Customer Reviews

Sings Sinatra Say What

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, not quite, no matter how serious he tries to get, that ray stevens character finds a way to get out and express itself. I think "Witchcraft" is the perfect example. It starts out with Ray saying: (talking to his backup singers) " OK girls, break out the broomsticks and pointy hats and lets whip up a potion, yea, maybe cast a spell on somebody, booga, booga. Who but Ray Stevens would have an intro like that? That's by far my most favorite song and also the shortest. All the tunes are upbeat with modern tempos ala Bo Diddly.
Still, I'm glad he did this because he has a fine voice and very few people realize he started out trying to be a "serious" singer and having failed at that, he turned to comedy. No matter what he does, he oozes talent. These are probably the songs he plays at home when he can just be himself. Now they're on a CD for us
to enjoy. Thanks Ray.

For a number of years, Ray has dreamed to make this album, and he's succeeded brilliantly. Being long time fan, I was surprised to see its emergence after reading about his plans three years ago... and it was worth the wait. From the first track 'I've Got You Under My Skin' to the final (10th track) 'That's Life', Ray is enthused and in top form. Only half an hour in length, not a moment is wasted. Pure quality. Not a big band sound, but a Ray Stevens combo sound. And in HD too....say What?? If you're a fan of Ray's or Frank's (covers a lot of territory) this is a must. And hopefully, as suggested, he will tour... And make it once more Down Under for his fans in Australia.

Ray Stevens sounds surprisingly good! He has a nice voice and should have released more CDs with ballads such as these.

Just the right amount of quirkyness from Ray Stevens to add this to ones Ray Stevens collection. As with some other releases it is a bit like purchasing the old 10" vinyls, a feeling that a few more tracks would have not been out of place, a bit lacking in quantity. Some nice renditions of Sinatra classics, however I think that there could have been a bit more Stevens individuality in the Cole Porter tracks. Strangely a bit straight.

Ray Stevens has done it again! He sings ten Sinatra classics. This would be considered a novelty album. But these are straight renditions. The band may be smaller. Yet again, Sinatra once cut an album (Close To You) with a string quartet. This album is actually a throwback to some earlier Ray Stevens projects. His 1969 Gitarzan album also stimulated a concert recording. (If you want a real one, get Ray Stevens Live!) He's harmonized with himself before. The Misty album also had covers of pop standards. As always, he puts his own little spin on every song. His choice of material is pretty good. Sinatra had numerous career songs. Several are here. I've Got You Under My Skin, Night & Day, Strangers in the Night, and That's Life are some. I'd probably left off Witchcraft. Who else remembers Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when hearing All The Way? Worf trashed Vic Fontaine's place after hearing this song. It was Jadzia Dax's favorite. Afterwards, Vic said that if Worf wanted to hear the song, he'd have to buy a Sinatra album. Sadly, this album is only about 35 minutes long. I could think of other songs to do. Why not try: Nancy, The House I Live In, I've Got The World On A String, In The Wee Small Hours, or Come Fly With Me? At least we were spared My Way. Can anyone picture Ray doing New York, New York? There are no musician credits. But Ray generally uses the same players and singers on most of his albums. Will we see a sequel? How about trying Dean Martin songs? Oh yeah, Frank Sinatra has something in common with me and Rachael Ray. Our favorite color is orange!

Much as I love Ray Stevens, I am not as crazy about this CD as I am the rest of his serious works.

This 10 song collection of Sinatra songs are delivered in Ray's own unique way...as mentioned in other reviews, gone are the big band arrangements and in their place are smaller arrangements but by no means does it mean the songs are delivered unplugged as the phrase goes...Ray's musical roots lay in classic R&B of the 1950's...he was a teenager during that decade and in his own words he gravitated toward the R&B acts, both local and nationally known as his main influence musically but he also had fondness for comedy...and country music...so all of these interests were to show up on hundreds of Ray Stevens songs through the decades.

I personally like the way he covered these Sinatra classics...those longing to hear side-splitting comedy and country humor from Ray, look elsewhere...but for those like myself who like hearing the many sides of Ray Stevens, this collection will get 'under your skin', to partially quote the kick-off song on the collection, "I've Got You Under My Skin". That song is delivered straight-forward, wanting to state loud and clear that this CD is meant to be taken seriously...in spite of the arrangements not associated with these songs. This is where I feel Ray's creative genius unfolds...taking songs whose melodies and arrangements are well-defined over decades upon decades of exposure and re-arranging them with a different setting...the CD comes off like an intimate night at a club.

"I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Night And Day" are the second and third of the Cole Porter songs...the CD's lead-off, "I've Got You Under My Skin" was written by Cole Porter as well. In the second and third songs on the CD Ray continues the high energy but the tempo slows way down on track four, "All The Way", which incorporates an echo chamber as I call it when he's singing the title phrase.

Afterward the mood gets more light with "High Hopes".

Tracks 5 through 10 may be what casual fans would consider Sinatra's signature songs...they are: "High Hopes", "Witchcraft", "The Tender Trap", "Young at Heart", "Strangers in the Night", and "That's Life".

As mentioned earlier, there is no comedy on here...although some of the lines in "High Hopes" may strike some as being comical...I assume when Sinatra recorded it originally, the critics may have had issues with the lyrics...and some listeners today will giggle at the lyrics.

Anyway, this Sinatra CD had been in the talking/planning stages for several years before Ray's own label, Clyde, finally released the material last year. The CD was being sold at his concerts...it wasn't until a few months ago that the CD was released to the wider audience on Curb Records. The only song that isn't on here that a lot of people associate with Sinatra is "New York, New York" but how can you re-arrange that song???

I bet if Ray ever attempts to, he'd find a way...say what?? You read that right!