Customer Reviews

Spotlight on

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Spotlight on Al Martino showcases Al Martino's great ability to deliver a song with panache, heart and soul. The sound quality is great and the artwork is very nicely done. I'm surprised that Al Martino doesn't truly get the recognition he deserves as one of the very best male vocalists of the twentieth century.

"There Are Such Things" starts the CD with Al Martino crooning his very best for this fabulous number; and the backup chorus embellishes the number as well. Al sounds wonderful on this opening number; he could really sing and his excellent sense of timing made all the difference! "Close To You" features Al Martino squarely front and center--and that's OK by me! Al sings this with great sensitivity; and the strings are used to great advantage. "Close To You" is a very sweet and touching love song and I really like this a lot.

"I'm In The Mood For Love" lets Al Martino open up and sing this one out just right! The backup chorus harmonizes well--not that Al needed it; he could do this in his sleep! Similarly, "Fascination" is easily a major highlight of this album; "Fascination" has Al Martino singing beautifully and this strikes me as being particularly beautiful. In addition, "That's My Desire" gets a fine treatment from Al; he sings this well.

"I Wish You Love" moves me with its beauty; and Al Martino delivers this flawlessly. He handles subtle tempo and key changes effortlessly--not that it was actually all that easy. We know that Al could do this because he was incredibly talented. Great! "The More I See You" is another charming love ballad that explores the joys of finding your one true love; and "Autumn Leaves" shines so brightly when Al Martino performs this with grace, style and sensitivity. Edith Piaf would be proud of Al's interpretation of this ballad!

"This Is My Song" strikes me with its beauty; and the orchestration is perfect while Al sings this wonderfully. He can really sing--it's like listening to pure silk. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a song I first heard sung by Elvis Presley; and when Al Martino sings this he does equally well. "For All We Know" has some great percussion to mark the beat while Al sings this one; and the CD ends nicely with Al Martino performing "An Affair To Remember." This gets the royal treatment from Al who never sings a superfluous note--what a terrific ending for this timeless album!

Al Martino fans will definitely want this for their collections. People who enjoy classic pop vocals may also want this, too.

This album has one of the best collection of all time favorites sung by one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Al Martino has a very unique way of expressing each of these songs in an honest and lyrical way that far exceed many great singers the like of Sinatra, Bennett etc. Personally it is one of the best CD of popular music that I own and I never tired of listening to it.

Best spent money! NOT one bad song in the entire CD! Beautiful voice, very nice.
Seller got it to me quickly & I enjoy it all the time. Worth the money & it was a great price.

This 1995 re-release of 18 of Al Martino's mid-1960s recordings is a delightful, sharp-toned compilation.
His rendition of "There Are Such Things" doesn't have the gentle flow, harp strings, or angelic vocalization of Frank Sinatra's 1940s version, but it is of its time and has the 60s adult contemporary orchestration to prove it.
"Close to You", another tune popularized by Frank Sinatra in the 40s, is warm and sonorous. "Fascination" originally released in 1904, is in a key and register that are more melancholy than Jane Morgan's 1957 hit version; "Once Upon A Time", a wistful narrative sans the burst of sunnyness in Tony Bennett's version. "Don't Take Your Love From Me", tender and pleading. "That's My Desire", a hit for Frankie Laine in 1947 leaves Laine's cabaret setting to be given a Country-Western sing-along treatment by Martino.
"You Always Hurt the One You Love" makes its sadness felt in a way the slightly bouncier 1944 version by the Mills Brothers doesn't. " I Wish You Love" is a wistful French ballad, "And That Reminds Me", a more upbeat sing-along, "The More I See You", originally featured in the 1945 film, "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe" where it was introduced by Dick Haymes, is given a contemporary treatment. "Love Letters", another 1945 ballad popularized by Dick Haymes, matches the key as well as the well as the loveliness of orchestration of the original, "Autumn Leaves" resembles both Nat King Cole's and Roger Williams' version in the key in which it is performed, the emphasis of its piano forte, and its solemnity.
Charles Chaplin's "This Is My Song", popularized by singer Petula Clark in 1967, is done more gently here.
The 1926 tune, " Are You Lonesome Tonight?", revitalized with great success by Elvis Presley in 1960, is given the same triste treatment as many of the selections featured on the CD.
Then, there is the whole reason for my purchase of this CD...(Drumroll, please)....Martino's 1965 version of the 1957 ballad, "Till", a vocal valentine of a song that is filled with immense joy from the first zing of the violin strings to the last note of its piano forte--my favorite version of this song!
"For All We Know", and "Affair to Remember" (the latter borrowed from contemporary Italian-American crooner, Vic Damone) complete the roster in Al's inimitable style, although in some ways, he comes across as a bit deferential to earlier versions of the songs. But all in all, his lovely squillo and amiability always win me over.

I can listen to these songs all day long. They are such beautiful love songs so well sung. Al sang these songs so smoothly with much warm feelings. I like the lyrics of 'You Always Love the Ones You Love'. It helps to hear it when we get mad at each other. Who cares if these songs were not top hits in the 60's. Many of my friends are buying their own copies.

The selection of songs on this album are excellent

WELL OK!!! ALL I KNOW IS THAT OF ALL THE SONGS THAT AL SING ON SOME 20 ALBUMS THE VERY BEST OF ALL MARTINO IS HIM SINGING ( TIL ) I VERY MUCH LIKE AL'S SINGING BUT I LOVE THE SONG TIL AND IT IS THE REASON I'M BUYING THIS ALBUM