Rapture / Romantically

Johnny Mathis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 9, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B0021TVYIU
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,678 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Rapture

2. Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow

3. Moments Like This

4. You've Come Home

5. Here I'll Stay

6. My Darling, My Darling

7. Stars Fell On Alabama

8. I Was Telling Her About You

9. Lament (Love, I Found You Gone)

10. The Love Nest

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Getting To Know You

2. Moonlight In Vermont

3. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo

4. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)

5. Autumn In New York

6. In Wisconsin

7. All That Is Missing

8. The Sound Of Music

9. Theme From "Carnival" (Love Makes The World Go Round)

10. Too Young To Go Steady (Album Version)

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Johnny Mathis from his Great Best Times with Don Costa, August 24, 2009

By 

Carlos from Rio "Carlos from Rio" (Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rapture / Romantically (Audio CD)

This is a real twofer, each album in its own disc, top quality, top Mathis from his Columbia Records first era, two of the final albums he's made for this early Columbia times.

Did you know 'Stella by Starlight' has a verse?: only Mathis would know it, only Mathis would sing it stylishly as well as he'd do with 'Stars Fell on Alabama', a Nat King Cole original - both tracks from 'Rapture' (1962), his first album with Don Costa arrangements, before Sinatra-Costa first collaboration 'Sinatra & Strings' (1965).

'Romantically' is a bunch of well picked up songs, performed in a highly professional standard, the third of Mathis-Costa collaboration, the last one for Columbia Records. Program opens with a complete take of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Getting To Know You' with verse and also offers a splendid performance of 'The Sound of Music'.

'Autumn in New York' and 'September Song' also in great shape.

All in all, this is a creme-de-la-creme collection from the great American songbook conducted by one of its greatest maestros and sung by one of the great voices from the American song treasure.

Mathis would leave Columbia after this 'Romantically' but would go on with the great Don Costa for some years ahead in his own Global Records.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Johnny Mathis Rapture/Romantically CD, July 17, 2009

By 

Jet Rink "Jet" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rapture / Romantically (Audio CD)

I have had Johnny Mathis' Rapture LP since it was released in 1962, it's still in great shape. There are so many great songs on it, the one I like the most is "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow." I don't have the Romantically album but I recognize some of the tracks which have been recorded on some of Johnny's other albums. This man Johnny Mathis is probably the best of the romantic/ballad singers. He is in his early 70's but he still maintains a tour schedule, he takes care of himself physically and he is a positive, upbeat person. He is also a very humble man and has difficulty understanding the admiration and fondness his fans have for him. I hope we have Johnny for many years to come, he is a legend in his time AND many of his songs have been uploaded to the youtube web site, give them a listen.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IDEAL PAIRING OF SUPERB MATHIS BALLAD ALBUMS, July 27, 2009

By 

A. POLLOCK (PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rapture / Romantically (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe the longevity of the Johnny Mathis recording career which has now spanned fifty-three years with every hope of a new album being released to excite his vast fan-base. However, backtracking to his earlier albums, those with worn out vinyl will welcome the fact Collector's Choice Music has invaded the vaults and selected ten of the best Mathis albums for release on five two-disc sets with each album given its own individual disc - a decision that will delight collectors who prefer such separation.

Recorded in 1962, when the stirrings of musical changes were well under way, RAPTURE still managed to reach #12 in the US album Charts and along the way became my second favourite Mathis album, with my well-worn mono vinyl copy now happily replaced by this pristine CD containing a collection of wonderful ballads. Lushly underpinned by iconic conductor Don Costa's gorgeous string-filled arrangements, Johnny must have felt inspired by the sheer width and depth of the project with LOVE ME AS THOUGH THERE WERE NO TOMORROW, STARS FELL ON ALABAMA and STELLA BY STARLIGHT probably the better known songs. However, with others emanating from the pens of Frank Loesser, Alan Jay Lerner, Victor Young and Cy Coleman amongst many, the emphasis on romance brings forth beautiful moments via gems like MY DARLING, MY DARLING, MOMENTS LIKE THESE and LOST IN LOVELINESS. Superb!

Ideally matched, ROMANTICALLY appeared the following year and enjoyed similar success thanks to Costa's string back-drop now augmented with a chorus in order to create the perfect mood for Johnny's superb phrasing and emotional depth on song choices that were perhaps wider-ranging than on the RAPTURE album. At the forefront are two Rodgers & Hammerstein songs -GETTING TO KNOW YOU (THE KING AND I) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC which head other Broadway stage inspired gems; SEPTEMBER SONG (KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY), TOO YOUNG TO GO STEADY (STRIP FOR ACTION) and LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND (CARNIVAL) - a musical which coincidentally shares the same adapted source as MGM's charming 1953 movie, LILI with HI-LILI, HI-LO also included on this album. FRIENDLY PERSUASION recalls the popular 1956 film and adding standards MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT, AUTUMN IN NEW YORK and the unknown IN WISCONSIN gives the feeling of romance on the move with IT'S ONLY A PAPER MOON slowly performed as opposed to the usual up-tempo.

Collectors' Choice Music always ensure high standards are reached and the presentation of these albums is matched by excellent liner notes for each album and reproduction of original covers, release dates, catalogue numbers and chart positions. Therefore, the complete series of five CD sets is highly recommended.