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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
She just keeps getting better and better,
By
This review is from: Happy Songs (Audio CD)
It must be said at the outset that I am a huge fan of Ms. McDonald's work. That does not, however, preclude me from being honest about my impressions of her albums. I'm a fan because of her huge talent, not in spite of it.Happy Songs is Audra McDonald's third solo album, and each one has been better than the last. Audra sings with a vibrancy and brilliance that is unmatched. Her tone is impeccable, but she's more than willing to give up that elusive perfect note to get at the truth of the emotion behind a song. For this reason, there's never any doubt that she believes every word she sings. Much has been written about how the birth of her daughter inspired Audra to record songs from the Depression (there are a few cheats on the album - two new songs and others written post-Depression), when people turned to entertainment to lift their spirits (hence the title of the album). While many of these songs wouldn't qualify as "happy" ("Suppertime" is sung by a woman whose husband has just been lynched; "Beat My Dog", "Ill Wind", and others are about bad relationships), it still works. Whether it's the wonderful arrangements and interpretation, or just realization that things could be worse, the album does indeed make one feel better. Those critical of McDonald's song choice in the past (indeed, her first album - although wonderful - was not for everyone) will find little to quibble over here. Each song is a gem, from better known songs like "He Loves and She Loves" and "More Than You Know" to the less familiar "I Double Dare You", to the first-time recording of "See What I Wanna See". The album appears to be crafted to be a crowd-pleaser, and it succeeds. The country needs a pick-me-up today as much as it did 70 years ago. Listeners could do far worse than popping "Happy Songs" into their CD players.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vocal virtuosity meets Instrumental authenticity.,
By
This review is from: Happy Songs (Audio CD)
Okay, I've never written a review before, so this is another of the "firsts" that discovering Audra McDonald's voice has led me to do. I am an unabashedly adoring FAN, but unlike many others, I couldn't have cared less about Broadway singers until I heard Audra McDonald on her second solo CD, "How Glory Goes." First, I was captivated by Audra's renditions of three Harold Arlen songs on the "Glory" CD. After more listenings, I had to learn to love the more modern songs on the CD, only because Audra McDonald was singing them. Finally, I had to get my own copy of everything else this superlatively gifted performer had recorded.As a collector of music written in the 1930s and 1940s, I cannot express the height of my excitement when I heard that "Happy Songs" would be a collection of my most favorite "pop" music, produced by my most favorite hybrid (classical-popular) singer. Now that I have heard the CD about a half dozen times, I can say I am happy with the result. Though this may sound like faint praise, compared to what other reviewers have written, please understand, I am often and easily disappointed, and Audra McDonald has yet to disappoint me. Too often, when I listen to re-makes of 1930s/1940s music, I can instantly tell that it's not the real thing, that something doesn't quite match. That is, since I want to hear the 1930s/1940s SOUND, not a 1950s or 1960s (or worst of all, 1970s) "update" of that sound, I get jarred by the clash of eras. What I love about "Happy Songs" is that Audra's inestimable singing of the music is so authentically accompanied by the instrumentalists supporting and showcasing her. Ted Sperling's work as conductor, arranger and pianist shine through on track after track of this CD, and make it near-magical for me. McDonald and Sperling's rendition of "Ill Wind," as just one sterling example, a song originally written for a Cotton Club revue (and dubbed ineffectually in the movie by the same name) sounds like it is being sung by a REAL 1930s chanteuse and played by a REAL 1930s swing band--fantabulous! To sum up, if you like Ella, or Duke, or Ivie Anderson, or Fletcher Henderson, or Judy Garland, or Glenn Miller, you will love "Happy Songs" by Audra McDonald.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Audra McDonald's best solo album,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Happy Songs (Audio CD)
HAPPY SONGS represents McDonald's rendition of some of the most beautifully evocative songs fo the Forties, and I think represents her best solo work to date. I just think McDonald is the best Broadway singer in years--her voice is glorious, and she interprets her songs with real tact and understanding. I found her first two albums, however, were too quirky and eccentric in their choice of selections, sometimes highlighting new work by young American composers for the simple sake of doing so (and not always choosing the best possible pieces). Almost all of McDonald's pieces on this album, though, are lovely older numbers, she does a remarkable job with such less well-known works as "Lose that Long Face" and "I Double Dare You." And one fo the only newer or truly eclectic pieces she does--Michael John LaChiusa's sexy and funny Latin number "See What I Want to See"--is the highlight of the album.
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