Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous!, December 22, 2000
This is the first time the soundtrack to this film had been released in true full stereo, and what a difference it makes. Doris sounds better than ever, and these are some of the best vocal performances she ever recorded. Some of the selections are slightly different than the original LP in length, but not general content. Plus, the medley lead-in to "Ten Cents a Dance" is included. As a bonus we have the "single" version of "I'll Never Stop Loving You" and two production tracks. This is a must have disc for fans of Doris and great classic musicals.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE IT DON'T LEAVE IT!!, February 6, 2002
The soundtrack to the hugely popular 1955 bio-film, "Love Me or Leave Me" starring Doris Day and James Cagney may well contain Doris Day's best vocalizing of the 1950's. The album placed at or near the top of the charts for many months and deserved that lofty position.
After 7 years as the reigning musical star at Warner Brothers, Doris Day left that studio and went to MGM where she was the first actress to receive billing over Cagney in a couple of decades. Her performance as 20's/30's singer Ruth Etting received critical acclaim and her voice never sounded better as she sang well over a dozen songs in this powerful, no holds barred biopic. It was almost as though her release from Warners enabled her to find new vocal expression.
The CD of the film has been masterfully worked to capture the richness of the soundtrack. Percy Faith's orchestrations recall the 20's/30's era without resorting to the old, sometimes tinny sound that might have distracted todays' listeners.
Most of the songs featured are numbers gleamed from the era in which the film takes place. They are a diverse bag and manage to sound fresh and new thanks to the arrangements and renditions.
Several new songs were written for the film including the Oscar-nominated "I'll Never Stop Loving You", which was a chart hit for Miss Day in 1955.
Ultimately what makes this CD work so well are the pure, passionate, and unforgettable vocal work of Doris Day.
Those who relegate Miss Day to the realm of her hit recordings in the vein of "Whatever Will Be, Will Be", "A Guy is a Guy" or "Everybody Loves a Lover" will receive a revelation when they listen to this CD. Miss Day easily proves herself to be a consummate singer whose clear, genuine, heartfelt and stylish voice can instantly transport the listener to the story she is telling through her music.
"It All Depends on You" which Miss Day sings, accompanied by only a piano, is a poignant moment that will stir within any lover of fine music a reservoir of emotion and admiration for the artist.
From the title tune through "You Made Me Love You", "Mean to Me", a classic "Ten Cents a Dance" and the show-stopping "Shakin The Blues Away", Day shows she has few equals when it comes to capturing the essence of what the composer and lyricist surely had in mind when they penned their work.
"Love Me or Leave Me" must surely rank as one of the finest soundtracks from a 1950's film and after listening to it you're certain to climb on the bandwagon by singing it's praises. It's a must have for any collector of classic film scores.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Doris in her element, March 4, 2004
Doris Day found the role of a lifetime in the legendary torch singer Ruth Etting. Etting's biographical life as told in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME is, in my opinion, Doris Day's finest hour on screen. Likewise, the soundtrack album is a must-own for all true Doris Day fans.LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME recounts the early life and career of Ruth Etting, who was dominated by her lover and manager Marty 'The Gimp' Snyder (played by James Cagney in the movie). The film also featured fine work from Cameron Mitchell (CAROUSEL). Percy Faith's recreation of the brassy orchestras of the 1920's and 30's is right on the money, and Day fits the period perfectly. Standout numbers include her all-out rendition of "Shakin' the Blues Away", as well as the delightful corn of "Sam the Old Accordian Man". Day also sings such Etting standards as "My Blue Heaven", "You Made Me Love You" and "Ten Cents a Dance". Day's rendition of the title song is indeed haunting, summing up the stormy and violent relationship between Ruth and Marty. This reissue features all-new remastering in true stereo, as well as demo recordings and a previously-unreleased version of "Ten Cents a Dance".
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by Doris Day 
