Search - Johnny Mathis :: Night & Day

Another Appetite Whetting Reissue

L. J. Allen | Atlanta, GA United States | 10/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
NIGHT AND DAY by Johnny Mathis was originally issued as an LP compilation in the United Kingdom in 1980 (orig. CBS 31863). Fortunately, this CD reissue is now commercially available for USA Mathis fans. This recording includes Mathis tracks from his 1970s to 1980 LPs, featuring several songs previously unavailable in CD format.



Mathis' 1970s through 1980s discography was far more electic than younger music critics realize, or perhaps, are willing to acknowledge. During this period his repertoire included Smooth Soul, Pop-Rock, and a brief flirtation with Disco. Beginning in 1975, arranger Gene Page--a Barry White sideman--added a particularly soulful aesthetic to ten of Mathis's LPs.



Page's soulful orchestration of STARDUST and Mathis' tender delivery demonstrates that the best and oldest "traditional" songs can be re-shaped without losing their original quality. Unfortunately, Sony/Columbia has not reissued much of Mathis' mid-1970s through 1980s discography in spite of the diverse musical genres it included and the popular appeal and augmented fan base it generated.



This compilation is a great upgrade from the vinyl and a welcome treat for USA Mathis fans. Such a sampling will inevitably whet one's appetite for more CD-reissues of Mathis LPs from yet another one of his most musically-mixed periods."