Customer Reviews

I left My Heart in San Francisco

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I remember when I first heard the title song on a brand new radio station, KEZY, the second radio station in Orange County in California. I was carrying mail at the time and had a transistor radio to keep me company during my rounds.

Anyway, his signature song is backed by a number of great selections. A number of them come from Broadway & Hollywood: the nostalgic ballad, "Once Upon A Time" from "All American"; the tender "Have I Told You Lately?" from "I Can Get It For You Wholesale"; the hauntig "Tender Is The Night" from the film version of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel; "Smile" written by none other than Charlie Chaplin and first heard in "Modern Times"; and perennial Broadway favorites, "Love For Sale" and "Taking A Chance On Love".

Then there's a swing arrangement of the country & western "Candy Kisses", rousing versions of "Rules of the Road", "Marry Young", and "The Best Is Yet to Come", as well the lyrical Chopin adaptation, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows".

This album is, to me, one of the ten best popular albums ever.

This is a great collection of some of Tony's biggest songs from the early 1960s when his voice was even more perfect than it always has been. The title song, his signature, never sounded better -- although the live version at Carnegie Hall in 1962 is also wonderful -- and the album is made up of first-rate songs. As usual for the '60s, the studio felt obligated to add a chorus in the background, but even this does nothing to spoil a timeless album.

Bennett's vocal prowess is stunning, with one passage in 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows' where he must not breathe for half a minute and holds the note perfectly. As always, there are hints of Tony's good humor, as in 'Have I Told You Lately?' where he laughs at "all the girls he could have been stuck with."

Very highly recommended. You might also check out the Live at Carnegie Hall album, which is a lot of fun.

I first heard T.B. sing when I was a little girl. Of course we only had radio then. It felt pleasant to sit at the dinner table with my family and listen together to his smooth, soft voice. When he sang it was as if he never took a breath. The words just flowed out. As an older child I was able to watch him onTV. I must say I was a bit disappointed in his looks. I had pictured him to be very different. Nevertheless, his voice still invited me to melt in his arms, so to speak. For several years after that I hadn't heard him sing. I wonder where he was. However, over the last few years I was reintroduced to him on TV and found that he is also a very creative artist. The curious thing about T.B. is that he appeals to the young people today more than he did" way back when".TB. is aperson who will live on foreveer in the hearts of the American people. His greatest asset was the sincerity with which he presented his work.

It may not be his best,but it's very pleasant listening from the beginning to the end.I like TONY's version of LOVE FOR SALE a lot with it's terrific bossa nova arrangement that almost makes you beleive it's another song.It's hard not to think of PERRY COMO when you hear I'M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS but again TONY manages to delivers his own special rendition.At that time 1962,the singer is in full control of his voice.About the only complaint is the running time;wouldn't it have been great to have it on a 2 lps on 1 cd collection?Check out TONY's little mistake on the last number THE BEST IS YET TO COME;they kept it for fun.

Everything's correct here. Here are some Bennett's smash hits. I agree. However, today, I'd choose some other Bennett CDs here @ Amazon. Unless you say you're gonna buy all. I'd salute you for this. Great Bennett.

This is, perhaps, the definitive collection of Tony Bennett recordings. Included are some of the songs most associated with him. The title track, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", sets the pace but it just gets better.

"Smile", in particular, is done with a pathos and empathy that any artist would envy. It is a masterwork.

Much of this album is dated in that the songs are of a bygone era. So to are the recordings reminiscent of the days of vinyl disks. That does not mean they sound scratchy; they don't. Instead, it seems to be an artifact of the recording process in use when they were recorded. It helps to set the mood. The instrumental accompaniment also lends to the aura.

This one is a must for Tony Bennett fans.

Here is Tony Bennett's 1962 Columbia Records release,originally available in both mono(CL 1869) and stereo(CS 8669). The title track became a Top 20 hit in August 1962 and was also one of Bennett's best-loved recordings. Bennett was signed to Columbia in 1951 or '52 and still,at age 81,records on the label today. I also like CANDY KISSES,THE BEST IS YET TO COME,HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY?(this is not the Van Morrison composition),LOVE FOR SALE,TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE and SMILE. The other songs are great.