Search - Kay Starr :: When Lights Go on Again

STARR SHINES UNDIMMED

Jim Brooks | Aberdeen, Scotland | 06/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album, recorded Oct-Dec 1967, was one of Kay's final albums for a major label. You'd expect the teaming of Kay with Marty Paich would have resulted in something more dynamic than this mixture of pops and standards, but the mood is unusually laid-back for this most emotive of singers. Notable exceptions are the title track and "I can't face the day" which show Kay at her torchy, bluesy best. Another standout track is the nostalgic, bitter-sweet Kander/Ebb "I don't remember you", one of a number of attractive ballads in this set.



Anything by by the unmistakable and unique Miss Starr is worth a listen, and this is no exception, but it's mightily expensive and the transfer, retaining the original album's somewhat over-reverberant acoustic, is not as bright as it could be.



I yield to no-one in my admiration of Kay Starr, but at (more than!) full price this wouldn't be my first choice - for sure that's the Exemplar reissue of "Movin'!" and "Movin' on Broadway!""