Johnny Mathis Rapture/Romantically CD
Jet Rink | Oakland, CA USA | 07/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have had Johnny Mathis' Rapture LP since it was released in 1962, it's still in great shape. There are so many great songs on it, the one I like the most is "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow." I don't have the Romantically album but I recognize some of the tracks which have been recorded on some of Johnny's other albums. This man Johnny Mathis is probably the best of the romantic/ballad singers. He is in his early 70's but he still maintains a tour schedule, he takes care of himself physically and he is a positive, upbeat person. He is also a very humble man and has difficulty understanding the admiration and fondness his fans have for him. I hope we have Johnny for many years to come, he is a legend in his time AND many of his songs have been uploaded to the youtube web site, give them a listen."
AT LAST !
William G. Newton | TULSA,OK | 06/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"AT LAST, SOME TONE DEAF EXECUTIVE AT COLUMBIA RECORDS WOKE UP AND DECIDED TO RELEASE THESE TWO EARLY SIXTIES MASTERPIECES ON CD BY THE
LEGENDARY JOHNNY MATHIS.
WORKING WITH MASTERFUL ARRANGER/BANDLEADER DON COSTA, THESE TWO
SUBLIME ALBUMS SOUND AS GOOD TODAY AS THEY DID ALMOST FIFTY YEARS AGO.
"RAPTURE," THE FIRST ALBUM MATHIS AND COSTA RECORDED TOGETHER,
CONSISTS OF MOSTLY LESSER KNOWN SONGS BY WELL KNOWN SONGWRITERS LIKE FRANK
LOESSER (GUYS AND DOLLS) AND ALAN JAY LERNER (MY FAIR LADY).COSTA'S LUSH
STRING ARRANGEMENTS AND MATHIS' MAGICAL VOICE ARE IN PERFECT SYNCH. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE "MOMENTS LIKE THIS," "LAMENT," AND "LOST IN LOVELINESS." THE MOOD IS VERY SOOTHING AND INDEED, RAPTUROUS.
THE SECOND MATHIS/COSTA COLLABORATION, "ROMANTICALLY," IS MORE CONVENTIONAL IN ITS CHOICE OF SONGS. "AUTUMN IN NEW YORK," "SEPTEMBER SONG" AND "MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT" ARE STAPLES IN THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK. THE MOST INTERESTING OF COSTA'S ARRANGEMENTS IS THE SONG "IT'S ONLY A PAPER MOON." USUALLY THIS SONG HAS BEEN DONE BY OTHER ARTISTS AS A JAUNTY LITTLE DITTY; BUT HERE THE SONG IS DONE AS A STRAIGHTFORWARD BALLAD WITH A WONDERFUL RESULT. THERE IS NOT A DUD AMONG THE TWELVE SONGS ON THIS ALBUM.
THANKS TO COLLECTORS' CHOICE FOR NEGOTIATING THE RELEASE OF THESE ALBUMS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN AUDIENCE FOR GREAT MUSIC.
HINT TO COLLECTORS' CHOICE MUSIC: DID YOU KNOW THAT BETWEEN 1964 AND 1967, JOHNNY MATHIS RECORDED NINE ALBUMS ON THE MERCURY RECORDS LABEL AND NONE HAVE BEEN RELEASED ON CD?"
Johnny Mathis from his Great Best Times with Don Costa
Carlos from Rio | Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil | 08/25/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a real twofer, each album in its own disc, top quality, top Mathis from his Columbia Records first era, two of the final albums he's made for this early Columbia times.
Did you know 'Stella by Starlight' has a verse?: only Mathis would know it, only Mathis would sing it stylishly as well as he'd do with 'Stars Fell on Alabama', a Nat King Cole original - both tracks from 'Rapture' (1962), his first album with Don Costa arrangements, before Sinatra-Costa first collaboration 'Sinatra & Strings' (1965).
'Romantically' is a bunch of well picked up songs, performed in a highly professional standard, the third of Mathis-Costa collaboration, the last one for Columbia Records. Program opens with a complete take of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Getting To Know You' with verse and also offers a splendid performance of 'The Sound of Music'.
'Autumn in New York' and 'September Song' also in great shape.
All in all, this is a creme-de-la-creme collection from the great American songbook conducted by one of its greatest maestros and sung by one of the great voices from the American song treasure.
Mathis would leave Columbia after this 'Romantically' but would go on with the great Don Costa for some years ahead in his own Global Records."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1