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Content by M. Harris
Commentateur n° : 29,623
Votes Utiles:
2
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Reviews Written by
M. Harris "Mike Harris" (Alexandria, VA United States)
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Reviewer Rank:
29623 |
Page : 1 | 2
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This is the Top!, Jul 17 2004
This is an great album chock full of wonderful songs composed by one of -- if not the -- wittiest and most gifted songwriters (words AND music by the way) of the twentieth century. And the songs are sung by one of the greatest popular singers around; Ms. Warwick certainly proves on this album that she has the musical chops to sing along with the best of them -- Frank and Ella included -- when it comes to Porter's work. The arrangements sparkle. The ballads are beautifully sung. The upbeat numbers burst with energy. And Cole Porter's sensational lyrics come through loud and clear on every song. It's been said that of the many great songwriters of the 1930's, 40's and 50's, only Cole Porter has, thus far, proven to be completely irreplaceable. This album makes a strong case for that argument. (And while we're on the subject, I expect it will be quite a while before another Dionne Warwick comes along!) Bottomline: This is a great addition to the music library of any fan of the Great American Songbook, and any fans, in particular of Mr. Porter and Ms. Warwick.
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Loads of fun, Jul 8 2004
This is a fun little album consisting of ten versions of Ravel's greatest "hit" -- the fantastic "Bolero." This album covers the waterfront -- from synthesizer to Benny Goodman. My only complaint is that the quality of some of older recordings in particular is rather poor. In fact you need to crank up the volume on two or three cuts, otherwise you won't even realize the song has begun. It would be interesting to apply this concept to any number of the great classical and popular pieces that one can't seem to get enough of -- how about Cole Porter's "Night and Day" for starters?
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De-Lovely
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| Price: CDN$ 10.99 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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Utterly charming!, Jun 26 2004
Haven't seen the movie yet, but this really is a "de-lovely" soundtrack album that can stand on its own merit. A great mix of professional and ... uh ... less than professional singers cover many Porter standards. A few standouts include Robbie Williams, Alanis and Sheryl Crowe -- all do a great job! And Diana Krall obviously was born to sing Porter! Given the current music scene, any Cole Porter song sung by anyone is a welcome change of pace.
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Strange, engrossing, April 11 2004
Strange and amateurish in many regards, yet fascinating and engrossing in its own way, this David O. Selznick production is the original "Bird of Paradise" -- not the 1950s remake starring Debra Paget and Louis Jourdan, which will make for an interesting comparison if it's ever released on DVD. The stars of this one, Joel McCrea and Delores Del Rio, make quite a strange pair. Joel seems like a hayseed just off farm (his dialogue is peppered with "huhs?" and "whats?" as he seeks to communicate with the mysterious island beauty, Delores). As for Dolores, she seems to belong in a different, and probably more interesting, movie than this one. And even her fabled nude swim scene is pretty tame and unimpressive. The movie was filmed on location in 1930s Hawaii. Although the focus always seems a bit off, the scenery is still beautiful -- and a good reminder of what Hawaii must have been like before "they paved paradise and put up a pink hotel (the Sheraton Waikiki by the way)." There's also quite a bit of underwater photography, which is pretty impressive given that this movie was filmed approximately 70 years ago. Cheap and fun, this "Bird" is worth looking into if you're interested in old movies, and if you'd like to see what David Selznick was up to just a few short years before filming his masterpiece, "Gone with the Wind."
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Perfect. Charming. Perfectly Charming., April 11 2004
"For Me and My Gal" was released when Judy Garland was about to reach the pinnacle of her Hollywood career as an adult film actress/singer. Co-starring Gene Kelly, in his first film, it's a slightly more sophisticated -- and much more engaging -- version of the old Mickey-and-Judy behind the scenes musicals of the late 30s and 40s. The production values are exceptional, and were it not for the exceptional transfer to DVD (which is in beautiful black and white), you almost wish the film were in color. But the b-and-w photography is a good reminder of where the term "silver screen" came from, and it gives the film an interesting "vintage" feel that is somewhat different than the "glorious" technicolor musicals, like "Meet Me in St. Louis," that would ensure Judy Garland's status as an enduring musical legend. The commentary by John Fricke is fascinating (where does he find out all this stuff!?). The singing and dancing, and -- come to think of it -- the acting by Garland, Kelly as well as by future United States Senator George Murphy is exceptional. Interestingly, the best scene in film (in my humble opinion), the "For Me and My Gal" dance sequence with Garland and Kelly, seems to have been filmed in a complete, unedited single take. Very rare for an MGM musical number, and very impressive as well. With the DVD release of "For Me and My Gal" and "Meet Me in St. Louis," and with the earlier-released DVD versions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Harvey Girls," the only films missing from Garland's MGM "canon" seem to be "Easter Parade" and (perhaps) "The Pirate." I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Warner will release both on DVD sometime soon. (By the way, the DVD includes two very early MGM "shorts": "Every Sunday" and "The Fiesta of Santa Barbara." The former features Judy and Deanna Durbin, and although very dated, it's fascinating to see what a phenomenal talent Judy was even very early in her career. The latter features the Gumm Sisters, including Frances. Although also very, very dated, it's fun to watch.)
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Outstanding!!, April 8 2004
One of the saddest stories I ever heard about Judy Garland took place when she was in England shortly before her death in 1969. It seems that to impress her latest husband, she trekked down to the MGM office in London to borrow to copy of "Meet Me in St. Louis," which her then-husband had never seen. To add insult to the injury of her husband's never having seen the movie, MGM's London staff had never even heard of the movie -- incredible but true! Well, it's too bad Judy's not around to revel in this excellent DVD edition of one of her finest movies. "Meet Me in St. Louis" is a first class Hollywood musical, made in the hey day of the musical genre, produced by a top notch Hollywood studio, and starring perhaps the greatest cinematic musical star of the twentieth century. Wow! What more could one ask for? Well, if there's anything left, it's probably included among the fascinating extras including on this 2-disc DVD. In addition to great songs like "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Boy Next Door," the DVD includes an alternate track of the gorgeous background score, without any dialog or singing. There's also an alternate commentary track with fascinating details about the film, the stars, the source material for the film, etc., etc. etc. An exceptional transfer, the movie looks like the technicolor dyes are still wet. One of Judy Garland's top movies. This one was a long-time coming on DVD, but it is worth every minute of the wait. Can't recommend this one highly enough!
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A stunning and well-deserved tribute, Sep 28 2003
I'd give this documentary ten stars if I could!! A stunning and well-deserved documentary of the life of one of the true artists to emerge from the baby-boom generation. Joni has always seemed kind of like the Rock of Gibraltor; always was there, and always will be there. But this documentay is a fantastic reminder of how much Joni had to overcome in her initial climb to stardom, and of her staying power as a musical legend -- and maverick -- for the last 30 (or so) years. It also underscores how much Joni and her work mean to so many people. By the way, her reunion with her daughter (and grandchildren) is a tear-jerker. A beautifully produced documentary by people who obviously love and care deeply about Joni as an artist and a person. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Joni Mitchell
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de Leonore Fleischer
Édition : Paperback |
| Availability: Currently unavailable |
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Cherished collectible, Jun 13 2003
I can't believe no one has ever reviewed this little book -- it literally has been on my bookshelf for years! I bought my well-thumbed copy in a book store in Rockefeller Center about 1976. It's a "fan club" type book, which was written and published at the point in her career when Joni was at the top of her game. It provides a 'snap shot' of Joni and her work (and her loves!) at a particular moment, and it's a fascinating read almost thirty years after its publication. Any die-hard Joni fan will get a big kick out of this one.
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WOW!, Aug 24 2002
What a terrific album! More than sixty years after it was composed by Rodgers and Hart, the score of "Pal Joey" shines as brightly as a new penny. The songs are just great: "I Could Write a Book" and "Bewitched" are of course absolute classics. But it's the less well-known numbers that really knocked me over -- it's literally impossible NOT to tap your feet, drum your fingers, shake your booty . . . or whatever during "Happy Hunting Horn" or "Plant You Now, Dig You Later!" This recording is first rate. That Patti Lupone is wonderful is certainly no surprise, but I have to say that Peter Gallagher's singing talent WAS somewhat surprising -- to me at least. Bebe Neuwirth makes a splash with the witty and wonderful "Zip" (a song about Gypsy Rose Lee). The rest of the cast is less well-known but extremely talented. The original orchestrations were used and they definitely stand the test of time. This is one super album -- and especially if you love the music of Rodgers and Hart!
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Original Cast
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| Price: CDN$ 18.99 |
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| Availability: Usually ships in 10 to 12 days |
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Just Great! Lots of Fun!, Jul 21 2002
In addition to the movie, I've seen The Fully Monty twice; the first time on B'way and more recently the roadshow company in Washington, DC. Both times I -- and the rest of the audience -- have had a blast. This is a fun show, and the cast album conveys this fun! It's not Rodgers and Hammerstein by any means, but you can certainly expect to leave the theater (and the album) whistling several of the tunes. The lyrics are clever and memorable. "Big Black Man" is a hoot. "Michael Jordan's Ball" is another very clever ditty -- and one that had the audience on it's feet! One song, "You Walk With Me," could become a standard. It's easily the standout number in the score. Although it's used as a theatrical device to establish the relationship between two of the play's characters, its hymn-like quality and the point it makes about any meaningful relationship really take it to another level -- beyond just the context in which it's used in the score; a beautiful song.
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