Customer Reviews

Time for Love - The Best of Julie London

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the perfect introduction to Julie London. There's a handful of swinging uptempo numbers, but the focus is on Julie's biggest strength: ballads. Julie once described herself as only having a "thimbleful of a voice," and it's the quiet calm of her singing that provides a warmth and intimacy matched by few other jazz vocalists. Her signature tune, "Cry Me a River," (she was the first artist to record this chestnut) is of course included, and her readings of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Around Midnight," and "Gone With the Wind" prove that Julie could take the most popular of standards and make it her very own. This collection also includes some lesser-heard material, such as the smoky "I Surrender, Dear" and the surprisingly sexy "Go Slow." (Julie whispering "You make me feel so good" at the end is certainly one of jazz music's sultriest moments.) If you're already a fan of Julie, this is an enjoyably comprehensive collection, spanning her entire career. If you're new to Julie London or jazz music in general, this CD is a perfect introduction to what the genre, and this fantastic vocalist, can offer.

Idle curiosity compelled me to see if any Julie London recordings were still available, and questions about her actual talent led to purchase of this recording. Long ago I let my LP's by her get away, regarding them as little more than carefully produced exploitations of her fabled beauty. But this photogenic model was more than a period piece. The voice is enticing, the intonation secure, the diction clear. The breath support is occasionally lacking, especially for a "stand-up" singer, leading to some choppy phrasing, but not enough to detract from the communication of the song.

The album itself is an inspired selection of her best material, ranging from intimate guitar to full orchestral settings. She brings new life to old standards such as "I Surrender, Dear" and "You're My Thrill," and sexy humor to the less familiar--"Go Slow" and "Daddy." Compared to her contemporary canaries such as Christy and Connor, Julie can sound more personally provocative, and her readings wear better to this listener's ears than Diana Krall's recent recordings.

I usually reserve five stars for Ella, Sarah, Billie. But the total of 18 songs and the generous liner notes (full bio, song descriptions, even fold-out photos) make this album uniquely appealing.

I asked for and received this disk as a holiday gift without listening to it first, as I had heard that Julie had a sexy voice and a fantastic delivery. I was not disappointed. Almost all the the songs on the disk are smoldering slow tempo.

The exception is the upbeat, mid-tempo "Daddy," a perfectly-phrased, playful standout. "Daddy" is not sung about her father (unlike "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"), but to the generous man in a woman's life.

This is for quiet, sensuous late nights. Unfortunately, Ms. London did little recording after the late 60's, by which time lounge music had lost its appeal to younger listeners. If this collection is any indication, she leaves behind an impressive body of work.

This is the first and best CD anthology of the great Julie London- not surprising, since it's from Rhino. The tracks are very well chosen, and they caught the best aspects of her career here, starting with the sparsely arranged material of her first few albums, going through the bigger-band stuff, and stopping a little short of the pure pop of her last few recordings. Julie London was a truly original performer who brought a sleek and sexy and very understated touch to what was nearly always A-plus material. Her first recording defined her: the classic "Cry Me A River" (found here, but not on the campier Capitol collection "Wild, Cool, & Swingin'"), a soft, nearly acoustic torch song that suited her voice and persona perfectly.

The liner notes are intelligent and informative, as one would expect from Rhino, and they even gave us one of the terrific covers that Julie was famous for, adapting the jacket art from "Around Midnight". The one song that's sorely missing here is "Well, Sir", written by her husband, Bobby Troup- a neglected gem from "London By Night".

Julie London deserves to have her whole catalogue reissued, and the next two we need are "Lonely Girl" and "Make Love To Me". Capitol? Rhino? How 'bout it?

... . The selection on the tape <...) is perfect. The standards, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," "Cry Me a River" are understated and perfect. The surprises like "Gone with the Wind" are fantastic.

If you're looking for mood music, dinner music, or something sophisticated, you won't go wrong with the sublime Ms. London.

Super songs, guitar, sax, trumpet, arrangements. Everything a 1950'sjazz fan would want in a single CDto depict a quiet, pleasant "after hours" session with friends.

There was Billie Holliday, Bessie Smith, Peggy Lee, Keely Smith, Doris Day (yes!) Dinah Shore, the great Ella Fitzgerald, et.al., but has there ever been any one Blues/Jazz/lounge singer with the pure unadulterated sexuality of Julie London. If Sinatra can get a woman to say yes, and Mathis can seal the deal, then Julie can put a man in the right place at the right time doing the right things. The music should be the subject it is true, but the primary emotion conveyed in this collection is sex, innocent, playful, and sassy. Do not miss the magic of this "Best Of". It washes away the dust of everyday life.

Killer stuff. Great arrangements and the voice that can put you in that lounge mood. The girl smoulders.

Julie London had it all,a beautiful voice,a great actress(she played nurse Dixie McCall alongside her hubby Bobby"Dr.Joe Early" Troup,she was also married to Jack "Sgt.Joe Friday" Webb,and she was a knockout,a very beautiful woman to boot!!! She was a legend!!! We miss her!!! But these 18 classics (including "Cry Me A River" of course!)will live on forever!!! A Great remastered sound by the folks at Rhino Records!!! An essential jazz CD!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

Classic stuff. Anyone who likes Diana Krall will be struck by the uncanny similarity, except Julie can sing ballads too. There are larger collections you will also want.
Has become one of my favorites.