Unsung Irving Berlin (Studio Cast) [Cast Recording]

Irving Berlin, Unsung Musicals (Series) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 1995)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 1995
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B0000014X4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,360 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. It's a Lovely Day for a Walk

2. A Beautiful Day in Brooklyn

3. You're a Sucker for a Dame

4. But I Ain't Got a Man

5. Nothing More to Say

6. That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune

7. Outside of Loving You - I Like You

8. I'm the Guy Who Guards the Harem

9. Long as I Can Take You Home

10. Go Home and Tell It to Your Wife

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. I Don't Wanna Be Married, I Just Wanna Be Friends

2. I Say It's Spinach

3. Do You Believe Your Eyes, or, Do You Believe Your Baby?

4. How Can I Change My Luck?

5. I Used to Play It by Ear

6. If You Don't Want My Peaches, You'd Better Stop Shaking My Tree

7. You're a Sentimental Guy

8. If I Had My Way, I'd Live Among the Gypsies

9. Let's Keep in Touch While We're Dancing

10. With Music

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Berlin treasury, November 16, 2003

By 

Jack Bess (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unsung Irving Berlin (Studio Cast) (Audio CD)

This is a real treat for the Irving Berlin fan. With one exception, these songs were all new to me. I particularly like hearing songs from his early ragtime days. The singers all do a fine job.
Of special interest, to me at least, is "As Long As I Can Take You Home," a song from Berlin's mystery-shrouded later years. Written in 1966 and revised in 1978, it doesn't rank with his great ballads, but it's still a very sweet and touching song to his wife. Another fine ballad is "Sentimental Guy."
I have one reservation -- the arrangements. They're a bit heavy at times. What rankles me the most are the rinky-tinky arrangements given to some songs from the 1910s. It's especially bad on "If You Don't Want My Peaches..." which happens to be well sung by Berlin's granddaughter. But the sauciness of her performance and the lyrics are at odds with the awful arrangement marred by xylophone and pennywhistles (which some arrangers resort to when trying to evoke the ragtime era -- you almost envision the band wearing funny hats or something...)
That aside, this double CD is a labor of love and contains at least a few songs from unproduced shows that could have been hits. I hope there will be many more volumes of Unsung Berlin.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous!, April 13, 2008

By 

Damien Slattery (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unsung Irving Berlin (Studio Cast) (Audio CD)

This 2 cd set is a love letter to the songs of the great Irving Berlin. The recordings are restrained enough to highlight the skill of Berlin's compositional gifts. Rare gems-resound here! Extremely recommended!

Damien Slattery