Customer Reviews

Very Best of Cleo Laine - 34 Classic Hits

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An incredibly versatile singer! Cleo can go from swinging jazz to stately showtunes with amazing ease. This collection showcases all sides. She really swings on the Ellington tunes: "I'm Beginning To See The Light" and "It Don't Mean A Thing" among them. Her scat-singing is on par with Ella and Sarah. Good enough to make a silly song like "Birdsong" listenable. Then she shifts into Sondheim territory and turns in one of the best "Send In The Clowns" I have ever heard. A gifted writer, her "He Was Beautiful" is simply beautiful. She is almost bluesy on the heart-wrenching "I Loves You Porgy" and "Bill" from Showboat is a showstopper.

It is criminal that Cleo is not more universally renowned and revered. I recently saw her perform in Glendale, CA and at 70+ she is still a dynamic, mesmerizing performer. This collection is a great overview of her career and it will undoubtedly whet your appetite for more.

I can't believe that just a few years ago I never heard of this beautiful lady and today Im big fan of hers, with 40 albums in my collection! I saw her live on two occasion and she was always sensational! This album contains material recoreded for RCA - its the creme of the last 25 years since Dame Cleo became star outside of her native England and the body of work of a mature singer in a full prime.The new songs are duets with her daughter Jacqui, very moving and nice in their way but of course its Cleo that shines here, with suport of some first-rate guests.For those who are interested in her earlier albums I recommend "The British sessions" since its unbelievable strong album and represents Dame Cleo as she was when she was younger and full of fire!

This two-CD set shows the breadth and depth of Cleo Laine's range. While I'd prefer more of her "scat" works in a "Best of..." album, when she does it, it does you (i.e., Turkish Delight). This album is better appreciated after seeing Dame Cleo in concert with her husband and three piece back-up (ala Santa Fe in July). Witnessing her style, grace, the mesh of the ensemble, and the perfection of her performance is a thrill that can draw you into this album and help you fully appreciate the wealth of this music.

I ordered this CD just to listen to one number on it. However when you listen to Cleo you don't stop at one number. On the 2 CDs you get all of Cleo and the range of her numbers and voice is always outstanding. For long varied listening this is excellent.

As the cover of the CD says, Cleo Laine is one of the World's Greatest Singers. As a fan, from the late 1950s, I can recommend this 2 CD set both to her many fellow fans and as an introduction to those who may not have heard her before.
The 34 Classic Hits are a great representative collection showing her greatness on the world stage.

This 2-disc set would be the crowning touch to any Cleo Laine musical collection. A compilation of some of her best songs, it includes some excellent songs and a couple with her daughter, Jacqui Dankworth.

From the lighthearted 'Birdsong' and 'I'm Beginning to See the Light' to the deeper 'I Loves You Porgy', 'I Don't Know Why' and 'Send In The Clowns', Cleo makes each song in the album her own with her own special signature.

Dame Cleo is the ultimate live performer, the essence of which is sometimes hard to capture on a recording but this album showcases her talents beautifully.

Of course, my favorites are her jazz selections and the best are 'It Don't Mean A Thing', 'Turkish Delight' and 'Born on a Friday'. To my mind, the 'piece de resistance' of this collection would have been the inclusion of her rendition of 'Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer'. Well, maybe in a reissue ...

This is so true !!! With tunes like IT DON'T MEAN A THING (do wa do wa do wa) is a real classic and shows off Cleo's vocal range. TURKISH DELIGHT is a real delight, this lady can scat. A little bit of Porgy and Bess is showcased by Gershwin and there is some Sondheim, I REMEMBER and SEND IN THE CLOWNS. This is the Very Best of the Best. Buy this one today !!! And own the Very Best !!! You will enjoy the saxophone solos also, by John Dankworth, (Cleos husband).

I heard "You Must Believe in Spring" a million years ago on the radio but never really had time to track down the performer. Finally I found it on this album, shared it with my husband, and we fell in love with Cleo, her breadth of talent, the range of distinguished guests ... etc. We each have different favorites; but no other singers seem to have done "you must believe in spring," so that will stay my favorite. I had bought other Laine records (vinyl) over the years but when I found they didn't have that one song, I lost interest. I wish I knew where those are now - since I have my craving for that ONE SONG satisfied, I want more more more! I especially like "Birdsong" where you have to listen closely to tell which is her and which are the instruments! Truly amazing lady.