Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"SINGING WITH NANCY", August 21, 2006
World Stars: "NANCY SINATRA Greatest Hits" with tracks of duets with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood is a collection of pure Nancy Sinatra magic!
I have all of these tracks scattered throughout other cd's and albums . . . but this collection brings together so many great pairings of Nancy with Lee Hazlewood . . . plus that marvelous recording of the Bobby Darin song "THINGS" with a voice one wants to always remember - Dean Martin and then "SOMETHING STUPID" with nancy's dad, Frank!
Too bad none of Nancy's work with mmmmmmmMel Tillis are included. :(
nancy was and is a great solo artist and performer, but she has a miraculous ability to interact and inter-play with whoever is sharing the limelight with her in any song performance . . . and one can "see" her smile and laugh and giggle as she plays with and off her song partner. Nancy doesn't just "sing" but she becomes present in the song . . . she becomes "the song" . . . there is "theater" in her delivery but you can sense her realness and honesty as well.
This is a great collection of Nancy Sinatra tracks . . . and even if you own these tracks on other albums or collections, it is worthwhile to also have THIS one (and as a bonus you get the cover art of the photo of Nancy in the company of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Lee Hazlewood -- nancy keeps great company!) ha! :)
Thank You Ms Nancy Sinatra for being a major part of the musical soundtrack of our lives . . . and for STILL making MORE music even now! :)
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
FOR THE RECORD (ha), April 4, 2005
Twenty songs. Three I had not heard before. One of those I liked. Wish Hutchinson Jail and Lightning's Girl were included. The bass was a little overpowered on Boots and she sounded a little far from the mike at the beginning of Friday's Child. Otherwise, all the songs were as I remembered them. Nancy was never a great talent but she was and still is fun to listen to. This looked like the best available grouping of her work on one CD.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The 3 Stars Has Nothing To Do With Nancy's Singing, September 2, 2007
I did NOT assign just 3 stars to this compilation because I agree with another reviewer who regards her as the "queen of mediocrity." Rather, it's due to the complete lack of liner notes, some questionable sound quality, and the omission of some pretty significant hits in favour of obscure cuts.
Emanating from CNR Records of Belgium, tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 14, and 16 were NOT hits - not on this side of the Atlantic anyway. They may have been in Europe, but of course there are no liner notes to tell us this. "Sand" was the B-side of Lady Bird, a # 20 Billboard Pop Hot 100 duet with Hazlewood in late 1967.
Her other three hits with Lee (who passed away on August 4, 2007) are: Summer Wine (# 49 flip of Sugar Town in the spring of 1967; Jackson (# 14 Hot 100/# 39 Adult Contemporary (AC) in summer 1967); and Some Velvet Morning (# 26 in February 1968). It's also interesting to note that he also wrote the following solo hits for Nancy which are included here: So Long Babe, her first hit which only made it to # 86 in October 1965; These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (# 1 in the early part of 1966); How Does That Grab You Darlin'? (# 7 in late spring 1966); Friday's Child (# 36 in July 1966); and Sugar Town (# 1 AC/# 5 Hot 100 in late 1966).
Her biggest hit, of course, was the duet with her illustrious dad on Somethin' Stupid which soared to # 1 on both the AC and Hot 100 charts in the spring of 1967, spending nine full weeks at the top AC position and four at the Hot 100 top spot.
Rather than those non-hits mentioned above, this album would have been made somewhat better with the inclusion of: In Our Time [# 46 in the fall of 1966 and also written by Lee]; Love Eyes [# 15 Hot 100/# 30 AC in late spring 1967 and another Hazlewood composition]; Lightning's Girl [# 24 Hot 100 in October 1967]; 100 Years [# 29 AC/# 69 Hot 100 in April 1968]; Happy [# 18 AC/# 74 Hot 100 in August 1968]; Good Time Girl [# 65 Hot 100 in December 1968]; God Knows I Love You [# 40 AC/# 97 Hot 100 in April 1969]; Here We Go Again (# 19 AC/# 98 Hot 100 in June 1969); Drummer Man (# 98 Hot 100 in September 1969 featuring Hal Blaine on drums); How Are Things In California? (# 17 AC in December 1970 with The Baylor Brothers); and Feelin' Kinda Sunday (# 30 AC in January 1971 and another duet with father Frank).
Of course, those alone wouldn't turn this into a 5-star compilation unless the sound was vastly improved as well. On track 18 for example - at least on my copy - her voice only emanates from one side which is disconcerting, while the others are only "OK" in terms of sound quality. The best to be said about this CD is the inclusion of her first charted hit from 1965.
As for her ability as a singer, I don't buy into that mediocrity slight. Granted, she was no Aretha Franklin, nor did she have her dad's unique way with a song, but nevertheless she had 21 Billboard Pop Hot 100 singles, six of which went Top 40 WITHOUT Lee Hazlewood. In addition to those two AC-only charters she even had three Country hit duets with Mel Tillis in 1981 - Texas Cowboy Night (# 23), and the double-sided hit Play Me Or Trade Me, and Where Would I Be (both # 43). Not too shabby a singing career, I'd say.
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