Search - Anne Murray :: I'll Be Seeing You Again

At her peak, again

Lakewood_Greg | Lakewood, OH United States | 10/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is no ordinary tribute to the pop classics of the early 20th century, but an update by a confident recording artist who makes them her own. The fiddle introduction and swaying rhythm of the opening track signal that this is a western swing album, reminiscent of Bob Wills' dance hall music. After restoring a melody we'd all but forgotten was the essence of All of Me, Anne Murray and her band settle in to swing gently in As Time Goes By and Dream a Little Dream. Anne returns to her pretty voice of yesteryear for Smile and Over the Rainbow, both ballads framed in lovely, understated arrangements. And on the title track - I'll Be Seeing You - every syllable is exquisitely phrased. But the showstoppers are the uptempo numbers. Murray delivers an inspired vocal on the honky tonk, Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter. Her perfect pitch on Twilight Time astonishes, even though that's what we've come to expect. After You've Gone, drenched in New Orleans jubilation, is possibly the best track of all. And who'd have thought she'd sound so comfortable with Duke Ellington's Don't Get Around Much Anymore?Anne shrugs off previous covers of You Made Me Love You with a mid-tempo version that is as good as it gets. Finally, there's the perfect closing number, We'll Meet Again, with a shuffling rhythm that recalls Owen Bradley's work with Patsy Cline. I couldn't have guessed, when I bought my first Anne Murray LP at the age of 16, that I'd be just as excited struggling with the cellophane wrapper of a new release and settling into a chair to listen to her 33rd studio album at the age of 50. But the fact is that Anne Murray is better than ever. She now has a band that Nashville wouldn't have dared to record: piano-centered, rhythm-driven, with clarinet, flugelhorn, and accordian flourishes that somehow suggest a cabaret setting while staying grounded in the country or western idiom. This is dance hall music at its best. She and Tommy West are savvy producers. She's also at the peak of her interpretive ability, as Sinatra was in the late 50's and Dusty Springfield was in the late 60's. Anne respects the integrity of a song and eschews vocal excess, thereby re-affirming what is classic in classic pop. You will always be able to listen to these songs without tiring of them. Her phrasing is peerless: the vibrato sustains the melody, her perfect pitch nails each note, and her vocal punctuation pushes the rhythm forward. This is a well-crafted album, from start to finish. Buy it and enjoy!"

An Emotional Journey and Masterpiece from a Legend

Claude Bourggeois | Moncton, Canada | 10/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anne Murray has been recording in 5 decades. She was Elvis' favourite female singer. She has sung for Presidents and Prime Ministers. She has topped the Country, Pop, Adult Contemporary and Contemporary Christian charts. Her last 2 albums have gone platinum and gold in the USA and platinum in Canada. How do you top all of that ? The last years, although professionally have been very succesful for Anne, have been personally trying-the untimely deaths of Gene Mclellan (Snowbird composer), Leonard Rambeau (her manager), her daughter's eating disorder, a divorce, and most recently, the tragic loss of her best friend to cancer. This would be too hard for most people to take. But Anne has more courage than most, and to continue recording through all of this is a testament to her will and grace. This album is obviously quite personal and it is interspersed with tinges of bittersweet sadness and hauntingly beautiful melodies dealing with loss and loneliness. There are very few backing vocals on this album, the instrumentation is very low-key and 40's "crooner" style. On "All of Me", the album opens with a country-tinged performance, with hints of gospel that is upbeat even though the words are quite cuttingly sad. On "As Time Goes By", the arrangement and vocals are simple, yet quite competent. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" reminds us of Anne's classic performance of "Send a Little Love my Way"-with a great clarinet performance and Anne's vocals at times showing it's rougher side, which lends itself well to the song. "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" is irresistable-again gospel-tinged upbeat song with sad lyrics but great interpretation from Anne-perfect for her voice. Her most surprising performance comes on "Over the Rainbow"-treated with extra gentleness and simplicity which tugs at your heartstrings-the last note on this song is so real, so honest that it breaks your heart. The more you listen to it, the more you will realize how truly beautiful her interpretation of it is. "Twilight Time" is quintessential Anne, very engaging and easy on the ears-you'll feel as if you've gone back in time, with a Parisian feel to it. "My Buddy" is so personal and hauntingly beautiful it's hard to explain--gospel-tinged, bluesy, sad, easily one of the best Anne Murray songs ever-just brilliantly emotional-if you've ever lost a buddy, this song will be hard to listen to without shedding a tear. "After You've Gone", still another uptempo song with sad words- the vocals are quite strong and the instrumentation harkens back to the Big Band Era with a brilliant ending with trumpets blaring in all their glory-again brilliant. "What'll I Do" is another haunting song that is so personal-the vocals Anne delivers are so honest and sad I can't begin to put them in words-check out how she sings the word "photograph"-quite emotional. "Don't get Around Much Anymore" is a fun uptempo number and also has a gospel feel to it. "Smile" is another emotional gem. Beautiful, smooth vocals, haunting accordian, really takes you on a emotional, bittersweet journey of happiness and sadness at the same time. Along with "My Buddy", this song is also one of Anne's best ever-and believe me she has many great songs. "You Made Me Love You" is another competent number. "I'll be Seeing You" encompasses the feel of the album--deep rich vocals, words of longing and sadness. This song is so soothing to the soul if you've ever lost someone in your life. I can't overuse the word "brilliant" for this interpretation of this song-just powerful stuff. Anne really outdid herself. "We'll Meet Again" is a fitting ending to this truly personal journey. The song is sad, yet full of hope. The vocals are super, the instrumentation similar to an old Patsy Cline tune. The song leaves you longing for more. This is such a great album-give it a chance. It's one of those classic albums that the more you play it, the more you like it. Thanks Anne !"

I'll Be Seeing You

Emo | Arlington MA | 01/19/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I have been listening to Anne for about 30 years! This is the first time that I have wanted to return a cd. Not because her voice or choice of song...but rather for the cd company's choice of distributing the cd with "copy controlled". This makes it impossible to download onto my ipod! I feel like I have supported Anne over the years...concert tickets, 30 records, now cd's....I feel cheated!"