Customer Reviews

Jonathan and Darlene's Greatest Hits Volume II

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jonathan and Darlene Edwards are pseudonymns for legendary big band director and arranger Paul Weston and his singing icon wife, Jo Stafford. The two decided to release a series of LPs during the 50's which featured their slaughtered renditions of pop standards. The ablums set the industry on its ear and became hilarious musts for every party and get together where serious music lovers appreciated the difficulty of the task at hand. This is only the second of several LPs to find its way to CD. Notably, "I Love Paris" and "Sing Along With Jonathan and Darlene Edwards" still remain to be published in the new format (hint,hint!). Mere words cannot describe the hilarious effect this album will have on anyone who hears it for the first time and in my case, each time I rediscover the musical mastery of this duo. Mr. Weston plays wrong notes, bad chords and misses entrances and savages tempi with the self-confidence of a Toscannini. Ms. Stafford (Darlene), sings just flat (or sharp) enough to be hilarious. She never quite hits the notes or makes all her musical entrances but her comic sense of timing and musical "ability" are impressive! If you don't enjoy this album and its predecessor....there is little hope for your redemption!

Jonathan and Darlene (Paul Weston and Jo Stafford) are the most hilarious, brilliant comic team ever to record these songs. The liner notes are a hoot, too! This is such a treasure. You won't regret buying it. In our family, all the generations adore Jonathan and Darlene. My son grew up hearing us play the albums and he even indoctrinates his young friends by playing selections for them. Really the most hilarious listening experience you can imagine! I love every second of it and wish there were ten volumes rather than just the two.

In addition to the so eloquent aforementioned explanation of the contents this disk, may I submit the following :

I have played this recording at various parties just to see who notices the sour notes and rythmic blunders. Some people "get it" and others just wonder what's so funny about it. If you're somebody who appreciates parody and you aren't tone deaf - you are sure to like this silliness (and, be sure, it rates HIGHLY on the Silly Scale).

If you don't meet the above suggestions... then don't waste your time.

ps. it's A LOT more entertaining after a drink or two...

Volume two continues the wonderful piano stylings and angelic vocals of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. I can't wait for vol. 3

I'm giving this one a "resentful" five stars because I see that Volume One is currently out of print, practically forcing the consumer to purchase Volume Two. Stafford herself assembled these compilations late in her career out of materials from the three albums the Edwards recorded in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Volume 2 has a couple of additional tracks and songs that will be more familiar to those familiar with the American Songbook. But nothing is quite as funny as "Take the A Train" or the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" from Volume One. (Some of the comedy of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips," from Volume Two, has been undermined by Tiny Tim's later version of the tune.)

As musical send-ups these tracks surpass Spike Jones and P.D.Q. Bach (easily), Lillian Russell, Florence Foster Jenkins and Mrs. Miller (not as decisively), and even Victor Borge (he's still hilarious if you can get in stride with his Jack Benny-like sense of slowly evolving performance). After all of the sentimental ephemera that Stafford ground out (with numerous exceptions, such as her signature recording of "Haunted Heart"), the Darlene Edwards performances certainly amount to a sort of atonement, as impressive musically (it's not easy to sing intentionally a quarter-tone off pitch) as they are downright fun and funny.

Musicians, or those familiar with the Great American Songbook, and those who have attended numerous recitals (some professional but pretentious, others simply amateurish and ghastly) will appreciate these tracks more than other listeners. But best to buy these for your own enjoyment. (There's nothing worse than playing them for acquaintances who don't get the joke or who pretend they do when they realize it's supposed to be funny.)

As long as your humor is a tad warped and your musicianship is aware of how difficult it is to play the piano really badly and sing really sharp, you'll know that this is the best!

The very talented artists Jonathan and Darlene Edwards have been a favorite of my family's for years. I was thrilled to find a cd version of the old vinyl versions I have.

Some people just don't get it. They say, 'Huh. They're not very good, are they?' But play this for working musicians or a certain age and the response is, 'Oh, my god, I've played with them!!'

Jonathan and Darlene were a party joke by Jo Stafford and Paul Weston, who were skilled enough to do (and OVERdo) the things all musicians dread - the pianist who throws in an extra beat when you least expect it, the singer who's not quite on pitch, the little embellishments that are wildly inappropriate - I've heard great stories about how people like this happen to the nicest bands from time to time. They are hilarious - if you can get beyond, 'They're not very good, are they?' - and I'm SO glad they recorded these outrageous and spectacular parodies!

I bought this for my husband who thought it would be a laugh, we are both singers and also play a lot of music. However I listened to this CD and thought it was utterly dreadful, not at all funny, just dreadful. My husband is in two minds about it, but has only listened to part of it once! So I think that says it all. Therefore I would not recommend this CD.