Search - Lettermen :: Lettermen - All-Time Greatest Hits

I may grow old but this music never will!

Melissa P. Cooper | Indianapolis, IN | 04/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe it's the fact that my dad raised me on Southern gospel, but all my life I've been crazy about hearing all-male or all-female vocal harmony. The Beach Boys, the Vogues, the Pointer Sisters, Point of Grace, Take 6, Boyz II Men, and Color Me Bad--I never get tired of them. But none of them yet have shown the staying power of Bob Engemann, the Pike brothers, and especially Tony Butala, who has devoted his life and his career to maintaining and building the legacy that is the Lettermen. This group has been around for at least 40 years! I have a box full of their recordings from the 60s and 70s. If I had to choose just one to take to a desert island, though, ATGH would be the winner. Why? Because it lives up to its title--I consider these songs to be the best they ever recorded. Look at the songwriters: Bob Crewe, John Lennon, Paul Anka,Mac Davis (who originally wrote "Memories" for Elvis Presley), to name just a few. (The Lennon song, "Love" is especially beautiful--I had never heard it or a vocal version of "Summer Place" before buying this album) Some of these songs--such as "When I Fall In Love" and "The Way You Look Tonight"--have been recorded by other artists in recent years and used in "chick flick" soundtracks--but I cringe when I hear these remakes. The Lettermen, on the other hand, were--and are--perfect gentlemen when it comes to music. They are faithful to the rhythm and spirit of pieces here that were originally recorded by such classy acts as Frankie Valli, Little Anthony, the Classics IV, Nat King Cole, and Elvis. It's sad that the only way you hear the Lettermen sounds on the radio anymore is in metropolitan areas with AM stations that mix their music in with big band numbers and advertisements for laxatives. That's why I'm so glad to see this collection on CD for a new generation to discover. Open those vaults and keep 'em coming!"

Memories!

Matthew G. Sherwin | 05/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nostalgia personified! WOW! Did it ever transport me back in time. Unlike many of the performers of their era, The Lettermen were legitimate musicians and their talent was never more evident than in the selections included on this CD. Thanks for the beautiful, beautiful memories."

Good--but only as far as it goes (three and 1/2 stars)

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Lettermen - All-Time Greatest Hits is a fair to middling CD that suffers because of a track list that is just too short. There's no way these songs can be called a "greatest hits" collection; and that disappoints me. However, what we do get is very good quality material; and the sound quality is excellent. The artwork is very nice, too.



The CD starts with a live recording of The Lettermen in concert; they sing and play a medley of "Goin' Out Of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You." This sounds so sweet when The Lettermen sing it; and I'm really impressed. The track also demonstrates just how well The Lettermen could establish and hold a fantastic rapport with their adoring audiences. Great! "When I Fall In Love" really shines like gold as The Lettermen harmonize this to perfection; they sing, harmonize and play this so very well; they never miss a beat!



"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" stands out as a major highlight of this album; they harmonize so well that it stuns me. The Lettermen make "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" a most romantic ballad--even more so than when most other artists sings it! Listen also for The Lettermen to perform a great medley of "Traces/Memories." "Traces/Memories" has The Lettermen front and center and I love every minute of it! It's very pretty because of the very sensitive treatment that The Lettermen give to these two songs.



The theme from A Summer Place never sounded so good--and The Lettermen are the only people who could deliver this so very well! The strings are beautiful and they even help to mark the beat--very creative! The theme from A Summer Place is one that you're bound to love even if you haven't heard this one before. What a great introduction to The Lettermen this track would be!



"The Way You Look Tonight" also puts The Lettermen squarely in the spotlight--right where they belong! They harmonize to perfection and beyond! "The Way You Look Tonight" is a marvelous number. The CD also ends well with The Lettermen singing "I Believe."



The Lettermen were one of the best groups of the twentieth century; and that makes all the more a shame that this CD is just too short to be called a "greatest hits" album. I will take off one and ½ stars for that to make this a 3 and ½ star review. The Lettermen's fans may want to look elsewhere for a greatest hits album or a box set; this will appeal to the more casual fan.

"