Customer Reviews

Julie...At Home/Around Midnight

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Julie...At Home/Around Midnight has all the songs from two of Julie London's record albums entitled Julie...At Home and Around Midnight. This twofer CD proves amply that Julie London was an incredibly talented songbird; and the quality of the sound is also excellent. The artwork is very well done; I always like it when they incorporate the original record album artwork into the CD artwork.

"You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" begins the CD with Julie singing incredibly well; the jazzy arrangement includes some mighty fine percussion, piano and drums. Julie gives this number all her and it shows when you hear it. Julie sings this so well I could never tire of hearing her sing it! "They Didn't Believe Me" gets another jazzy arrangement and Julie handles the complicated tempo changes like the pro she always was! Great piano on this tune, too. "By Myself" also sounds terrific in Julie's competent hands; the number gets a fine arrangement that enhances the natural beauty of this ballad.

"You've Changed" is a melancholy number that Julie delivers with panache; and her uncanny sense of timing enhances her performance to make this an easy highlight of this album. In addition, Julie does a great job on "Sentimental Journey;" Julie sings this classic pop tune with all her heart--and her voice is in excellent form. Julie's voice is rich, warm and very vibrant--and that's terrific! Similarly "Give Me The Simple Life" features Julie front and center--and that's more than all right by me! Julie sings this to perfection--and beyond!

"Around Midnight" gets a fine arrangement and the chorus that backs up Julie enhances the number; listen also for some excellent piano playing while Julie sings this ballad. "Misty" gets the royal treatment from Julie London who never skips a beat on "Misty;" she never sings a superfluous note. "Misty" truly takes flight when Julie London performs it! "Black Coffee" also sounds perfect when Julie sings this--and how's about that horn work? "Black Coffee" is a very strong number and it's another highlight of this album.

Listen also for "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning;" this is a number I associate more with Frank Sinatra but when Julie sings it this number holds its own very well. Julie London could take any song and make it sounds like the best tune you've ever heard-she was all THAT good!

"Don't Smoke In Bed" is a very memorable number with the melody carried by Julie and the strings; and "How About Me" shines brighter than silver and gold when Julie London delivers this with great sensitivity. The CD also ends with a very solid number: Julie London performs "The Party's Over" with a thoughtful interpretation and this makes a great ending for this album.

Julie London fans will want this for their collections; and people who like classic pop vocals will find a lot to like on this CD especially if they also enjoy a jazzy twist to this genre of music.

Thank you, Julie London!

Generously combining two of Julie London's finest albums, this CD is a must-have for any fan of smoky, intimate jazz. The warm, combo feel of "Julie...at Home" (recorded in Julie's living room) provide a swinging backdrop for the alto's sultry vocals on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to," "Sentimental Journey," and "You Stepped Out of a Dream," while the ballads "Goodbye" and "You've Changed" (the latter of which boasts a minimally gorgeous guitar-and-vocal arrangement) show Julie in her true element. The big-band feel of "Around Midnight" is also complimentary; Julie's readings of lush ballads like "Around Midnight" and "Something Cool" rank with her finest, and the uptempo numbers "You and the Night and the Music" and "But Not for Me" are wonders to behold. These two wonderful albums from this underrated singer are a find indeed.

Julie London's sultry, dusky voice pushes all the emotions in this outing with superb arrangements. Especially good are June Christy's hit "Something Cool," "The Thrill is Gone," "Give Me the Simple Life" and "Let There Be Love." London's song selection here is first-rate and she delivers each title without over sentimentalizing, even on Sentimental Journey. If you're collecting London's works, make sure this disc is in your collection.

Bearing a vocal intimacy matched only by her work on "Your Number Please...," this compilaton of "Julie..At Home" and "Around Midnight" finds Miss London at her most plaintive and vulnerable, taking on heartbreak songs like "By Myself" and "Lonely in Paris" and perking them up with unprecedented, uptempo arrangements. Elsewhere, London performs some of the saddest standards ever composed, including "The Party's Over," "But Not For Me," and "Black Coffee" and injects them with enough smoky soul to make you smile all over again at the mere thought of Julie London singing some of these songs in her own living room (where the selections from "At Home" were recorded.) This set comes with many surprises as well, among them lesser known but nonetheless great tracks like "You've Changed" and "Something Cool," and the presence of marimbas and flutes on songs like "Let There Be Love" and
"Misty," respectively. The biggest disappointment I got from this album was the way "Don't Smoke In Bed" was stripped of nearly half of its lyrics for London's take, a song I would've bet money that, in London's hands, would've burned hotter than renditions by Nina Simone and Peggy Lee combined. Instead, the song seems to lyrically revolve around its title, leaving behind much of the immediate drama and urgency of the original composition. Ultimately, London once again proves her vocal prowess on this pleasant collection of songs, but makes you wish she could have chosen a few more happy songs so you don't feel so gosh darn sad for her.

Julie at home, was actually recorded in her living room, with a very small jazz combo, making it one of Miss London's most intimate sessions, Around midnight is more notable for it's wondeful album cover artwork, however it is a very nice late night session, perhaphs a little overorchestrated but nice and lush. Recomended

The EMI twofers series are excellent. The choice of material and the caliber of the mastering are superior in most cases. I have many and all of the Julie London issues. This one is for my taste the best of the Julie London 2fers and one of the two best of all of the twofers (the other is a Nat Cole). This show cases Julie in smaller group settings for the most part. Featured often is the recently departed BARNEY KESSEL, his accompaniement work alone is worth the purchase price. Having Julie's lovely voice, the always tastefull arrangements and the ambitious song selections in one package, makes this reissue a steal and essential listening. Buy it now, thank me later. A well deserved 5 stars.

Typical of Julie's music, these two albums are filled mainly with romantic love songs from the Great American Songbook. Julie always covered songs that suited her style, regardless of whoever the original artist was.

On these albums, you will find covers of songs that were originally hits for Johnny Mathis (Misty), Doris Day (Sentimental journey), Peggy Lee (Black coffee, Don't smoke in bed), Libby Holman (You and the night and the music), Kay Kyser (You stepped out of a dream), Dinah Shore (You'd be so nice to come home to), Sammy Kaye (Let there be love) and Harry James (But not for me), to name just a few.

These albums do not contain anything to surprise Julie's existing fans. Her early albums generally featured sparse backing, while her later albums featured a fuller sound. The second of these albums suggest the start of the transition.

If you enjoy Julie's music, you will find that these albums live up to expectations.

Both albums are brilliant. 'At home' is dominated by bouncy, vibes-oriented small-combo jazz. 'Round Midnight' is a devastatingly moving masterpiece, with some thick orchestral arrangements. When you listen to the song 'round midnight', you might die, so be sure to keep all guns, dangerous pills etc locked up.

Julie London (Not her real name however...) was a singer, the type you will not hear in todays world, with all this screaming and yelling they call singing...she possesed a Sultry, smokey voice, one that was pleasing to the ear and senses...Great album to have in your collection, IF you are of that age to appreciate a good voice, and not harsh screaming, yelling, etc...

Before Norah Jones there was Julie London (who described her voice as a thimbleful). Both are welcome as Rock becomes old hat.