Customer Reviews

Taste of the Fantastic / L. David Sloane

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

 

 

I was so excited to see Michele Lee's two Columbia albums on CD. People seem to forget she was known as a nightclub singer in the '60s, and a great one at that, with a big, vibrant voice and a passionate singing style. The two albums presented here are "A Taste of the Fantastic," which features an excellent mix of show songs, standards and pop numbers. My favorites on this one include "Steady Steady," which showcases Michele's amazing vocal range; and her intense, sensual version of "I Want to Be With You" from "Golden Boy." The other album featured here is "L. David Sloane and Other Hits." This one is a bit more contemporary sounding, especially with sexy, slighty funky hit title song. I also love her versions of "The Look of Love," "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and "Spooky," which shows off Michele's rock and roll side! Everything is great on both of these albums -- it's a shame they've both been out of print for so long. I just wish Collectables had opted to include some of the rare Columbia singles mentioned in the liner notes. Even if you're not familiar with Michele as a singer, you need to hear this if you love great female vocalists, because that's what Michele is!

While most people probably remember Michelle Lee for her role in "Knots Landing", it is unfortunate that her great singing voice has been ignored with the passage of time. For instance, her witty and enjoyable signature tune "L. David Sloane" is largely unknown these days, except among her hardcore fans. However, the remastered version of the song which is included on this CD is worth the purchase price all by itself. Her versions of "Kiss Me Goodbye" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" are also impressive. Indeed, the only track I didn't love was "Honey(I Miss You)", a song I find unbearably morbid and depressing. If you're a Michelle Lee fan or just a fan of well-written, superbly performed songs, get this CD!

Michele Lee has an amazing voice, its a shame most people only know her for her acting on TV. This CD covers her two albums that were put out in the late 60's.I grew up listening to the albums and more like this as a child in the 80's. The music is not like todays bubble gum pop, you will not get a headache from listening to it. For those my age under 25 you might actually enjoy it. I know I am a huge fan of Michele's because of her acting but a bigger fan because of her singing.

In the sixties, Michele was a singer, although by then she had already done some acting. This shows in her Broadway style, particularly in the 1966 album (A taste of the fantastic) which forms the first half of this twofer. It includes dramatic versions of sixties classics Yesterday and What the world needs now. Really, there have been too many covers of Yesterday but this is one of the more distinctive, so it counts as a plus. Another distinctive cover is Johnny Mercer's I'm old fashioned, a song I've become familiar with since I became a fan of the Great American Songbook. The other songs are excellent, but obscure to me. It appears several of them are from Broadway musicals.

The other album which makes up this twofer (L David Sloane and other hits of today, from 1968) is much more about sixties pop, though still with that Broadway influence. Here you find covers of The look of love, Goin' out of my head, Love is blue (originally a French song), Goin' out of my head, Spooky, Can't take my eyes off you, Kiss me goodbye (this suits Michele particularly well), Honey (I miss you) and Do you know the way to San Jose, as well as the great title track and the amusing I didn't come to New York ...., neither of which I'd heard before buying this (Michele was unknown in Britain before Knot's landing hit the TV).

Some other reviewers don't like Honey (I miss you). I can only assume this is because they don't like the song. Michele's performance is flawless, as it is on each and every track. Even if you don't like this song, there are 21 others to enjoy.

You probably have to like at least some each of sixties pop and Broadway vocals to fully appreciate this album. If you only like one of these genres, this is not for you. If you like one a lot and the other a little, buy this - it will grow on you.

Michelle Lee's vibrato-rich and full-throated voice is heard in all its drama on these two delightful album re-releases. Lee is at her best going over the top in selections from her Broadway days, especially nice is the Strouse-Adams gem "I want to be with you," and Bricusse and Newley's "Feeling Good." Lee also covers some 60's hits, like "Spooky," "Goin out of my head," and Can't take my eyes off of you." She's less successful on a hokey rewording and reworking of the tear-jerker "Honey." But in all these two albums-produced in 1966 and '68-showcase the once upon time Broadway career of Lee, who just happens to be currently enjoying a marvelous run in an off-Broadway comedy.

Michele Lee, born Michele Dusik on June 24, 1942 in L.A. (her father Jack was a Hollywood make-up artist) likely never did lot of recording simply because she was pretty busy with her many Broadway appearances, guest starring on numerous TV shows, as well as doing films, but especially her long-starring role as Karen Cooper Fairgate MacKenzie in all 344 episodes of the prime-time soap opera Knots Landing.

Nevertheless, she did find enough time to cut two albums for Columbia, and here Collectables brings together the 11 tracks from each - 1 to 11 from the 1967 album A Taste Of The Fantastic (Columbia CS-9286), and 12 to 22 from the 1968 album L. David Sloane & Other Hits Of Today (Columbia CS-9682). All with excellent sound reproduction.

From the 1968 album the label also released the single L. David Sloane on Columbia 44413, and it peaked at # 9 Adult Contemporary (AC) and # 52 Pop Hot 100 in March 1968 b/w Everybody Loves My baby (But My Baby Don't Love Nobody But Me) - but that B-side, unfortunately, was not part of either album, so remains impossible to find today in CD format.

Another single from that album, I Didn't Come To New York To Meet A Guy From My Home Town, managed a # 37 AC in July/August on Columbia 44554 b/w I Can't Believe I'm Losing You, also from the LP, while The Look Of Love, yet another cut from that album, came out as the B-side of Knowing When To Love on Columbia 44698 late that same year. From the Broadway musical Promises, Promises, the A-side reached # 32 AC in December, but it too never appeared in either album, making it another impossible-to-find on CD.

It's too bad Collectables didn't go that extra mile and extend this release to 24 tracks with two "bonus" selections which would have made this the perfect 5-star Michele Lee volume.

Michele Lee's singing career never really took off which is a shame. She's adept at employing a variety of musical styles, particularly upbeat, brassy numbers. This 2-fer package kicks off with "Taste of the Fantastic", a collection of slow ballads that quickly become rather monotonous sad to say. "L. David Sloane" is the real reason to buy this album. "Sloane" features the title track as well as several other mid-tempo treats benefitting from Lee's big voice and sharp phrasing. The slower numbers are well chosen and sensitively delivered as well. Not an outstanding package, but still worthy of a purchase for the second album.