Customer Reviews

Sings Cole Porter

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow, that was a harsh commentary by that critic above! This album, while certainly not a major triumph, is by no means bad or boring! Ms Warwick does a respectable job throughout, although she can't contend with the likes of the late Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald when it comes to singing Porter. Warwick cites this as one of her favorite albums, and I really don't quite understand why. With all of the phenomonal work she's done in her career, this ranks somewhere in the lower half! Her new album, "Dionne Sings Dionne", is what she's all about - good singing and good material that's custom-made for her!

But this album does have some great moments. "What Is This Thing Called Love/So In Love" is beautifully executed, with just the right mix of mystery, emotion, and devotion that we'd expect. Also, "I Concentrate On You" is well done. This album could have done without the awkward "Begin the Beguine" or the boring "All of You." Everything else is respectable. A must-have for the serious Warwick collector, but for everyone else, I see no reason to buy it.

When this was originally released I couldn't get my copy soon enough, not especially because of Dionne but because of the style of music. I have enjoyed Warwick's music in the past and think that it would've been lovely to have had her release a definitive anthology of Bacharach/David songs, at which she excelled. Here, she isn't ill-served by Porter's writing, for the most part, but the arrangements aren't so much awful as they are completely and unforgivingly generic; there isn't a single track that stands out in my memory for they all sound exactly alike: same tempo, same style, and even Dionne herself falls into the trap of sameness, giving each lyric the identical performance, though to her credit she does seem to be enjoying herself quite a bit. Every once in a while I'll play this album, just to see if my feelings have changed, and in the nearly-15 years since this was released, they haven't. Not at all. That said, for her big fans or those interested in this style of music but who aren't entirely discriminating, go for it - you'll probably enjoy it. For the serious fan of standards, however, I'd say buy it on the cheap. Definitely in that "nice, but no cigar" category.

This is a very fine (if at times misguided) concept album. Dionne's renditions of these all-time classics may not be as mind-blowing or as timeless as those of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan but Dionne was never a Jazz singer. That aside, most of these songs are definitely enjoyable and straddle the fence between Smooth Jazz and MOR-Pop and it's obvious that both Dionne and her producer Arif Mardin did the best they could. Sadly, this album was very poorly promoted by Arista Records and failed to get greater exposure.

This is a real good cd, I would like to see it become aviable again.

I not sure what the other reviewers are doing, but I really love this effort. I in no means think that Dionne adds anything new to the songs of Cole Porter. But Dionne Warwick is in my mind the greatest pop singer of the last 4 decades. Dionne's artistry is at it's highest here; she sings with effortfully strong vocals sets. Her voice is as beautiful ever, perfect phasing, skillful effortful. I have purchased several copies of this cd( car, work, home gifts). If one is looking for a new versions of old classics then no don't buy this effort. But if you want to see a classic vocalist, singing classic songs by classic writer then do not hesitate...I don't think you will be disappointed!!!

Having enjoyed Dionne's music for many years and being an avid collector, I believe this album is among her best. The arrangements sparkle and flow and Dionne sings with finesse and sophistication. Highlights include the lilting "I Get No Kick from Champagne", the classy "You're the Top", a wonderfully flowing and perfectly arranged "It's All Right With Me", a lively and infectious original take on 'Anything Goes', the smoky 'All of You' and the jazzy rendition of the incomparable 'Night and Day'. A joyous album from start to finish! Arrangements and orchestration are reminiscent of the stylish "Evil Under the Sun" soundtrack.

I must admit I didn't particularly like this recording the first time I heard it. It just didn't seem to grab me the way some of Dionne Warwick's earlier albums did. However, I soon found myself listening to it over and over again until I couldn't stop listenining. Now it ranks as one of my very favorite Dionne Warwick albums. Contrary to what some critics have written, Dionne certainly does know and like these songs.
If her delivery is low key, it's only because she is letting these great songs speak for themselves. By doing so, she is showing her exquisite taste in music. These songs are fantastic and the arrangements are perfect. I love the accordion on "I Love Paris" and the tap dance routine on "Anything Goes" could have come straight from a Busby Berkeley production.

Dionne doesn't need to slavishly copy Ella or anyone else. She is a first class singer in her own right and she certainly shows her vocal skills on this cd. I love it and I hope she follows up with more recordings from the Great American Song Book. How about a cd of Rogers and Hart songs?

BMG/Sony still has prints of this bright Warwick session produced by the late Arif Mardin. Warwick fans in England and Japan bought it. I mostly liked "Begin The Beguine" and "Night and Day" when I first heard this CD back in 1990. A great concept album that should have done better in the States if given a solid promotional push.

This is an great album chock full of wonderful songs composed by one of -- if not the -- wittiest and most gifted songwriters (words AND music by the way) of the twentieth century. And the songs are sung by one of the greatest popular singers around; Ms. Warwick certainly proves on this album that she has the musical chops to sing along with the best of them -- Frank and Ella included -- when it comes to Porter's work. The arrangements sparkle. The ballads are beautifully sung. The upbeat numbers burst with energy. And Cole Porter's sensational lyrics come through loud and clear on every song. It's been said that of the many great songwriters of the 1930's, 40's and 50's, only Cole Porter has, thus far, proven to be completely irreplaceable. This album makes a strong case for that argument. (And while we're on the subject, I expect it will be quite a while before another Dionne Warwick comes along!) Bottomline: This is a great addition to the music library of any fan of the Great American Songbook, and any fans, in particular of Mr. Porter and Ms. Warwick.

This album was recorded in 1990, by which time all the years of smoking had clearly taken their toll on Dionne's once enviable vocal range. The musical arrangements here are pretty generic as others have mentioned, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as songs this good basically carry themselves with at least decent instrumentation (and there is plenty of orchestration on this record, even if it is a bit uninspired). Dionne's voice does sound a bit worn and tired throughout, but at the same time retains a rich quality and sophistication that make this album a very pleasant listen from start to finish.