Good Night Dear Lord [Import]

If Columbia would only re-release all their artists albums like this, the world would be a better place, musically, anyways. This album comes from sessions with long-time Columbia arranger and conductor Percy Faith with the timeless vocals of Johnny Mathis. Both vocals and arrangements are flawless, reverent, and beautiful. Johnny's version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is the most touching I've ever heard. Both "Ave Maria"s are outstanding as well. The title track, "Good Night, Dear Lord" is a plaintive prayer set to music that really sets the mood without being overly "religious", if you will. But perhaps the greatest stand-out on this disc is the absolutely beautiful "I Heard A Forest Praying". This album is a welcoome addition to the listener of ANY denomination.

This may be the album thaat best illustrates the complete "mathis" range .From the very low in good night dear lord and swing low, sweet chariot to the very high in" Eli, El i and " koi nidre and "Ave Maria. This christmas the Jewish community highlighted this album and after listening to it again forty years later, i, believe this may be the most artistic demonstration of johnny's vocal virtuosity. Clearly one of his top ten albums of all time.

Johnny Mathis recorded this album in the late 1950s. Many

jewish people bought it because Johnny sang 3 fabulous jewish

songs in it: Kol Nidre , Eli Eli, and Where Can I go?.

It must have taken Johnny long hours to learn these jewish songs

which he sang beautifully. His voice was at his best.

Kol Nidre is a prayer sung at the day of atonement (Yom Kippur)

the holiest day of the jewish year/ It is sung in hebrew.

Eli Eli, is sung in Yiddish, asking G-D why he has forsaken us.

It acquired a deeper significance after the holocaust.

The other song WHERE CAN I GO, is about the jewish people

wondering from country to country, searching for a place to

go because they did not have a homeland. It was a song that

surfaced during the holocaust. After the establishment of Israel

the jewish state, additional lyrics were added that now we have

a homeland where we can go. This song is bilingual, sung in

English and Yiddish. In the 1960s Steve Lawrence also recorded

it and it became well known.

This album had such influence that even Barbra Streisand remembered buying it when she was a teenager. Barbra STREISAND

later recorded an album titled HIGHER GROUND, where she included

some songs from Good Night, Dear Lord, such as that wonderful

song ONE GOD and DEEP RIVER.

Thank you, Johnny Mathis, for recording such a fabulous LP .