Customer Reviews

Irving Berlin Songbook

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Fred Astaire is a legend. Anybody who doesn't realize his talent isn't very smart. He was amazing (And this is coming from a Christina Aguilera/Metallica/Eminem fan) and he was a fabulous dancer. This collection is phenomenal. Unfortunately, my friend gave this to me and only had the first disc, so I have to miss out on the second dics, which looks great. The first CD though is a gem on it's own. Puttin' On The Ritz is a classic, as is Steppin' Out. I can honestly say I listen to this about once or twice every two weeks (Which is a miracle because of my CD collection's size) and I can listen to it all the way through. This is a definite buy. If you want some American musical history, look no further.

There will never be another Fred Astaire. Even more sobering (if possible) is this: There will never be another Irving Berlin. Masters of their craft, these men literally gave us the Great American Songbook. Many of the songs here were written by Berlin expressly for Astaire, songs that first appeared in films such as Holiday Inn, Carefree, Follow the Fleet, Blue Skies, Top Hat, and of course, Easter Parade. And it's not hard to imagine why. Fred is, of course, known primarily as a dancer, but as a true song-and-dance man, he could do both very, very well. It's unfortunate that not enough is said of his singing -- that tender, persuasive voice that takes a song and sings it directly to your heart. If you've never heard the talents of Fred Astaire or the songs of Irving Berlin, then step right this way! I can't think of a better way to start you off on the right foot than with the Irving Berlin Songbook.

Fred Astaire proves that it phrasing and timing, and not voice, that make a great singer. This is a truly remarkable CD in all aspects. The sound quality, considering it was recorded in 1952, is superb. Astaire is in incomparable form, with the songs sounding much better than some of his earlier versions (this is the DEFINITIVE version of Puttin on the Ritz, for example). And the sextet supporting Astaire, including the marvelous Oscar Peterson at the keyboard, is as fine as any. Not to be missed for anyone who loves this genre. For a little more money, you can have the complete 2 CD version of this recording session featuring a variety of other songs by Porter, Gershwin, and others, entitled the Astaire Story. It is available on Amazon.com

It is said that more great songs were written for Fred Astaire than for anyone else. His forte was the very great respect he paid for the lyric, and his intuitive sense of timing and emphasis. His voice was small, certainly not particularly impressive but when you hear a song by him you feel you have really 'heard' the song.

1. Puttin' On the Ritz
2. Isn't This a Lovely Day
3. No Strings
4. Change Partners
5. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
6. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
7. You're Easy to Dance With
8. Steppin' Out with my Baby
9. I Used to be Color Blind
10. Cheek to Cheek
All songs by Irving Berlin