Customer Reviews

Ultimate Collection

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an extraordinary compilation of Engelbert's work, with passages of such intense beauty it transcends any genre and becomes pure art. If you only own one Engelbert CD, this is it.
Engelbert's vocal talents include a huge range, amazing breath control and phrasing, but more than that, he sings with his heart and soul. There isn't a single song on this album that is less than superb, and "When There's No You" gives us a hint of what a wonderful opera singer he could have been had he chosen that route (as much as I love opera, I'm glad he didn't...as we would be lacking a "King of Romance").

The booklet insert is excellent, with liner notes and photos, but what I most appreciate is the recording info, with original album listed (except for "My Marie", which was not released in the U.S. on LP), and single chart positions in the U.S. and the U.K.
The time frame of the material is from 1968 ("Release Me" and "There Goes My Everything" from the Release Me album) through 1979 with the exquisite "This Moment in Time" (from the This Moment in Time album), but this music is timeless; heavenly melodies sung to perfection. This gorgeous CD is among the top of my desert isle list, with Bach and Mozart for company.
The sound is terrific and total playing time is 55'57.

I have been a huge fan of Engelbert's since 1968. I have almost every album he ever recorded in album and CD forms. This is undoubtedly the best collection of his to date. All my favorite songs are on here. I also have his greatest hits collection, but this is much better. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not they are an Engelbert fan. This CD will make them one.

The name on his records said Englebert Humperdinck. Archie Bunker once referred to him as "Englebert What's His Dink". His real name was Arnold George Dorsey. He was a struggling British crooner until he met Tom Jones manager Gordon Mills in 1965. And the rest is history. Nearly 40 years later Englebert Humperdinck continues to thrill audiences around the world. A check of his website reveals an incredibly busy touring schedule and there are still hundreds of Englebert fan clubs around the world!!!
This CD from Hip-O records chronicles all of the best of Englebert Humperdincks remarkable career. Hear all of his fabulous Parrot singles from the 60's and early 70's like you never have before. The fidelity on his original 45's was not that great. But the remastering job on this disk was done with a great deal of care. Even his Epic recordings sound much better here. Looking back, it is amazing to me that Englebert had such a limited amount of success on Billboards Hot 100 Singles chart. There were only two Top Ten hits, his debut single "Release Me" and 1976's "After The Lovin'". But Englebert sold a lot of albums. His debut album "Release Me" peaked at number 7 and was on the charts for 118 weeks!!! In any event, this collection contains just about all of the hits you would remember. Among my favorites are "A Man Without Love", "Les Bicyclettes De Belsize" and of course "This Moment In Time." The 12 page booklet is particularly well done and is packed with interesting tidbits and photos. You'll likely never find a better collection of his work. Recommended.

This is one of the best collections of Engelbert songs out there. "This Moment in Time" is very special to me and makes this album better. The only exclusion of Engelbert's songs that I would want is "Last of the Romantics" but I have not been able to find it on any album, except the originally released album which I ordered through Amazon Auctions. It hasn't arrived yet but should shortly (LP).
I recommend this album highly to real Engelbert fans, like myself. I have seen him countless times in concerts. There are some songs on this album that were not big hits but I've heard some of them live and they are all good. I don't think Eng is capable of singing a BAD song (he can even sing other artist's songs better than the original).
Glad to be able to give my opinion on this album.

Walter Scharnhorst

Engelbert Humperdinck: The Ultimate Collection is a smashing CD that gives us so many of his wonderful hits. This CD is truly superior to the other out there with just ten or eleven tracks; and I am mystified as to why this CD is currently out of print. I hope that changes soon! The artwork is great and the quality of the sound is excellent.

"Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)" opens the CD with Engelbert singing so brilliantly. He sings of a love gone awry; and he wants to be set free to be with his new true love. Engelbert's voice never sounded better; and this impresses me very much. The musical arrangement is lush and it accompanies Engelbert very well. "After The Lovin'" is a classic that shines like gold when Engelbert sings it; he never misses a beat and indeed this shows off the operatic qualities of his magnificent voice. "A Man Without Love (Quando M'innamoro)" has a good arrangement with great guitar work; and Engelbert sings this like a pro!

This Moment In Time" features Engelbert squarely front and center--right where he belongs. Engelbert Humperdinck performs this with panache and the percussion enhances the natural beauty of the melody. "Les Bicyclettes De Belsize" gives Engelbert the chance to sing a passionate love ballad about the importance of enjoying life and love while we have it--every day is a precious gift. "The Way It Used To Be" is a gorgeous tune with a fine set of backup vocalists to bolster Engelbert's delivery of this lush ballad.

"There Goes My Everything" has a slight country twist to it that makes the melody very pretty; Engelbert sings this with all his heart and soul. I love every minute of this! "Another Time, Another Place" again puts Engelbert right in the center; he never sings a superfluous note and "Another Time, Another Place" really sparkles when Engelbert sings it. Similarly, "My Marie" has a great arrangement to go along with Engelbert's fine delivery of this ballad.

"Sweetheart" again shows off the operatic qualities of Engelbert's voice; and listen for the final track entitled "The Last Waltz." "The Last Waltz" is clearly one of Engelbert's greatest hits ever and it makes a strong ending for this album. Engelbert's voice is full of masculine warmth, energy and passion as he performs "The Last Waltz" to perfection--and beyond!

Engelbert Humperdinck fans will want this CD in their collections. It's also a fine starter CD for people just discovering the artistry of Engelbert Humperdinck.

This album by Engelbert could have very well been titled "Ultimate Delight" because, after listening to it, you cannot help but be delighted with the beautiful assemblance of songs this album contains. A special treat for Mr. Humperdinck's fans are a gathering of songs never before presented in a digital CD format including, I Never Said Goodbye, My Marie and This Moment In Time. I was in awe of "This Moment In Time". The musical accents and overtones brought out on this CD were phenomenal! If you are looking for something to set the tone for a truly romantic evening just pop this album into your CD player. Then leave your phone off the receiver, softly turn down the lights and let Engelbert take care of the rest.

JUST RECEIVED THIS ALBUM AND CERTAINLY AM ENJOYING IT. HIS "MOMENT IN TIME" RENDITION ON THIS CD IS FABULOUS...HE SINGS ALL OF THE SONGS ON THIS CD FROM HIS HEART & SOUL. ENGELBERT HAS ONE OF THE BEST VOCAL RANGES AND IT REALLY COMES THROUGH ON THIS CD. THE SONGS ARE FAMILIAR TO ONE WHO IS A FAN. HOWEVER. IF ONE HEARS THIS CD THEY WILL SOON BE ADDED TO THE THRONGS OF FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD. A TREAT TO HEAR...BUYING IS ESSENTIAL FOR A TRUE FAN TO INCLUDE IN HIS COLLECTION. I LOVE THESE SONGS AND WHO ELSE COULD SING THEM ANY BETTER - NO ONE.... HE IS THE MASTER OF SONGS AND HERE THEY ARE...ON THIS CD...ENJOY YOUR LISTENING...

This has all the great ones, plus a few surprises. I bought this CD for the songs I already knew, but now I'm singing every single one on the disk! That's the magic of Engelbert Humperdinck. For those looking for just one CD of his best music, this is definitely the collection to buy.

This CD is extremely important for every Engelbert fan because (1) it contains three great songs (i.e. "This Moment in Time," "I never said goodbye," "Sweetheart") whose CD version was never released before, and (2) it also contains "After the Lovin'", "In Time", "My Marie", "When There's No You," and "I am a Better Man". The _original_ "After the Lovin'(1976)" and the four other songs have been available in non-Engelbert compilations and his import albums, but, until "Ultimate Collection" was released, they had not been accessible to many people in the States. In this regard, this is really a "ultimate" compilation. And I enjoyed it very much. Although it is a pity that the very beginning (just a second or so?)of "The Way It Used to Be" was cut off for some reason, "This Moment in Time" and "I Never Said Goodbye", among many others, are worth listening.(I must tell you that "This Moment in Time" is really excellent!)I thus recommend this album to not only Engelbert fans but also all people.

... when Enge was in his 60's prime, nobody but nobody handled a ballad with more power, drama and emotion better than he did - just an absolutely amazing vocalist with a body of work underscoring this fact time and time again, probably none more so than "Love Me With All Your Heart", which is unfortunately absent from this collection. Other notable omissions include "Don't You Love Me Anymore" and his newer dance version of "Quando Quando Quando". Nonetheless, a good cross-section of some of Enge's best vocal performances.