Customer Reviews

Where the Hits Are

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I can understand the publics frustration being a retired recording musician. Singers who are in the business for years, re-record the same songs 15 or 20 years later. Their voice is older and instrumental sounds are different with another band. Each musician and studio will have a new sound. Normally, if a singer stops recording within 10 years, you will get only the originals. Watch how it is advertised. Look for "song hits by the original artist and the original band". You may have to buy boxed sets to get the 1'st recordings if they are very old. But, sometimes, with luck, you will get the original recordings you remember hearing on the radio or juke box.

Connie still had what it took when she went into the studio for this compilation: although her voice is clearly more mature, it still possesses that unique "sob" and considerable energy, and she aquits herself well in revisiting the songs that made her one of the brightest singing stars of her generation. She also does surprisingly well with a number of new songs, most particularly "Misty Blue."

Even so, there is a spark missing here. The arrangements, for one thing, seem more akin to what you would you find in a Las Vegas act than they do to the crackling originals--they have a softer, less aggressive tone. As for Connie's voice, which was always a delicate instrument, it is clearly more mature here--and although she gives such tunes as "Vacation" and "Stupid Cupid" plenty of energy, the result is more nostalgia than reinterpretation. But when Connie Francis is good, she is still very, very good. "Where the Boys Are" sounds as fresh as ever, and such torch songs as "Hurt" have a power that only a mature voice can convey--and convey it she does. WHERE THE HITS ARE will never take the place of the original recordings, but it is an enjoyable trip down memory lane for fans.

Guilty pleasure: Where The Boys Are. Bought the CD just for that song. What happened? I'm hooked on the whole darn album. Misty Blue and Torn Between Two Lovers blows away the original artist's hits. Connie adds an urgency and poignancy to every song. Right now, it's the CD I play most. I can do without Stupid Cupid and Vacation, but everything else is great.

Oh my, this cd package is awful. It consists of re-records so awful as to sound like parodies. Miss Francis' performances are as stiff as a board and she sings as though under hypnosis. Truthfully, we all have better things to do than listen to Connie croak out old ditties like Stupid Cupid. Get the original Greatest Hits instead.

Don't be fooled by this one.... this cd is original in the fact that these recordings are from a recent visit to the studio. The Francis voice and charm is still there, and as strong and poignant as ever. Be sure to pay close attention to her versions of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," "Hurt," "Torn Between Two Lovers," "Cry," and "Misty Blue." Miss Francis' versatility shines in this cd as you'll hear her perform ballads, country, and a little country/rock ("Ol' Time Rock & Roll"), too. This cd is meant for any Connie Francis collection.

Thank you Connie for re-recording many of the original songs that made you famous.They sound terrific.Your voice and stereo sound are better than the originals.This is the best cd for those 50's and early 60's Connie songs.The other best Connie cd is "Swinging Connie Francis",the re-title of the Connie and Clyde album.It happens to be Connie's favorite album,as it also is mine.If you're looking for Connie music,buy both of these cd's.They're both of her best.

These aren't Connie Francis' original hits: These are re-recordings that are occasionally painful to listen to. Do we really want to hear a mature woman in her '50s sing songs like "Stupid Cupid" and "Lipstick on Your Collar"? It's especially not wise, because Francis' voice hasn't aged well at all. Stay away from this and stick with the original hit recordings.

This is an awesome CD! It shows that Connie Francis is still going strong. Her version of Old Time Rock & Roll is fantastic!! I have seen Connie Francis "live" and she sang that song. Her re-recordings of her big hits actually sound better now than when they were originally recorded.

I am a little more than shocked to see this cd only rated 3 stars. I have been a loyal Connie Francis fan for years and years. Have even talked to her on the telephone. This cd is truly beautiful and contains old as well as new music. All of the cuts are great, especially Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Misty Blue (my favorite), Old Time Rock 'N' Roll, Torn Between Two Lovers, and Hurt. They're all great.

People who have not previously been Connie Francis fans have heard this cd rave about it and after hearing my copy have gone out immediately and bought their own.

No, this is not a 3 star cd. It's a true 10!

Almost without exception, the recordings here are superior, in terms of both performance and engineering, to the originals. Hit songs remade years later usually lack a certain spark. But not in this case.