Customer Reviews

Ultra Lounge: Wild, Cool & Swingin' - Artist Series Vol 2

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the swingin'est Bobby Darin album on the market today. I usually try to avoid compilations, because I like to hear whole albums in their original forms, but this is a terrific collection of some of Darin's best from the Capitol years (1962-65). This CD keeps the momentum from beginning to end, and is reminiscent of Sinatra's exuberant swing albums, with Darin clearly enjoying himself on every single track. The Billy May arrangement for Once in a Lifetime is one of the most astonishing I have ever heard, and Darin is at his enthusiastic best. The previously unreleased tracks are all excellent as well. Since this collection contains most of the Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie album, one has to wonder why Capitol is so reluctant to release Darin's albums in their entirety. As it is, two other great tracks, Goodbye Charlie and Lonely Road, are buried in the Capitol Collector's Series CD, and BELONG with these great swing tracks (there's room!) Also, 10 out of 12 tracks from Oh! Look at Me Now are found on the Spotlight on Bobby Darin CD. Why not just release the entire album on one CD with "bonus tracks"?

The very best in lounge music. Bobby makes every cut his own. His interpretation and style are truly original. Lots of brass and a great beat. Listening to this CD made me want to smoke a cigarette and drink something on the rocks (neither of which I do but it made me WANT to!)

Even disregarding the rock he began with and the folk he did later in his career, Darin sang a broad range of music. This album features show tunes, standards, at least one of his own songs ("Gyp the Cat", too much a "Mack the Knife" knockoff to be taken too seriously), and current pop. I find his treatment of the last most compelling. The Sixties were a period when the old songwriting lions were beginning to pass from the scene, and when too many pop ballads, their writers striving too hard for relevance or romance, delivered overripe songs not up to the standards of the previous few decades. (All that "I Gotta Be Me" stuff. Yecch. Or songs full of strings no longer leavened by Cole Porter-style wit.) Darin here performs, with few or no strings, songs like "A Taste of Honey" and "More" - saccharine in most singers' hands - with enough punch to make them not only worth listening to but genuinely good. This album features cleaner arrangements than some of his others like "Swingin' the Standards", and these songs are genuine as a result. Every song here, depending on the listener's taste, is good. My favorite cuts include "As Long As I'm Singin' "; "Sunday in New York"; "The Good Life"; "Call Me Irresponsible"; "I Got Rhythm"; and "More." On "Hello, Dolly" - not generally one of my favorite songs - check out his final high note. But really, I like them all. Bobby loves to find new ways to do songs; his swinging version of "This Nearly Was Mine" from "South Pacific" is meritorious. Damn, he's good.

I'm writing to answer Melissa's question. She wonders why Darin's hits like "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea" are not in this compilation. He recorded those tracks on his album "That's All" for the Atco label (Atlantic records). Later, he switched to the Capitol label, which sponsors these Ultra-Lounge CDs. These labels obviously don't share material. "That's All" is available on CD, as well as many compilations containing his hits.

Also, to update a previous review I wrote, Darin's Capitol albums "Oh! Look at Me Now" (arranged by Billy May) and "Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie" (arranged by Richard Wess),where many of these tracks originated, have finally been released on one CD. Look for it!

I love lounge music, especially swing, and in my opinion, few do either better than Bobby Darrin. My interest in Bobby Darrin's music began while I was in high school--having heard "Dream Lover" on an oldies station, I went to buy the album. Now, as my tastes have matured, I have grown much more fond of Darrin's later works. This great disc has a plethora of sweet, smooth laments ("Sweetest Sounds," "Look at Me") and some of the best, jazziest swing that he's ever done: "As Long as I'm Singing" was a terrific choice for the first cut and really gets the mood started; "Hello, Dolly!" rises from a tepid whisper to blaring brass and wailing vocals. Two of the previously unreleased tracks are also fantastic. "This Nearly was Mine" is a great song to listen to when reflecting on lost love, yet the beat picks you up at the very same time. "Gyp the Cat," the disc's final song, is thematically very similar to Mack the Knife, and the music is unabashedly lifted from "Hello, Dolly!" but those are both great songs, and Gyp is no exception. The real gem on this album, though, is "More." Without a doubt, the best love song I've ever heard. I really believe my girlfriend fell in love with me when I sang her this song while on the way to a swing bar (where we heard it performed live that evening)-of course, I had Bobby D. backing me up on the car stereo. But don't take my word for it, go hear the sample from the disc, "Ultra Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild, Cool & Swingin'". The song is phenomenal, and standing alone makes the album worth buying, but the other tracks have enough strength in their own right to warrant a much-needed compilation of Darrin's work at Capitol Records.

This second volume of the Ultra Lounge: Wild, Cool & Swingin' Artist CD Series has a terrific assortment of hits and ballads by the immortal Bobby Darin. This warmed my heart as I am a huge fan of Bobby's. The sound is excellent--and how's about that artwork?

"As Long As I'm Singing" has a big band arrangement to accompany Bobby's vocals; he never misses a beat and he never sounded better either! Bobby's excellent diction bolsters his performance. "There's A Rainbow `Round My Shoulder" places Bobby's vocals squarely in the spotlight; Bobby croons this like so few ever could; and the arrangement for the brass is elegant. Bobby delivers this tune with great sensitivity and I really like "There's A Rainbow `Round My Shoulder." Moreover, Bobby makes "Hello, Dolly!" a major celebration--Louis Armstrong must have been proud if he ever heard this rendition of "Hello, Dolly!"

"I Left My Heart In San Francisco" gives us Bobby doing a sublime cover of a signature Tony Bennett song; Bobby delivers this with passion and the musical orchestration lacks nothing--it's THAT good. "The Good Life" sounds fresher than I've ever heard it when Bobby sings this tune; Bobby could take a romantic tune and enhance it so well with his touch that you'd swear it was the newest, freshest ballad you ever heard. Listen also for "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World;" Bobby swings lightly and this masculine happy hit gets the royal treatment from Bobby Darin.

"I Got Rhythm" fits into this track set like a glove; and the musical interlude is wonderful with its use of the brass. "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific gets a brilliant interpretation from Bobby as he sings this slow number as a swinging, sparkling hit that is unabashedly upbeat. "I Wanna Be Around" slow down the pace so Bobby can perform this flawlessly--what a crooner Bobby was! The CD ends with "Gyp The Cat." People note that "Gyp The Cat" sounds a lot like "Mack The Knife" but Bobby holds his own and it all works very well. Great!

The musical arrangements by Billy May and Richard Wess are sublime. Too bad the personnel of the bands aren't listed in the credits.

Overall, this is one awesome Bobby Darin CD that a true fan simply must have in their CD collection. People who like classic pop vocals with big band style arrangements are bound to love this CD, too.

Having been a fan of the Ultra Lounge Series for some time, I picked this particular album of the segmented "Artist Collection" after seeking it out for some time, as I'm a great fan of Bobby Darin. Darin was a true old school crooner, despite being in the wrong generation, but it seems to me that certain songs are missing from the album.

Ultra Lounge has a reputation for going against that which is accepted in compilation CDs, meaning that they like to throw songs you'd never expect onto albums, and it pulls off nicely and with a clean attitude. Unfortunately, these are put together with a bit of a bias toward instrumentals (not on the Artist Collection, though, obviously) and vocals that were either previously unreleased or not really recognized by today's potential audience.

And such it is with Bobby Darin, as we have several unreleased tracks that are just as good as any other track on the album. It's interesting to listen to his renditions of "I Left My Heart in San Fransisco" and "The Sweetest Sounds", both fresh with a cool Darin-in-a-white-dinner-jacket sound. It's great for background music at a cocktail party, as well as road trip music, as the cover suggests.

But where are songs like "Mack the Knife" or "Splish Splash", or even "Somewhere Beyond the Sea?" Yes, I am very impressed with this album and the unreleased tracks, but what about the songs that made Darin famous? It almost makes me suspect that the compilers of the album have something against those days, those traditional songs that were the essence of Darin's sound. Or I could be wrong. Perhaps they were only trying to create album that wasn't like all those other "Best Of"s out there that seem to fill the shelves of bookstores everywhere.

There's more bang for your buck on this Bobby Darin CD then any other out there today. Almost every song in this compilation is a real gem, but the best of the lot is Charade. This is the best rendition I've heard of this song, ever. Short, sweet, swinging KNOCK-OUT! My apologies to Mancini.

One complaint. Except for The Sweetest Sounds, the previously unreleased tracks are below standard. Especially Gyp, the Cat. Gee, I seemed to have heard that tune before. Know let me think, could it be Mack the Knife reincarnated?! "Gyp" is the right word. I hope somebody realizes that some songs are better left unreleased.

Still, even this could not sway my 5 star rating. This album is a swinger's delight!

This is a GREAT album from start to finish, but 3 of the 20 cuts deserve special mention.First, let's say for starters, that Bobby Darin is in TOP form on the entire album. Now, for the album's 3 great highlites. For real hard core Jazz fans, they can't be beat.First, "Charade" is taken up tempo, and it swings hard from start to finish. Second, "More" is simply excellent. This is the tune you will remember most from the album, but, the real musical highlight is "Once in a Lifetime".

It's taken at a very brisk tempo, and doesn't let up for a second. Special mention MUST be made for the rhythmn section, especially the drummer. (WHY is the personnel not listed in the credits???) Also, the trumpet section on this cut is astounding. I WISH they listed the players. I can't say enough about the band on this cut. If you are a real Jazz fan, you will absolutely love this chart. You will never hear a big band chart played with more power and precision that on this cut!! It is without a doubt Big Band Jazz music played as well as is humanly possible to play it.This is a great album, and Mr. Darin does himself proud on the whole thing, but these 3 fantastic cuts will be worth the price of the album alone! Wild, Cool, and Superb!!!
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This is awesome Darin- Richard Wess arranged many of these songs, and his collaborations with Bobby were by far the best. There are other "swing" collections - this one is the best.