Customer Reviews

Her Very Best

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

 

 

This is a great collection from a memorable singer. I grew up hearing Miss Grants songs... she was always one of my moms favorites. Every time this little baby-boomer ambled up to the juke box at Barneys Drive -In, I always insisted on playing Gogi's "The Wayward Wind" to accompany my $1.10 hamburg, fries, and chocolate chill...oh, the good old days. So, I still find her songs not only great recordings, on each of which she puts her personal stamp, but they are also very nostalgic for me. That song, which rose to # 1 on the charts, is included in this collection, as are several of her other hits. This is an excellent quality c.d., and I recommend it for anyone who wants to appreciate a teriffic singer, or if you want to re-acquaint yourself with her memorable songs, from torch to ballad. I always considered Miss Grant, who also dubbed Ann Blyths voice in "The Helen Morgan Story, a wonderful artist, in the tradition of the great girl singers like Joni James and Jo Stafford, but definatley with her own style. I had the pleasure of meeting her at lunch a few years ago, and she is a lovely and gracious lady. And, as this c.d. attests, a wonderful artist, with songs that'll bring back great memories.

I first learned about Gogi recently during a re-play of a PBS special "Pop Stars of the 1950s" recorded in 2004. Many of the singers and groups were still very good (Patti Page, the Four Coins, the Maguire Sisters, etc), but 79-year old Gogi literally knocked my socks off with her rendition of her hit, "The Wayward Wind." Hers is a stage presence rarely equalled in this day of "American Idol." I immediately ordered "Gogi Grant--Her Very Best" (all 18 tracks are superb), and now have ordered her collection of country hits' "A City Girl in the Country." My parents and my wife's parents are entering their 80s, and I distinctly remember hearing Gogi sing over the radio in the mid 1950s. What a pleasure to know she's still singing, especially since she still sings so well! Read biographies of the singers of the 1940s and 1950s--you will be amazed at how hard they worked to achieve their success, and how little they often received monetarily (compared to the manufactured singers of today). And they achieved their tremendous sound with recording equipment that is primitive by today's standards. You'll never be sorry that you ordered Gogi's CDs.

I was just a kid, but "The Wayward Wind" bowled me over the first time I heard it; it still does. Few songs in the last 50 years compares to it;listening to it is an adventure. I wish I could thank Gogi personally. I was always interested in music and movies and recall reading in the local newspaper as a kid that Gogi Grant had done the songs for "The Helen Morgan Story". It was not a movie someone my age would see ordinarily; I STILL don't remember anything about Helen Morgan except what the movie offered but I did see it for the music. You can well see from listening to "The Wayward Wind" how it could easily compete with other "pop" artists' tunes (is that the correct expression here?) AND the emerging rock and rollers' exciting music. "The Helen Morgan Story" soundtrack is still available. Maybe I'll get that, if I ever get tired of "The Wayward Wind" (not likely). All the other tunes on this compilation are strong too. And look at that picture. Ain't she purty?

Gogi Grant: Her Very Best has a good selection of songs by Gogi. Her voice is in excellent form and the quality of the sound couldn't be better. Gogi had the ability to sing almost anything and make it sound sweet; this CD proves it. The artwork is very nicely done.

The CD starts with one of Gogi Grant's biggest hits, "The Wayward Wind." "The Wayward Wind" features Gogi singing about a man she knew; and this is a very sweet ballad. "The Wayward Wind" is the perfect beginning for this album by Gogi and the backup singers do a fine job of harmonizing well. "Suddenly There's A Valley" is a very pretty ballad and Gogi gets to show us the operatic qualities of her voice. The backup singers do a great job but I don't think Gogi needed them on this number; she was quite capable of handling this on her own but the style of the times was to use chorus backup singers on certain songs. "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" features Gogi front and center with a very elegant musical arrangement. The music fits in perfectly with Gogi's vocals, too.

"All Of Me" gets a fine rendition by Gogi Grant; she aces this easily as she swings gently to make this tune shine bright! There's also "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart;" Gogi sings this without a superfluous note and I really like "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart."

"I Gave You My Heart" is a torch song that Gogi delivers with panache, heart and soul. "I Gave You My Heart" is very strong and the strings are used to great advantage. This song is a major highlight of this album. "Love Is The Sweetest Thing" again showcases Gogi's sublime singing; she performs this well and the piano arrangement is rather sophisticated. "When The Tide Is High" gets the royal treatment from Gogi Grant who sings this with a fine backup chorus to enhance the beauty of this number--great!

"The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)" is another torch song that stuns me with its beauty; I always enjoy hearing Gogi sing this with all her heart. "The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)" is another major highlight of this album. "I'll Never Be The Same" has Gogi singing her very best and the woodwind instruments work wonders for this ballad. Gogi's voice is as clear as a bell.

"There Will Never Be Another You" is very well written and it seems that Gogi Grant would be the only female vocalist who could deliver it quite this well. The CD also ends with another solid number from Gogi, "I Don't Want To Walk Without You." This beautiful ballad is a timeless classic and I could never tire of hearing Gogi sing it! "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" gets a very elegant arrangement and it makes the perfect ending for this album.

Overall, this is a superb compilation album of just some of Gogi Grant's best songs and hits. I highly recommend this for her fans; and the casual fan just discovering Gogi Grant would do well to start with this CD. People who enjoy torch songs will also find much to like about this album.

Gogi had a huge international hit with Wayward wind, topping the American charts and making the top ten in Britain, where it was her only hit. Gogi's other monster American hit, Suddenly there's a valley, failed to chart in Britain as it lost to competition from Petula Clark and Jo Stafford, both better known in Britain.

Those two classics are the first two tracks here but if you're worried about a drop in standard thereafter, fear not. Gogi was a singer of real quality and proves it with her renditions of such classics as All of me, Love is the sweetest thing, Wrap your troubles in dreams and What's new?

Gogi was either unwilling or unable to embrace rock'n'roll so her career was brief. In a different era, she would have surely made many more records than she did. Still, the quality is what counts and that's what you get from Gogi.

This compilation contains a selection of Gogi's music but, much to my surprise and delight, most of her original albums are also available on CD. This situation may not last - if you enjoy Gogi's music, make the most of the opportunity.

I found pleasure in revisiting the past with the lovely voice of Gogi Grant with such nostalgic songs as "Wayword Wind" and would certainly recommend it for a nostalgia buff.

When I was 10 years old too many years ago(LOL!), I remember I got to see Gogi Grant in Las Vegas with my parents, I was 10 years old. She had a hit then, "The Wayward Wind". I got to hear her sing it among other songs live and in person on early evening. What a crush I had on her after that. I also like that song tremendously and still do. If you like oldies and walks down memory lane, this is for you. So take a stroll!

Just what I wanted. It was new, arrived promptly and well packaged. Couldn't ask for more.

Could not find this locally due to it being out of date. Wife really wanted this and Amazon came through. Great sound track - particularly for her song "The Wayward Wind" which is why we bought the album.

I always loved the song "The Wayward Wind" by Gogi Grant, and I always appreciated hearing it on the radio when it it was played periodically. I got this album because of this song. I was about 12 years old when it came out in the mid 50's. I was into the Rock and Roll sound that was sweeping the charts at that time, and I never heard any of her other songs. Too bad Ms. Grant didn't cross over to the new sound at that time. I was very happy with this album because I can always listen to this song and her other songs. It introduced me to her beautiful voice that I can appreciate now.