Customer Reviews

This Time I'm Swingin' / Pretty Baby

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The original Dean Martin albums are hard to come by on compact disc. Alot of them are out of print, but thank God you can get your hands on this one. This disc compiles two of Dean's albums onto one disc. No Dean Martin collection is complete without it. The collection of songs that make up "This Time I'm Swingin'" are quintessential Dean. This is the Dean that Bing Crosby described as "loose as ashes" and Dino certainly was. There is no filler on "This Time I'm Swingin'" and it is by far Dean's best collection of songs. As for "Pretty Baby", the other half of this disc, it may take some getting used to. The background singers play a prominent role on this Gus Levene produced album, as was Levene's style. But to know Dean, is to understand that he enjoyed this style of singing which stems back to his early admiration of the Mills Brothers and you can hear it in Dean's voice that he feels right at home. Although the songs from the "Pretty Baby" collection pale somewhat when placed side by side with "This Time I'm Swingin'" they are nonetheless enjoyable. This CD is a must for any Dean Martin fan. Also, the original liner notes are included in this disc as well as the original covers of each album. (Check out the expression on Dean's face on the campy cover of "Pretty Baby" as some buxom blonde strides past him on a city sidewalk.) The man was the essence of "cool".

This CD includes TWO LP's recorded by Dino in the late fifties. The first, "This Time I'm Swingin'" has some really great tunes,a big band (with strings), and some swingin'arrangements.
The other, earlier LP (from 1956), "Pretty Baby" teams Dean with a small combo (a couple of horns and a rhythm section)and a chorus with some fine Gus Levine arrangements. I was thrilled when I discovered that this CD exists - I had bought both LPs while I was in high school (I go back a ways)and, needless to say, they were both very worn. I have been playing this CD non-stop since I recieved it a couple of weeks ago. Dean is the best - relaxed, cool, and smooth. Give this gift to someone you love - young or old- they will enjoy it!

Wow, is this great! I can't stop listening to it! As a kid in the Seventies, I remember the aging Dean Martin who became a parody of the bad Vegas performer. This, however, is nothing like what I remember. I'm not sure what drew me to buy the CD but I'm glad I did. The crisp sound of the orchestra, the bounce in his voice. It is sooo good!

As far as Pretty Baby, the background singing isn't as bad as some reviews make it out to be. It is somewhat dated but it too is very enjoyable.

Buy the CD! You won't regret it!

This is Dean Martin's greatest record! I'm not a giant Dean Martin fan but this CD is spectacular. If you are a Frank Sinatra fan and you love his "Dancing in the Dark" CD than you will really love this Dean Martin CD. It's done in swing style which was the rock of it's time and it still holds up even today. The right words to describe this CD are "hip" and "cool" and it is! It's also a pleasure to listen to.

Dean Martin's music had been part of our household when I was growing up. He was one of my late parents' favorite singers and they collected a good number of his albums. Influenced by my late parents' music, Mr. Martin had become one of my favorites too and I especially loved his "Pretty Baby" album. My late parents must be beaming with pride up in Heaven knowing that I've been enjoying their kind of music, the music I grew up with and still appreciate to this day.

This compilation CD was taken from two of his best-ever albums, "This Time I'm Swingin'!" and "Pretty Baby." The first twelve tracks were superbly arranged and conducted by the great Nelson Riddle and taken from the album "This Time I'm Swingin'!" and highlights a couple of songs from "My Fair Lady," "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" and "On The Street Where You Live." Other highlights are "Just In Time," "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" and "Someday" (You'll Want Me To Want You).

The last twelve tracks were from my all-time favorite album "Pretty Baby" and fabulously orchestrated by Gus Levene. All the songs in this album are so remarkable and Dean Martin's favorite songs that he has often sung and his interpretations with his back-up singers (I love it!) are so splendid. My very favorites are "The Object Of My Affection," "Only Forever," "I Don't Know Why" (I Just Do), "Once In A While," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Sleepy Time Gal," "Nevertheless" (I'm In Love With You) and "It's Easy To Remember."

Listen to this CD and you'll be transported back in time. It's one of the simplest ways to enjoy the music of our parents and reminisce the good old days. It's a piece of nostalgia!

This is Dean Martin at his absolute BEST! These two albums are simply the best LPs he ever put out. Every song on both albums is the quintessential Dean Martin. The man and the music that everyone thinks of when you hear the name Dino. They were recorded in '57 and '60 before he changed over to the Reprise label and started recording country ballads that most Dino fans find dissappointing. His years at Capitol are FAR superior to the years he wasted at Reprise (I blame Frank for this). I have a few of the 2-fer cds of his years at reprise and it's not even close. These songs are perfectly arranged and ably conducted by Nelson Riddle and Gus Levene, who are simply the best at complimenting Dean (as if he needs any help!) Dean effortlessly delvers each song with perfection and melifluous cadence you can't find anywhere else. The first album is loose, easy and relaxing even though the title says otherwise. The second album is just as smooth, but most of the songs do feature an unnecessary choral background that only draws attention from Dean (this is the only drawback from a perfect album). "I Can't Give You Anything But Love"(my favorite) "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "Heaven Can Wait" and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" are simply Dean at his best. Even the artwork is great which features the original album covers. If you own only one Dean Martin album i strongly urge that it be this one. It deserves more than 5 stars and is worth every penny! You will NOT be dissappointed!

This CD has a magnificent 24 tracks from two record albums Dean Martin put out when he was still recording with Capitol Records. Yes, I agree somewhat with reviewers who write that the first set of songs (from the album This Time I'm Swingin'!) is stronger than the second set of twelve songs from the album Pretty Baby; but overall this is still a wonderful CD. Dean's voice is in fine form and I liked the way the two different styles of songs are placed here on this single CD. There are the songs from This Time I'm Swingin'! which highlight Dean's voice with the incredible work of Nelson Riddle; while on the other hand the last twelve songs represent what Dean could accomplish with a chorus backing him up and the talents of Gus Levene.

The CD opens strong with the vibrant "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me;" other BIG highlights from the first twelve songs are "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" (my personal favorite) and "On The Street Where You Live." "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" is just as beautifully orchestrated. Wow!

The second set of twelve songs that Dean did with Gus Levene gives a different feel to the second half of the CD. This truly IS more of a "Ray Conniff" type of musical arrangement with Dean squarely in the middle but still not quite as strong because the chorus detracts from his performance just a little. Nevertheless, I loved "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" because Dean's voice and the musical arrangement is perfect! Dean does this song flawlessly--as he did all his songs. There's an interesting rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and "Pretty Baby" is beautifully written and orchestrated.

The quality of the sound is wonderful. You'd never know these recordings were made so many years ago! The liner notes also include reproductions of the front and the reverse of both record album jackets--tough to find these days! The liner notes include the song credits, too--a nice plus!

In short, the reviewers are right--you simply can't be without this CD if you want to have a Dean Martin collection. These albums are unfairly getting more difficult to find as the years go by and that's a terrible shame. I also highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals. Moreover, fans of Nelson Riddle will be delighted because the first twelve songs are orchestrated by Riddle himself. You just can't miss with this one! Great job, Dino! SMILES

Deans singing style, personality, and gift of his voice really shines through on this CD. I have to say that each and every song on "This Time Im Swingin!" is perfection. On the Pretty Baby album "Its Easy To Remember" is my personal favorite. If you are interested in starting a Dean Martin collection this is the one to get and you will be hooked!

This Time I'm Swingin' is absolutely Dean's best album. It contains maybe the best versions I've ever heard of "Mean to Me" and "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." Nelson Riddle really brought out the best in Dino! They should have done a dozen more like this.

This Time I'm Swinging has become my favorite all around Dean Martin CD. Pretty Baby is a three star CD.It has a real nice seclection of songs.