15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LAY SOME HAPPINESS ON YOURSELF...DINO STYLE!, February 17, 2002
This review is from: Lay Some Happiness On Me: The Reprise Years & More 1966-1985 (with bonus DVD) (Audio CD)
Three cheers for the good people at Bear Family Records for undertaking this labor of love, and providing us with these long sought after Reprise recordings by everyone's favorite "drunk"!
Dean's fabled (and falsely-sccounted)drinking made him the sweetheart and smoothie of the Rat Pack, and these recordings that span between the mid 60's until he stopped recording lay proof to that. Gone were the sugary charts from his Capitol days, here was Dean doing a great deal of what HE wanted...which means more country and western covers, more of that great "hit sound" that proved wildly successful, thanks to arranger/conductor Ernie Freeman and producer Jimmy Bowen, and rarities we thought we'd never get on CD, namely Dean's NASHVILLE SESSIONS, which show the happy Italiano still "had it" well into the 80's. Bear Family is a highly regarded re-issuing company and it shows in these pristine presentations of Dean's recordings. (They also have a similar set of Dean's first Reprise recordings titled "EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY" that serves as counterpart to this set) They have painstakingly remastered all these songs and the hardbound book that comes along is really beautiful. Collector's Choice has released all Dean's Reprise albums on 2fers (2 LPs on 1 CD) and they're just as important for the Dean Martin fan to have, but these box sets from Bear Family are really collector's items to enjoy strictly at home, while the Collector's Choice 2fers can be listened to at work, in the car, etc., not to mention the box sets contain unreleased tracks that you wont find on the 2fer CDs. Get this well worth the price and long awaited set today and enjoy!
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