Customer Reviews

Man I Love / If You Go

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...can be found here, presented by the timeless Miss Peggy Lee, with exquisite orchestrations handled by some of the biggest names in the business. This coupling of 2 LPs on one great CD from the good people at EMI is one of the most beguiling of all such releases, and there hasn't been a bad one in the bunch to date. First of all, THE MAN I LOVE was arranged by the dean of ALL arrangers and conductors, Nelson Riddle, a man who may have arguably gave Sinatra the swing he needed to save his career when he checked into Capitol Records, an allegiance that would burst onto the scene in the early 50's and last some 20+ years thereafter. Speaking of Frank, and his connection with Riddle, it was Ol' Blue Eyes himself who conducted Nelson's great charts for Peggy on these sides. So a recap: Capitol's greatest arranger writes charts for one of its up - and - coming (at that time) lovely ladies, to be conducted by who would soon become the world's favorite saloon singer. Now that's what I call an inspired project! You can hear the results ring clear on sparkling charts like the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "Something Wonderful", or Jerome Kern's evergreen ode to "happily-ever-after-ing", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill".
As for the title track, "The Man I Love". I've heard Nelson Riddle arrangements of "The Man I Love" for Ella Fitzgerald, Keely Smith, and now Peggy. Each one different in its own way, as if written for the first time. Was this man incapable of writing a bad note at ANY point in his life? I DOUBT IT!
The connections involved on these sides alone make this a must have. But "IF YOU GO" is equally as loaded with talent in the arranging department. A young man by the name of Quincy Jones, who's done everything short of play every instrument in an orchestra SIMULTANEOUSLY while conducting himself in the music business (although I bet he could if he tried) Quincy was relatively a newcomer still around this time, having done an apprenticeship with Basie's band with tremendous success. His arrangements here range from witty to poignant; even Latin-based (a sound that was soon to be sweeping the nation) The title track, "If You Go" is one such song that gets the latin sound to back it and further break your heart. Peggy's breathy, slow and warm vocals are more distinct here, ("The Man I Love" was recorded in '57, these sides were recorded in '61) I can almost hear a touch of Billie Holiday in some of the sides (I'll Be Tired Of You) on the "MAN I LOVE" sides, but Peggy really comes into her own on th "IF YOU GO" sides. "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life" is a song of note; it was written by Cy Coleman and Joe McCarthy. Peggy and Cy Coleman would soon become friends and write many beautiful songs together. EMI has done it again. They have given us two wonderful albums on one spectacular CD. Torch songs never sounded better!

The first, arranged by Nelson Riddle and conducted by Frank Sinatra (an interesting combination that works well) was recorded in 1957. An earlier reviewer suggests that Peggy was then just an up-and-coming singer, but all true Peggy fans know that she began her career with Benny Goodman in 1941 and went on to become a major solo singer of the late forties and early fifties, so she was firmly established by 1957.

That 1957 album opens with The man I love, written by George and Ira Gershwin and is filled with songs from the Great American Songbook, some of them obscure, but including That's all and Something wonderful. It closes with a song that is always identified with Peggy - The folks who live on the hill.

The second album was recorded in 1961 and was arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones - yes, the same man who produced many of Lesley Gore's records including It's my party, and achieved worldwide fame as producer of Michael Jackson's Thriller, among many other things.

This is another collection of songs from the Great American Songbook, the most famous being As time goes by, I get along without you very well and Smile.

Just a warning - don't play this if you're tired - you might fall asleep !!! At no stage does the tempo rise very much - every song here was selected to showcase Peggy's sexy, seductive voice at it's most romantic. There are some albums on which Peggy likes to swing a bit, but you won't find any of that here. Try Pass me by/Big spender if you want something more upbeat.

Get in a romantic mood - buy this.

In this current world of ordinary singers, Peggy Lee still stands out as a true blessing to the popular song. NOBODY interprets a lyric with such class, technical skill and subtle emotion. If there was a national school for singers, this album, along with EVERY Peggy Lee album, would be required study. She remains as one, if not the ONLY one, who defines popular music.

What a great package! Two of Peggy Lee's finest albums. The well known ballads--"As Time Goes By", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "Smile", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", etc. make up an incredibly fine selection. "The Man I Love" album conducted by Frank Sinatra, and "If You Go" conducted by Quincy Jones are sterling examples of musicianship at its best and sung exquisitely by one of the greatest singers of 20th century popular music. To paraphrase--in this world of ordinary singers,I'm glad there is Miss Peggy Lee. Definitely one of a kind! This collection is a must for any true music lover!

Peggy Lee was one of the greatest female vocalists of the twentieth century. This two-fer CD gives us all the tracks from two of her record albums entitled The Man I Love and If You Go. Excellent!

"The Man I Love" opens the album with Peggy singing sweetly and her excellent diction bolsters her performance. Peggy sings this with so much emotion and tenderness it truly is one of the best interpretations of this ballad I've ever heard. "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" is a terrific Harold Arlen number that features Peggy singing so sweetly; she swings ever so gently to make this number memorable. Love that horn arrangement in the background! Moreover, listen for "Something Wonderful" from The King And I; Peggy makes this all her own as she sings this with several subtle tempo changes. Peggy Lee does it beautifully!

"As Time Goes By" is easily another highlight of this album; Peggy sings this with a lush arrangement that uses the strings and brass to enhance the natural beauty of "As Time Goes By." "If You Go" also puts Peggy's vocals squarely in the spotlight and she never disappoints. Peggy never sounded better!

"Say It Isn't So" gets the royal treatment from Peggy who sings this with all her heart and soul. "I Get Along Without You Very Well" features a Latin themed arrangement which adds to the beauty of the song; and Peggy delivers this so well other female singers would have to be jealous. SMILE

"When I Was A Child" is a pensive ballad that Peggy performs flawlessly; and the album closes with Peggy Lee's fine interpretation of "Smile." "Smile" also gets a Latin type of arrangement and this makes a strong ending to this two-fer CD.

The liner notes reproduce the original cover artwork for the record album releases; and the artwork is most impressive at that!

Peggy Lee fans will love this CD with all the songs from two of her very well done record albums. There's not a single dud in the batch--enjoy!

I don't think so! Words don't come easy on this one. Not a single blemish here. Absolute beauty. The best female vocal performance I have ever heard. Magnificent many times over.

It may not exactly be ominous, but it's far from encouraging to see that this "two-fer" of blue ribbon Peggy Lee LPs is not only an import but ranks no higher than #26 in sales among the Peggy Lee recordings currently on Amazon. Granted, there are a few worthy items ahead of it, but for the most part, your choices among the 25 posted in front of this double-album come down to just two: a "Best of" collection of Peggy's "hit" singles, which are primarily pop ephemera made for Capitol; and, "Black Coffee," her undeniably satisfying if not indispensable jazz session with a quartet led by pianist Jimmy Rowles and trumpeter Pete Candoli. But to the extent people are still buying Peggy Lee, it comes down to "Manana," "Fever," "Big Spender," "Is That All There Is?," "Alley Cat Song," "I'm a Woman," etc.--palatable tunes, certainly, but so narrow and limiting that, far from a good representation, they frankly do a disservice to Peggy Lee, the artist. (Duke Ellington suffers a similar fate, his compositional genius and even band ignored in favor of his pop tunes and a "quickie" date with John Coltrane.)

Appreciating Peggy Lee's place among the giants (Peter Richmond, in his recent biography, calls her the greatest female jazz/pop singer of the 20th century) requires attending to her interpretations of the classic and timeless repertory that she laid down on LPs for both Decca and Capitol. These two Capitol albums--the first with orchestrations tended to by Nelson Riddle and Frank Sinatra; the second, with Quincy Jones responsible for the settings--represent a good start on a project of collecting that, providing the recording companies cooperate, will require a few years to complete. But the reward is considerable. There are few, if any other, singers one can listen to for four or more hours without the least bit of "listener fatigue."

None of the giants among American singers is as "economical" as Peggy. Pick out a standard that's been done by several or more vocalists and just compare. Peggy's is bound to be the briefest, yet there's never a sense of incompleteness, of anything missed or left undone. She gets the story told without an extra chorus of Gordon Jenkins' strings or needless reprises of the same lyric. And she's not afraid of fast tempos (her mental drummer is closer to Art Blakey than to Sinatra's "in the pocket" Basie-style time-keeper). And apparently she had no use for the "3-minute rule" of most commercial recordings: if the final result is less than 2 minutes, so be it. No fat or meat-extenders, just the protein.

In collecting Lee, it's good to remember that the intimate, "breathy" Lee sound required focus, strength and control. The sound is practically unfailingly perfect from 1950-1970, after which Peggy doesn't have the breath support and physical reserves to sustain it consistently (though some of her recordings from the 1980s still pay dividends despite the undeniably tired sound of the voice and the critical sniping). And despite the presence of Quincy Jones on the second half of this double feature, this package does not include what for some of us is Peggy's single most beautiful recording, a song written by Peggy with Johnny Mandel and said to be inspired by Q: "The Shining Sea" (it's well worth the research required to hunt it down. Last I saw, it was on the oop album, "Blues Cross Country").

[Good heavens--now I see this one is no longer available. Don't count on finding these songs in any of those "Best of... " anthologies. Maybe we're doomed as a civilization, after all.]

I have always liked Peggy Lee but can't say I was a devoted fan. But I recently heard on the radio a song she performed which I had never heard before and was quite taken with the softness of it.

I tracked it to one of these albums. This two disc set contains lovely songs, hearty sentimental oldies but goodies arranged beautifully and performed well. Not sure which shines most, Peggy Lee or the arrangements which bring out the beauty of the music...

Lee's rendition of "The Folks Who Live On The Hill" is achingly beautiful. The album was conceived and produced by Frank Sinatra, who also conducted the orchestra. Orchestrations are by the great Nelson Riddle.

Peggy Lee, is Hot.......and Sexy..and a Lady
I think she was born singing. She is not not only a incredible great Hot jazz singer but her voice is just incredibly sexy.
She is one fine bundle of a Lady top to bottom,
I have many of her CD's just like I do Julie London's.

These are two of the women in America who set the standard and bar for what constitutes a Jazz Singer, not a club singer but a real Jazz singer.
She is as instrumental in Jazz being accepted as Billie Holiday is in Blues.
If you have not heard her, ,,
Well You are fired, go to your room and stay there until one of her CD's arrives.
When you come out after listening to her you will be getting what I am telling you.
This is another classic artist who was there when the standards for excellent Jazz singers was established.
I could not do with her , Julie London , Eartha Kit, Carmen McRae and of course Nina Simone.
There are more but this group comes to mind now.
It's like buying a fine dinner in a fine restaurant with fine entertainment when you have the opportunity to spend time with one of these ladies.