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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great New Old Lanza CD, January 14, 2004
Judging from what I have read on this forum and others, all of us
have "rediscovered" great recordings lying around in our collections
that for one reason or another have been ignored for long periods of
time. Well, since I had "played to death" both the Mario! album and
MGM Performances album, I needed to search deeper. I found a CD that
I have played only twice...but one that contains many rewards and I
will now play this one until it hurts (my wife's ears that is!).Drum roll...the album is "You'll Never Walk Alone", now TEN years
old. It includes "songs of faith and inspiration", highlighted in a
brief review by Derek Mannering. There are eight songs from the Coke
Show which had not been released before this and many of the rest
are from the fine old RCA album "I'll Walk With God" with one or two
others from LP sources thrown in. All are remastered and have
excellent, crisp sound..which in my car sounded as good as I have
heard. My thoughts on this program:
1-I'll Walk With God: There is a good reason why this recording
starts every Lanza Ball. It is beautifully done and quite moving. I
think enough has been said about it already, so I will go on.
2-The Trembling of a Leaf: I have never heard this done by anyone
else. A delicate song sung with a wide range of emotion and dynamics.
Deserves wider exposure.
3-The Lord's Prayer: This particular recording is probably the
finest version done by Mario. It is also one of the all time great
recordings of this number. Have been enjoying this since the 78 era!
4-Love in a Home: Even though this comes from a popular show (Li'l
Abner), it is seldom performed. It features a delightful melody and
Mario breezes along with the vocal line.
5-Somebody Bigger Than You and I: A song that could easily be sung
in church. It is devotional and inspiring. Needs to be played more
often to remind us of our place in this universe.
6-Through the Years: Again, I can't remember anyone else recording
this. Fred? Regardless of that, it is a rewarding song.
7-Ave Maria: Bach-Gounod version. Always a delight. And I enjoy the
Schubert version as well. Mario has always done justice to both.
8-Without a Song: One of my favorites, one I have in my current
repertoire, and a recording I have always admired since I first
heard it on one of the old RCA LP's (I forget which one!)
9-The Hills of Home: Talk about an obscure (and possibly dated) song!
Probably no one else but Mario could have pulled this one off.
Unusual melodic line with very poetic words to match.
10-I Love Thee: ( Ich liebe dich...watch how you say that!!). I
prefer the For the First Time version, but this is still fine. Does
he flub a part of one word in this?
11-The Rosary: I first heard this melody on a player piano I would
pump in the sixties. Much more meaningful when words are added by
our favorite tenor. A fine recording.
12-Look for the Silver Lining: Tuneful and gay (if I can use that
word in its original meaning). Play this when you want to feel happy.
13-None But the Lonely Heart: A brilliant recording of a great song,
albeit another rather ignored piece. "My senses fail...a burning
fire devours me...none but the lonely heart can know my sadness".
Play this when you feel blue.
14-My Buddy: I am not so macho that I cannot admit I once sent this
recording to one of my closest male friends who was stationed in the
Army in Germany. Not surprised it is seldom sung these days, but
Mario can still move me with it. Anna felt it was sung too "big". I
disagree.
15-Guardian Angels: I love this song, but I prefer the commercial
recording of it somewhat more. Nice to know Mario enjoyed singing
this to his kids.
16-Somewhere a Voice is Calling: This has a Victor Herbert quality
to it. One you probably either love or hate.
17-Trees: I would play this for anyone I would want to hear Mario's
voice for the first time. Popular songs don't get much better
treatment than this recording. We are privileged to have it.
18-Ave Maria (Schubert): See the above Ave comments.
19-Because: I wish Mario could have sung this at our wedding!
Instead, I sung to Anna the beautiful melody of Chaplin's "Smile"
with words I wrote especially for her. It is called "Come Share My
Dream". I always like to hear this paired with "For You Alone".
20-Roses of Picardy: An oldie, but still a goodie. His perfect
diction carries the message of the lyrics.
21-For You Alone: Surely Mario used to play Caruso's version of
this, which is also well sung (even though the English is not so
good). He equals the great Caruso in passion and delivery.
22-You'll Never Walk Alone: Too short for my money and, in my honest
opinion, a quickly made recording that needed more work. Hardly
matters with all the greatness that proceeded it in this fine album.
If you haven't played it in awhile, pull it out and enjoy!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Play it again, Sam ..., February 24, 2004
Moved by the enthusiastic review of Sam, I bought a copy of this CD. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, am very grateful for Sam's review, and am cheerfully one of the diehard fans. No doubt it would be nice if we all could agree on what is great, what is good and what is not. Clearly, that's not possible. Each of us will bring to a listening experience individual expectations, based upon individual taste and the extent of his or her hearing acuteness, and the developed critical faculty which embraces both of those factors. There are it seems to me three ways of listening to any singer (or to any music or to any discussion, for that matter): with the mind, or with an emotional response, or with some kind of balance between those first two ways. Because Lanza sang from the heart (and I do not in so saying mean that he was not an intelligent artist), that's how I listen to him, so ... I'm going to be a happy and hearty listener and I will
play it again, and again, and again, Sam.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Same review, second verse . . ., November 6, 2007
. . . not any better, not any worse"
See my review of "Lanza: Greatest Hits"
Same ardor, same ringing high notes, plus some nice examples of Lanza's softer voice.
But, same sliding from pitch to pitch, same carelessness with the short "e" vowel sound. Why, in "Trees," for example, can he sing "against the earth's sweet flowing breast," but precedes it with "a tree whose hungry mouth is prast"?
However--
"I'll Walk with God" is probably the most problem free recording Lanza ever made. Why in the world did they use his voice for the movie "Student Prince," but a different actor? Lanza's acting was no more wooden than Edmond Purdom's.
Note, also, the sensitivity of "The Lord's Prayer" and "None But the Lonely Heart," and the passion of "Without a Song."
Despite the aforementioned shortcomings noted, this is my favorite of all my Lanza recordings, perhaps because many of the selections are included in my personal repertoire.
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by Mario Lanza 
