Search - Doris Day :: Love Him / Show Time

Now THIS is the sound of music...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Love Him!/Show Time is yet another terrific twofer CD that gives us all of the songs from two of Doris Day's record albums entitled Love Him and Show Time. The sound quality couldn't be better; and I love that excellent artwork!



"More" starts the CD with Doris singing this so sweetly; and I commend her for playing a bit with the tempo and keys of this classic ballad. Doris' delivery is truly remarkable and any fan of hers will definitely love this opening track! "Can't Help Falling In Love" gets the royal treatment as Doris performs this with a slightly slower tempo than I'm used to-but it works very well for this ballad. Doris' excellent diction makes her performance even stronger!



"Since I Fell For You" is another classic love song that Doris delivers with panache; this is a fine interpretation of this melancholy ballad and I really like this tune. The piano arrangement is particularly elegant on "Since I Fell For You." In addition, there's "(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I;" this allows Doris to cover Elvis' famous tune and she aces this easily. I'm sure Elvis liked it! The strings help the melody along at the same time. "Lollipops And Roses" is another tune that shines so brightly as Doris sings this flawlessly; the lush musical arrangement works wonders for "Lollipops And Roses."



"I Got The Sun In The Morning" comes from Annie Get Your Gun; and Doris performs this with style, grace and just the right amount of energy to make this a memorable hit for her! "I Love Paris" is a classic love song that showcases Doris' vocals front and center--which is exactly where they belong! The strings and brass enhance the melody quite a bit and Doris' excellent delivery of "I Love Paris" makes this a highlight of this CD.



"People Will Say We're In Love" has a great arrangement for the brass while Doris sings this out like the chanteuse she was! Doris' voice is perfect for this ballad and I really like "People Will Say We're In Love." "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" comes from Oklahoma; and this was always one of my favorite classic show tunes. Doris performs this very well; I predict you'll like this, too!



"A Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific would make Mitzi Gaynor proud; Doris sings this with heart and soul--and it works very well. I love this tune; and the album also ends very nicely with Doris performing "The Sound Of Music." What an excellent closing number for this album!



Doris Day remains one of the best female vocalists of the entire twentieth century--and still, sadly, she just doesn't really get the recognition she deserves. I hope that as her CDs continue to sell more people will discover Doris Day.

"

A FIRST CLASS DOUBLE BILL!

Paul Brogan | Portsmouth, NH United States | 12/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD culled from two highly successful Doris Day albums of the 1960's will provide music lovers with a delectable example of why Day was one of the top-ranked vocalists of the 40's, 50's, and 60's, until she chose to walk away while at the height of her vocal prowess.
"Love Him" produced by her son Terry Melcher, allows Doris Day the opportunity to run the gamut of songs from the popular Presley tune, "Can't Help Falling in Love" which she makes her own, to a heartbreakingly poignant "As Long as He Needs Me" from the musical "Oliver" to a bluesey "Night Life". In addition there is "Lollipops and Roses", "More", the theme from "Mondo Cane", a wonderful rendition of "Softly as I Leave You", and "Since I fell for You"among others.
The arrangements are great but what ultimately makes it work is the obvious feeling Day has for the material. It also makes one wish that Day had continued recording since she evidences an ability to bring to contemporary music the same vocal expertise that she has always brought to the songs with which she is more often associated.
That brings us to the other portion of this CD, "Showtime", a collection of tunes from Broadway musicals of the 50's and early 60's. It is a clear indication of Doris Day's affinity to show tunes and makes it clearly understandable as to why, in the 1980's, she was approached with a "Fort Knox-style" offer to star on Broadway in "Calamity Jane", a stage version of one of her most popular films.
Distinguished composer Richard Rodgers supposedly penned a fan letter to Day after hearing a recording she had made of the song, "I Have Dreamed" from "The King and I". He stated he'd never heard it done more beautifully.
Reportedly after hearing Day's version of "Wonderful Guy" from "South Pacific" on the "Showtime" album, he called Joshua Logan, a longtime friend who had helmed both the stage and film versions of "South Pacific" and told him that he'd just heard Day's version, recorded several years after the film was released, and might never speak to Logan again. "Go buy the Doris Day album and hear the way it should sound not the pallid version Gaynor performed for you....", he supposedly stated.
Whether it's true or not is beside the point because Doris Day does render that song with a gusto, zest, and sincerity that is everything Rodgers and Hammerstein must have meant the song to embody. In addition, Day does numbers from "The Sound of Music", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Finian's Rainbow" and "Can Can", to name a few. Cole Porter, whose Massachusetts home Day and her husband Marty Melcher tried to purchase, stated to friends his admiration of Day's rendition of "I Love Paris".
My favorite number, however, is the haunting "Ohio" from "Wonderful Town". Doris Day, who hailed from Cincinatti, Ohio, lends remarkable feeling and depth to this underrated gem. One has to wonder if she wasn't almost singing it as herself, so movingly is it vocalized.
There is well over an hour of marvelous entertainment contained on this CD, and the only disappointment the listener will feel is the realization that it can't go on longer. By its conclusion, you'll be giving Day a standing ovation."

Two great Doris Day albums on one CD!

girard m digney | north hollywood, ca United States | 02/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Show Time" is yet another testament to Doris' talent as a singer. The album goes through practically every one of the big Broadway shows that were playing in the early part of the sixties. Doris was one of the best loved performers in the world at the time, and as such, she was afforded the best possible musicians and arrangers. Alex Stordahl's arrangements are quite simply superb and one can plainly see why Sinatra regarded him as one of the best musicians in the business. As for the "Love Him" album: from the very first note, DD presents each song as a personal one act play. Just about every emotion is displayed and a new "mood" is created with each song. This is a must for every Doris Day fan, and if you're not a fan already, this great 2 CD set will definitely win you over!"