Customer Reviews

The Hollywood Musicals

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The combination of songs in this collection pay tribute both to the vocal abilities of Johnny Mathis and the musical abilities of Henry Mancini. The quality of the music they produce together is superb. My favorite song is "Time After Time". It's a beautiful piece and a lovely sentiment. I enjoy this CD because most of the pieces aren't on other Johnny Mathis collections.

Take a seasoned pro...no, take two seasoned pros like Johnny Mathis and Henry Mancini, great movie musical standards and the result is near perfection.

Mathis is at his best on this cd vocally and interpretively. An added bonus features a couple of piano solos by Mancini along with his excellent arranging and use of choral background.

Mathis' version of WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR is almost the equal of Cliff Edwards soundtrack Oscar nominated PINOCCHIO version. He is the only singer I've heard do justice to the song besides Edwards. There is not a bad track on this effort...you will listen to it over and over again.

This album is both a tribute to the best in Hollywood and a testimony to the musical skills of Johnny Mathis and Henry Mancini. From the moment the orchestration begins on "You Stepped Out of a Dream", we know that we're in for a real treat.

The nasal tenor which has become Mathis's trademark is in fine form for this 1986 collaboration with "Pink Panther" composer, the late Henry Mancini.

Highlights on the album are "Whistling Away the Dark" and the medley at the end of the album of three Burke/Van Heusen songs.

Those who think Frank Sinatra was the best artist at "phrasing" a song (as in enunciating the words with feeling rather than just in line with melody) might want to rethink after they hear Johnny Mathis's timeless vocals on songs such as "Crazy World" and "True Love".

This is an album you will listen to again, and again, and again!

To my knowledge, besides Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis, this is the only album these two have ever collaborated on. It's an absolute gem, and a real find for lovers of beautiful orchestration and good singing.

In the beginning of a four-decade-long career, Johnny Mathis was the front man to several wonderful studio orchestras. This album sort of reincarnates this old role as he fronts Henry Mancini's magnificent orchestra. When I hear orchestration, I just seem to lift off into a reverie. The Mancini Orchestra is smooth, sophisticated, and complements Mathis' voice extremely well.

It's a shame they didn't get the chance to do more together. I have a newspaper article with a photo of the two of them together on stage in Dallas. It was likely one of their last appearances together. It was Mathis who gave Mancini his first job in concert at the Seattle's World Fair Opera House in 1962.

I wish Two for the Road and Charade were on the album, but then the theme is Hollywood musicals. There are excellent liner notes on the LP version that explain the song choices, so I won't do that here. If you have the CD version, you may need a magnifying glass to read them.

Best songs here: Taking a Chance on Love, Whistling Away the Dark, Crazy World, Time after Time, and the Johnny Burke/Jimmy van Heusen medley of Moonlight Becomes You, It Could Happen To You, and But Beautiful. (It so happens it was Johnny Burke took Errol Garner's melody and wrote beautiful words to match; you may now know this haunting song as the Mathis classic "Misty"!) This is a truly special album, indeed. Give it a try. END

Hollywood Musicals features the two top talents of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mathis. These two artists make words and music come to life on this album; and this is perfect music for lounging or slow dancing with your sweetheart.

"You Stepped Out Of A Dream" features Mathis at his best; Johnny sings this with all his heart and the music of Henry Mancini stuns me with its beauty. Johnny and Henry complement each other perfectly on this number; it's all very impressive. "Taking A Chance On Love" gets the royal treatment from Mancini and Johnny Mathis performs this without a superfluous note. Johnny sings so sweetly that you can't help but like this number! I predict you'll enjoy "Taking A Chance On Love."

"When You Wish Upon A Star" is easily a highlight of this album; Johnny sings this with great sensitivity and Mancini's orchestration lacks nothing--it's THAT good. "When You Wish Upon A Star" has an excellent arrangement for the strings. In addition, "Whistling Away The Dark" is another soulful, passionate love ballad that Johnny's voice caresses as he sings this. I have never heard "Whistling In The Dark" before; but it's quite a romantic number full of emotion and Johnny delivers this wonderfully. It's also a huge credit to Henry Mancini that the music sounds so good.

"Time After Time" shines like pure gold when Johnny and Henry do this up right! "Time After Time" moves me with its beauty. This tune always tugs at my heartstrings and it's very special. "It Might As Well Be Spring" showcases Johnny's vocals and Henry Mancini's musical arrangement is very lush and charming.

"Crazy World" has a great sound to it when Johnny and Henry Mancini perform this beyond perfection; and there's some extra music on this CD to allow Henry Mancini to show off his abilities to orchestrate, arrange and use a chorus in the background to embellish his lovely music even more.

It baffles me that this is out of print as I write this; it is such a strong album. I highly recommend this for "mood music" fans; and of course fans of Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini and Hollywood musicals will love this one forever.

Thank you so much, Henry and Johnny!

I have this on cassette tape not CD. It is one of my favorite. If you love Hollywood musicals and Johnny Mathis this is for you. It is an absolute joy to listen to Johnny Mathis sing Henry Mancini's songs. A match made in music heaven and definitely easy on the ears. You'll love this one!

Mathis is my favorite singer. And this is one of his best!!! This album has great music and song and Johnny makes it a "master piece".

Not as jazzy as I would have liked......but still love J.M in the P.M.

If you're looking to collect the most beautifully arranged tribute to the movies with a mellifluous male voice and that certain..."Magical Mancini Touch", this recording belongs in your CD player! Henry Mancini's string arrangements combined with the vocal finesse of Johnny Mathis, will make your heart melt and maybe make you say, "Now, this is music!" My CD is rotated next to some favorite contemporary vocal pros like Linda Eder, Harry Connick, Jr., Amanda Mc Broom, Michael Poss, and Lee Lessack.