CD, containing live recordings of several classic numbers, is not simply background music. You'll want to take the time to sit down and listen and have fun.

The main reason I purchased this is that I heard one day Sammy singing Talk to the Animals, and was enchanted by it, and so far this is the only available recording I can find. He fills Leslie Bricusse's song with vivacity, playfulness and energy.

Other highlights are Candyman (the only original studio track on the disc), Mr Bojangles (moving as ever) and Gonna Build a Mountain. Sit back, get those toes a-tapping and enjoy.