Search - Al Martino :: Al Martino - Greatest Hits [Cema]

Good--but way too short to be a "greatest hits" CD (three an

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Al Martino - Greatest Hits is a budget priced CD from the Curb Record label that lets people from all income brackets enjoy some of Al Martino's greatest hits. The problem, however, is that you could never take eleven songs by Al Martino and call them a "greatest hits" collection. This irks me; and so I have to take off a star and ½ for this problem. The sound quality is very good and the artwork is about par for this CD series.



"Here In My Heart" starts the CD off with a great hit that Al Martino sings; he easily showcases the operatic qualities of his voice and it really shines! Al's voice is rich and full of warmth; this impresses me greatly and "Here In My Heart" makes a fine beginning number for this album. "I Love You More And More Every Day" is a very pretty number with a somewhat country flavor; "I Love You More And More Every Day" features Al Martino squarely front and center--right where he belongs and that's OK by me! The music that accompanies Al is very beautiful and the strings are used very well in the arrangement.



"Spanish Eyes" was a huge hit for the great Al Martino; and just one listen tells you why--it's all THAT good! "Spanish Eyes" is a marvelous, timeless love song that only Al could deliver with such finesse. Great! Similarly, "Speak Softly Love" sparkles brighter than silver and gold when Al Martino sings this; and the backup chorus enhances the natural beauty of this classic ballad from the film called The Godfather. I love it!



"To The Door Of The Sun (Alle Porte Del Sol)" has a sharp arrangement and when Al Martino sings this it takes off like a jet! The backup chorus should have been singing a tad softer but it all still holds its own very well. "To The Door Of The Sun (Alle Porte Del Sol)" is easily a major highlight of this album. "Volare," a number I associate with Dean Martin, shines pretty brightly here as Al Martino sings it with a funky `70s disco beat. It's good to see how Al Martino could take a traditional classic pop vocal tune and infuse it with lots of positive energy to adapt it to the musical trends of the day. I am very impressed!



"There's Nothing Greater Than Our Love" stuns me with its beauty; Al croons this and shows how he could sing alongside the very best of them! The melody is very pretty and the backup chorus works wonders for this number--not that Al Martino needed it; but it does make the number very sweet. "Sing My Love Songs" also has a more modern beat and that's great; and the CD ends strong with Al Martino performing "To Each His Own." "To Each His Own" is a classic number and I think you'll enjoy this if you haven't heard it before.



Al Martino was very gifted and we are all better off for his having shared his artistry with us. This CD gives us great tunes but it's way to short to be legitimately called a "greatest hits" collection. Sorry, folks--but it does make a starter CD and it is good for casual fans as well.

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