Customer Reviews

The Windows of the World/Valley of the Dolls

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

 

 

This twofer collection is as excellent as all Rhino remasters of Ms. Warwick's work. These two forgotten albums are alive and well. Just splendid.

My diva of divas, Dionne Warwick was the muse for Bacharach-David. This combo CD is the best of what that team recorded in the studio with her.
Yeah, the theme of "Valley..." was done with Previn. The rest is done with Bacharach! Write the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to finally acknowledge the musical legacy of Dionne Warwick. It is long overdue!

One of the most original voices and smartest phrasings I have ever heard on popular music. Her repertoire takes the best and the worst from Bacharach & David team along with some other authors.

Surely the title song of 'Valley of The Dolls' pairs her best renditions, an impressive and strong performance I have never forgotten.

Two interesting Bacharach-David originals also come from this album: 'As Long as There's an Apple Tree' and 'Do You Know the Way to San José'. Also features an alternative version of Jimmy Webb's 'Up Up and Away'.

Finally, this album offers one interesting song which Ms. Warwick sang in the San Remo Festival (Italy): it is 'Silent Voices'. It's a pity that the Rhino Records team did not have the good idea to include the original 'La Voce del Silenzio' also sung by Ms. Warwick in Italian.

The other album in the package is 'The Windows of The World' and the title song is a must, one of the most inspired by the Bacharach-David team. Well I'm sorry to say that 'I Say a Little Prayer' is one of those worst lyrics penned by Hal David. Other smash hit was 'Always Something There to Remind Me'.

Some non-Bacharach-David include 'Somewhere' from 'West Side Story', the beautiful André Previn's 'You're Gonna Hear from Me', and the standard 'Taking a Chance on Love'.

I bought this CD for my mom. As a child I remember her playing this record and loving the words to the songs. I gave it to her as a birthday gift. When she opened it she screamed with excitement. I was so happy to find it on amazon. Quick and easy ordering. Will definitely purchase thru amazon again

As I mentioned, this pains me to do this because these are both great albums. But my CD is so distorted that its unlistenable! I have them both on vinyl and they are clean. I think there must have been some sort of problem with a small batch of these discs or something and some were sent out defective. Since nobody else mentions it in any of these reviews, I have to believe it. Am I the only one who hears this? Im afraid to buy another one to find out.

Both these Albums work together extrememly well. "Windows of the world " & "Valley of the Dolls" are both entrancing in melodies and lyrics. Some may prefer Diana Ross as the Queen of Romantic Soul, but my choice is without a doubt the incomparable Dionne Warwick. And the contents of these two albums should suffice to prove Dionne's "Supremacy", excuse the pun, please. Dionne's Range of Voice is Superb, but what Really sets Dionne apart from all her Soul Sisters, is Dionne's uncanny ability of Mood Projection. Dionne in these two albums and in nearly everyone one she produced highlights this ability. Her Voice can only be challenged by the great "Sade", as far as Projecting a Mood, and even "Sade" cannot equal Dionne's Range. These are Two outstanding examples of Dionne's domination of Placing her listener inside the atmosphere of what the music is intending to transcend. Musically Dionne Reaches her Audience's heart, mind & soul as well as any actor/actress of the theatre. She is without question The Queen of Romantic Soul.

My expectation of this CD may have been too high. It is the first VF I have bought of hers and for some reason I cannot get "into" it.

i love this re-release! every tune is impeccably arranged, and Dionne is...or was back in Her day, a marvelously understated craftswomyn. Brava.