Search - Jay & Americans :: Jay & The Americans - All Time Greatest Hits

Great as far as it goes

Eric V. Moye | New York, by way of Dallas | 12/10/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the day, Jay Black & the Americans were ALL OVERNew York top-40 raido, with good reason. ... I could rave on and on about his voice, which comes through wonderfully on this CD.Most of their biggest hits are here, like the incomparable "Cara Mia" and "Come a Little Bit Closer". Also here is one of my heartfelt favorites, the tragic "She Cried". While not as commercially successful as other songs, this was ... Obsison-like in its tragedy.I took away one star, though, because another Jay & the Americans collection called "Originals" (also available on Amazon) has a handful more songs. Some, like "Let's Lock the Door" were commercial successes. Others were not as popular, but equally as good.Either, way, though, you cannot go wrong with these guys or therse collections."

Maybe the greatest voice of them all

David E. Levine | Peekskill , NY USA | 02/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jay Black has a voice of operatic stature which he applies to popular music. In this collection of ten songs, all feature Jay Balck except for "She Cried," the group's first hit, which had a lead singer named Jay Trainor. "She Cried" is a haunting song which slips into a minor mode. Trainor's voice was also exceptional, a bit grittier than Jay Black's. After the group's first hit, they didn't do well and Jay Trainor quit. They needed a new "Jay" so they found Dennis Black who became "Jay." They then hit it to the big time with "Only in America."This cd has most of their essential hits but notably missing is "Some Enchanted Evening." This song is from "South Pacific" and Jay's operatic rendition was by far the biggest selling version ever recorded. The most operatic sounding song in the collection is "Cara Mia." I recently heard Jay perform this on a television special. He is in his 60s and he can still hit the notes. Years ago, my wife, a few friends and I saw Jay in oncert. We managed to clue him in that it was my wife's birthday. He called her name and asked where she was sitting. She identified herself and then, jay dedicated "Cara Mia" to her. That was a great moment. Anyway, despite the fact he "Some Enchanted Evening" is missing, at the budget price, I highly recommend this cd."

Wonderful Music

Trish LaBeau | 05/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jay Black has one of the most operatic voices in rock and roll! Listen to him belt out "Cara Mia"- I believe he holds one note for over fifteen seconds. Jay's powerful voice is reminicint of Roy Orbison's.This is a stunning collection. It's the kind of music that really pumps you up and gets you going. It energizes!To me, the best is "Walkin' In The Rain"- the character in the song is lonely- but confident he'll meet the right girl someday, unlike Roy Orbison's lonely boy character that has all but given up.This is positive stuff- bright, sunny, and full of vim and vigor. Perfect to pop in the walkman and run with!This collection is a winner- and budget priced to boot!"