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In the late 1950's, God bless my older sister for all of the great singers she turned me on to and none better than Bobby Darin!!! Sis must have played "Beyond The Sea" hundreds of times and I never tired of it!!! We loved Frank, but Bobby was it!! When the compact disc started I decided to complete my Bobby Darin collection and have purchased every release available on this great under-appreciated artist!! When I came to this collection I was completely amazed and blown away!! From the boarding on "Alabamy Bound", you know that you are in for a great ride and it is a wildly exciting one!!! "Blue Skies" are beautiful and clearer than ever before and the pathos of "You'll Never Know" may draw a tear!! Who could take something corny like "Standing On The Corner" and make it great??? Another lightweight "I'm Beginning To See The Light" becomes really great to listen to and you soon realize there is no stopping this giant!!! "The Good Life" and "I Wanna Be Around" were Tony Bennett (who is a really fine singer!) singles but are more gutsy and soulful in Bobby's versions. Bobby does "Just In Time" haunting and ethereal and never before has this song had an interpretation like this! Standards such as There's A Rainbow On My Shouldler" and "All By Myself" will have you humming these tunes for months (in my case years!) on end and every song in this incredible collection is dynamite and done to the max...don't miss this classic as never again will a singer or collection equal this level of greatness...thank you Bobby Darin!

If you're looking for the best collection of Darin's swing songs at the most affordable price -- baby, you've found it! Every one of these songs from Bobby's Capitol days are extraordinary, thanks in part to Billy May's wonderful arrangements, and Darin's fun interpretations. The previously unreleased tracks, (which I usually find to be of poor quality and just cheap additions to fill up the collection or attract long time fans) are very good in this case! The wonderful JUST IN TIME arrangement is almost worth the price of the CD. My other favorites are at two opposite ends of the spectrum, I WANNA BE AROUND, the best breakup song, and I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT, perhaps the sexiest song ever recorded. Ok, so FLY ME TO THE MOON is more than a little on the sappy side, but we can look past that, right?

Take if from me, I own 6 Darin CDs, and this is the only one I play without skipping any of the tracks. Fun arrangements, unreleased tracks that actually add to the recording, and, well, Bobby Darin! -- anyone who wants more than that out of a CD is just, plain evil.

In fact, it's tough to find anyone, who died at such a young age (37),and left behind such an oeuvre of popular songs! The question is,"Why is Bobby so underrated today?" True,other sounds come and go,and he did pass on in 1973. Still,he covered just about every type of tune, from teen-age, adult jazz/pop, folk-rock,and wrote some of his best material. This "Great Gentlemen" collection shows him at his swingin best.True, some of the material is not first rate (could you imagine Sinatra doing "Standing on the Corner? No,that's a Dino type.) But everything here is top of the line,even given some less than superior songs.My favorite is "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" dating from WWII England,and just about always done as a ballad. The arrangement here flies right along with some of the best swinging horns ever. The Billy May arrangements do fly,and Bobby was smart (and lucky) to get such veterans. This is essential Bobby,along with his GREATEST HITS, II,which includes the phenomenal "Beyond the Sea", "Mack the Knife", and "Artificial Flowers". Try to get them both at some point in the near future.

Many people of the baby-boomer generation and the generation after think of Bobby Darin as the "Splish Splash" or "Dream Lover" guy. Many also think "Mack the Knife" was a fluke--a one-shot deal where Bobby deviated from his rock 'n roll roots. Nothing could be further from the truth. With the collection of songs on Great Gentlemen of Song: "Spotlight on Bobby Darin," he proved what he could REALLY do with a song. He was right up there with artists like Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme in the voice talent and song styling department. Most of the songs on this CD were arranged by Billy May, who worked extensively with Sinatra and other big pop artists. Darin more than held his own, especially on the terrific "All by Myself," "Oh, Look at Me Now!", and "I'm Beginning to See the Light." This is a CD you'll play over and over. I love it!

This is SPLENDID collection of the classic swingin' Bobby, including several "unreleased" versions including the perked-up "STANDING ON THE CORNER". B.D. shows off his tangy, confident style with a good selection of standards and then some (try "OH! LOOK AT ME NOW". The real bonus of this album (like all of the "Capitol Spotlight" series, etc) is the TERRIFFIC quality of these re-mastered versions - wow! "I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT" is a perfect example - as sweet and rich as if it were recorded yesterday (instead of 30 years ago). Short of unique in song selection (and lacking many of his "biggest" hits) this is still a sweet addition to your Bobby section.

OK, so this CD doesn't have the big Darin hits Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea, but after listening to one superb performance after another, on both well known and obscure songs, they are not even missed. Like Fred Astaire, in my opinion, Bobby Darin does not have a great voice, but his phrasing, timing, and charisma make him a great singer nevertheless. Just listen to the naughty enthusiasm of Standing on the Corner (the delivery of the line, Brother you'll never go to jail for what you're thinking, or for that (pause ) look in your eye!! is priceless, or the infectious swing of Alabammy Bound. It is also fascinating to compare Darin's and Sinatra's versions of the same songs, for example Fly Me to the Moon. Two paths to the same truth. Enthusiastically recommended, even if you want only one Darin CD.

If you're to purchase one Bobby Darin cd,this is it.Capitol records has done a wonderful job in song selection and sound reproduction on all of the artists in their Spotlight Series.This is one of their best efforts.These songs are some of the best Bobby ever recorded,which makes for totally enjoyable listening on all of the tracks.Absolutely you must buy this cd.

This album is a real winner. It amply shows the vocal talents of a terriffic entertainer. If Bobby Darin had started his career (of course he would have had to been born twenty years earlier) at the same time as Sinatra, we wouldn't have even heard of Ol' Blue Eyes! I picked this album because of the many standards on it. Darin's voice is more musical than Sinatra's and not as nasal as Tony Bennett's. I also heartily recommend the Best of Bobby Darin, Volume Two. I could listen to this guy all the time!

If Darin never recorded for any label other than Capitol he would still have to be considered the best of his era and one of the greatest singers and performers of all time. This CD showcases his great talent and is a must for any Darin fan or anyone who enjoys great music.

Reviewer Bradley Briggs has said it all. Have recently heard Rod Stewart on Michael Parkinson show doing Nightingale sang in Berkley Square and commented that's not a patch on Bobby's recording. Have only recently purchased this one and just love it.