The Very Best of Ed Ames

Ed Ames, Ed Ames | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00005LN5B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Ed's best, taken from the original master tapes for amazing sound quality, inc. the songs Try To Remember & A Man And A Woman. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great voices of the 20th century, August 7, 2002

By 

Brent Ayotte (Riverside, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Best of Ed Ames (Audio CD)

This album has the best of Ed Ames' hits. He had one of the most powerful and beautiful voices of the 20th century. I saw him at the Hollywood Bowl in 1971 (I was a young teenager)and at one point, he sang without any amplification, and it could be heard all the way to the back of the audience! While he recorded some 30 albums for RCA as a solo act in the 60's and 70's, only 3 of those complete albums have been released so far on CD (His Christmas album should DEFINITELY be re-released next). So, for either the collector, or the person new to his warm and moving style, this is the pick of his best. "My Cup Runneth Over", his biggest single hit, still shows off his ability to sustain a long note powerfully with great warmth, and the anthem "Who Will Answer", though corny by today's standards (think "In the Ghetto" type of sincerity) is still compelling with Ed's restrained, yet "anger beneath the surface" vocal. The album also shows off the growth changes in his style after leaving his brothers' act in the early 60's to pursue a solo career: "Try to Remember", from "the Fantastiks", is the earliest hit on the album; his style here is still leaning classical. "Changing, Changing" was the most recent hit, compare his "swingin' vocals" (for the 70's) to "Try to Remember". Whatever your musical taste, buy this one; you won't be disappointed!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ed Ames standing front and center--BRAVO, ED AMES !!!, May 15, 2008

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Very Best Of Ed Ames (Audio CD)

The Very Best Of Ed Ames is a fine CD that gives us twenty of his wonderful hits and ballads. This may not have every last one of his best; but as a single CD compilation it really stands out as being one of the better ones. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done.

The CD opens with Ed Ames singing his heart out on "Try To Remember" from The Fantasticks; Ed delivers this with so much feeling that it really makes a stunning beginning for this album. Ed's voice never sounded better and the music that accompanies him fits in perfectly with his vocals, too. "A Man And A Woman" is a tender song about love; Ed Ames bats this straight out of the ballpark with his flawless delivery and this impresses me quite a bit. Wonderful! Similarly, there's a wonderful rendition of "My Cup Runneth Over;" "My Cup Runneth Over" is a tender number about love and Ed delves into this ballad to make it a very special number. This ballad is a very moving one indeed!

"It Seems A Long Long Time" gets the royal treatment from Ed Ames who sings this with passion and there's also "One Little Girl At A Time;" "One Little Girl At A Time" has great harmonizing and it's one of the stronger love ballads on this album. The music is also very pretty. "Who Will Answer" puts Ed Ames squarely in the spotlight and you will like this touching ballad even though it's not exactly the happiest tune on this CD. In addition, "The Wind Will Change Tomorrow" has a stunning melody that is somewhat Latin or Caribbean in its own way; and Ed Ames sings this so well it seems he was born to sing this number! The percussion also helps to mark the beat on "The Wind Will Change Tomorrow."

"Son Of A Travelin' Man" has Ed singing with a strong backup chorus and the musical arrangement is also extremely lush without drowning out Ed! This upbeat tune really stands out as one of my very favorites by Ed Ames and just one listen will tell you why! I predict that you will enjoy "Son Of A Travelin' Man" very, very much. "Changing, Changing" has a fine melody and Ed Ames showcases the operatic qualities of his voice on numbers like this one. There's also "All My Love's Laughter;" this ballad gets a fine treatment from Ed Ames and this will impress you quite a bit.

Listen also for Ed Ames to do a wonderful job on "Two For The Road;" this ballad is a moving one and it's very beautiful at once. The CD ends strong with Ed Ames performing "Timeless Love;" "Timeless Love" is a great love song that strikes me as being especially beautiful. Great!

Ed Ames remains one of the best male vocalists of the twentieth century even though he is sadly somewhat forgotten. I recommend this for his fans and people who enjoy classic pop vocals.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Don't Make Voices Like This Anymore, September 4, 2002

By 

Dumb Ox (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Very Best Of Ed Ames (Audio CD)

We first became acquainted with this man's smooth and beautiful baritone on the Time-Life Treasury of Christmas album. Being too young to remember hearing him first-hand, we bought this CD to sample more of his talent. It was a wonderful investment, full of gorgeous songs. Mr. Ames's forte is ballads, and this collection has some of the best ever written. There isn't a bad song in the bunch and the recording quality is excellent.

The first two songs are sung in a deep and dramatic way that is fine for their style. "Try To Remember" and "A Man And A Woman" are both done in this more theatrical mode, showing that Mr. Ames can really belt out his vocals. The rest of the tunes are rendered in a more natural way that really shows off his range and control to the best advantage. The album contains a nice variety of musical styles from slow ("Let Me So Love") to faster ("Apologize"), country ("Blue Side Of Lonesome") to spiritual ("Who Will Answer?"). Our personal favorites include "Time, Time", "Let Me So Love", "All My Love's Laughter", "Timeless Love" and the beautiful "My Cup Runneth Over". This last song is probably the finest version of the tune ever made, showing off Mr. Ames's vocal talents, especially his almost uncanny breath control and dynamics.

Mr. Ames was part of a singing quartet of brothers whose harmonies are now the stuff of legend; he had a successful career with them before forging off on his own. Unfortunately, singers like this just don't seem to happen anymore. If the listener wants to hear a rich and pure baritone, then this CD will nicely fill the bill. In this day and age of mediocrity, this is about as good as it gets.