Customer Reviews

Let Me Entertain You - Carol Burnett Sings

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Few people remember that Carol Burnett got her start as a singer as much as a stand-up comedienne, but she was the original Winifred the Woebegone in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS and of course was the original choice to play Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL. She has a very big, very strident voice (it's the vocal equivalent of a trombone), and it's often used for terrific effect in very bright upbeat songs ("The Trolley Song" has always been one of her best). She often overplays her hand a bit when she goes for pathos, as in "Happiness is Just a thing Called Joe," but surprisingly she can be very effective in quieter numbers--the highlight of the CD might even be the catchy little "Give a Little--Get a Little" by Jule Styne.

If she hadn't become one of the most endearing and beloved comic performers of all time with her landmark TV show, she would have enjoyed a long and successful career doing musicals on stage. Much of my musical comedy sensibilities came from the brilliant medleys and musical numbers presented weekly on The Carol Burnett Show. We all knew she was funny, but she didn't devote a great deal of air time to her singing, inspite of posessing a solid,warm and capable belt. Her musical and comic gifts are very apparant in this wonderful two album compilation. No performer I can think of can ring every drop of comedy out of a musical or spoken line better than CB. She shows off her considerable prowess in the showstopper, "Everythings Coming Up Roses" and brings a smile to the listener when she rips into the comical ode, Adelaide's Lament. FYI: She still has it. I was one of the lucky ones who saw her do Steven Sondheim's "Putting It Together" in the theatre last year. Sadly for Burnett fans, TV seems to have given her and most musical variety performers like her, the go-by. Sigh.

Back about 40 years ago, two LPs emerged showcasing Carol Burnett and offering that new talent in Broadway songs. Now both of them have been put onto a single CD under the title <Carol Burnett: Let Me Entertain You> on the spine and <Let Me Entertain You: Carol Burnett Sings> on the cover of this Decca set (012 159 402-2).

So what we have are 24 songs (each of the original LPs had 12 each) of "show stoppers" from "Babes in Arms," "Oklahoma," "Anything Goes," "Gypsy," and even such little known works as "Pardon My English" and "Two on the Aisle." Under the leadership of Irwin Kostal for the first dozen and Harry Zimmerman for the second, few of these songs if any are rendered in the original tempo, orchestration, or key.

Burnett's "Adelaide's Lament" is very close to Vivian Blaine's; but the ridiculous march tempo to which "Just in Time" is subjected is beyond belief ill considered. She is at her best in the brassy numbers, although her voice does not quite have that full heft they require; but she is perfectly acceptable in the ballads. Of course, these things are (as always) a matter of taste. It is interesting that the picture of the soloist on the CD cover is a comical one, while the one on the back of the booklet makes her quite attractive. Perhaps it is these two aspects that are being emphasized in the selections.

So one will buy this album, not primarily for the selections, but for the personality of this very talented young woman (back in the 60s, of course), who incidentally turned out to be a very fine actress as well as singer and comedienne.

A complete joy on every level, "Carol Burnett Sings" is an album with complete comic flare (what other genre of entertainment does Carol become synonomus with?) and, if you're a fan of Broadway and the old standards, good memories as well. I beleive her best song here is "Adalaide's Lament"-- the silly yet lovable ditty from the Broadway smash "Guys and Dolls". Other highlights include "I Cain't Say No" from "Oklahoma", "The Trolley Song" from "Meet Me In St. Louis" and an interesting turn on "All I Need is the Girl" from "Gypsy"--here known as "All I Need is the Boy" with several changes in the song's lyrics to keep it at a femenist tone. So if you like Carol Burnett and her comic charm then I suggest you purchase this album. It's a treasure!

Carol Burnett is a masterly comedienne yes, but she is also an accomplished and well-seasoned Broadway performer, as she proves on this excellent twofer from Decca Broadway.

Burnett rose to fame starring in the long-running Broadway musical ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, belting out showstopper after showstopper such as "Shy" and "Happily Ever After". (Check out the cast album on the MCA Broadway-Gold label).

On these two albums, Burnett sings some of the greatest Broadway numbers including a well-judged "Johnny One-Note" from BABES IN ARMS, "Adelaide's Lament" from GUYS AND DOLLS, "I Cain't Say No" from OKLAHOMA!, "Blow Gabriel Blow" from ANYTHING GOES, "Give a Little-Get a Little" from TWO ON THE AISLE, "Comes Once in a Lifetime" from SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING, "Just in Time" from BELLS ARE RINGING", "The World is Beautiful Today" from HAZEL FLAGG and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears out to Dry" from GLAD TO SEE YOU. She also performs several numbers from GYPSY; "All I Need is the Boy", "Let Me Entertain You" and "Everything's Coming up Roses".

No doubt Carol Burnett is a musically-adept performer; she uses her comic know-how and considerable acting range to flesh out these songs to a higher degree, with musical direction from wunderkind Irwin Kostal as well as the fantastic Harry Zimmerman.

A fantastic recording.

Although I haven't heard the CD re-issue of these two Carol Burnett albums, I do have the vinyl records(I will admit that I got them at a garage sale in the 1980's). This IS vintage Burnett. Her performances of these songs are as priceless as all of her comedy sketches with Harvey, Vicki and Tim. The only song missing from this collection and the original records is "I Fell in Love With John Foster Dulles," - true comical genius.

Carol Burnett has long been a favorite entertainer. Few people realize that she also has a marvelous singing voice. This release showcases her wide vocal range and acting ability. This lady can really sell a song. As a singer myself and member of the Munzer-Patterson Vocal Duo, I can tell you that vocally, musically, and emotionally, the performances on this disc were truly entertaining.

Product came within 4 days after purchase (fast for where I live), excellent condition (new as advertised). Would definitely buy from them again.

It's very fun and surprising to hear Carol sing these standards. She uses her voice like a great trumpet player: brass when you need, sweet when you want it!

Her take on each song is great. Of course, she excels at the "patter" songs, the "character" song (such as "I Can't Say No" from OKLAHOMA) but she delighted me in ballads like "Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe" and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry."

She should played Mama Rose in GYPSY! Check out her take on "Everything's Coming Up Roses." She was a "belter" before "belting" was cool and she should give these kids a real lesson on dynamics! Great arrangements too!

I received my CD in just a short time after ordering. I am very pleased with the quality of product and speed of delivery. I would have preferred a bit wilder (racy) version instead of the orchestra music, it would have been more suitable for my purpose of use.