Customer Reviews

I'll Buy You a Star / Live It Up

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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It's hard to believe the longevity of the Johnny Mathis recording career has now spanned fifty-three years with every hope of a new album being released to excite his vast fan-base. However, backtracking to his earlier albums, those with worn out vinyl will welcome the fact Collector's Choice Music has invaded the vaults and selected ten of the best Mathis albums for release on five two-disc sets with each album given its own individual disc - a decision that will delight collectors who prefer such separation.

Sometimes the meeting of two great talents fails to musically ignite but fortunately when Johnny Mathis shared two albums with the iconic arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle in 1961, and the following year, the results proved to be quite sensational. It's perhaps fortuitous Riddle fully understood the Mathis preference for lush romantic ballads; using a backdrop of strings to anchor the chosen repertoire for I'LL BUY YOU A STAR even though the album's title song is lightly swinging along with WHEN MY SUGAR WALKS DOWN THE STREET, RING THE BELL and THE BEST IS YET TO COME which benefit from a brassy back-up to assist Johnny's transition to their more dynamic swinging setting. However, the heartfelt SMILE; lightly Latin SUDDEN LOVE; atmospheric MAGIC GARDEN; Forties chorus-lead ambiance of OH, HOW I TRY and the album's topper - the lovely ballad LOVE LOOK AWAY from Rodgers and Hammerstein's FLOWER DRUM SONG provide the necessary contrast to make this a five-star album. The surprise and unexplained addition of four pop-styled ballads is a welcome if unrelated touch.

LIVE IT UP! surpasses the previous album and pulls the stops out to present a dozen tracks which wildly swing through sizzling Riddle arrangements that can still excite the listener over forty years later. The title song sets the pace with LOVE, THE RIVIERA and JOHNNY ONE NOTE amongst up-front swinging gems, with HEY, LOOK ME OVER from the Broadway musical, WILDCAT another example showing Johnny's sheer enjoyment of the occasion with perfect phrasing and sense of rhythm even when the opening verses of JUST FRIENDS and I WON'T DANCE might momentarily suggest a slower tempo before upping into their main swinging force. Only ON A COLD AND RAINY DAY and CRAZY IN THE HEART slow the pace ever so slightly.

Both albums must rate amongst Johnny's very best with the singer in top vocal form and Riddle's enticing arrangements equalling anything he ever did with Sinatra, Dean Martin and other singers at Capitol Records.

Collectors' Choice Music always ensure high standards are reached and the presentation of these albums is matched by excellent liner notes for each album and reproduction of original covers, release dates, catalogue numbers and chart positions. Therefore, the complete series of five CD sets is highly recommended.

These are the two only albums Mathis has recorded with Nelson Riddle and most of Riddle's arrangements are such great swingers.

Happens that this is not the case of Johnny Mathis who is in great shape here but he simply doesn't swing at all.

There are some splendid tracks here even among uptempo tracks: `Johnny One Note' features Mathis long time sustain of Johnny's one note as referred by the lyrics. Also a splendid `The Riviera' and a great rendition of 'Love' with a delicious bongo start setting the fast tempo as arranged by Riddle.

Among the classic romantic Mathis' takes you'll find `Warm and Willing', `Smile' and `Sudden Love', a rare and beautiful Bart Howard song. Mathis' unbeatable mood for romance also shows in 'Love Look Away'.

Great idea to issue both Mathis-Riddle collaborations in one 2-CD package.

If Johnny Mathis hadn't already recorded an album entitled "Heavenly" (named after the Burt Bacharach-composed title song, with a Mathis fan/professional artist's portrait of Mathis standing on clouds used as the album cover--perfect as a visual description of the Mathis effect), then his works with Nelson Riddle should have been entitled "Heavenly I" and "Heavenly II." These albums are that good, and if you could choose to own only two Mathis (and Nelson Riddle) albums, although you really should collect a lot more of them (remember Riddle scored arrangements for Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Dean Martin and many others, and Mathis--well, you should collect as many as you can of his)---I would suggest that these should DEFINITELY be in your collection.

Oh, boy, what do I say about one of Johnny Mathis' albums?? I love everything Johnny Mathis recorded. This is a great dual album that everyone who loves JM will enjoy forever. JM is still going strong and breaking all records for longest singing career. I was not familiar with a lot of the songs on these albums and am glad to have this to add to my collection. I know anyone who appreciates JM's voice and talent will be glad they got this one. God bless