Neil Sedaka - Definitive Collection (22 tracks) +Album Reviews

Not really definitive

Richard M. | Seattle, WA | 04/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Be advised that the first half dozen tracks on this CD are re-recordings of Sedaka's 60's hits, and not the original versions."

Re-Recording Alert!!

T. C Lane | Marina, CA USA | 04/29/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"From the TV ad by Razor & Tie and Sedaka's own appearance plugging this CD on QVC, to the packaging itself, there are no indications that the RCA stuff are re-recordings. I should give the thing 1 star for deception alone. But the Rocket songs are the original's. What a missed opportunity this CD is. It could've been the first U.S. CD that combined Sedaka's RCA and Rocket hits. As it stands, this is only for Sedaka die-hard's."

Big let down! Re-recordings! Buyer Beware!

Robert G. Martinez | Brooksville FL | 05/02/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I always thought Neil Sedaka was an underated hit maker. From 1958 to 1963, you could always hear his hits on transistor radios on the beach or in car radios and everywhere. He was a master pop song writer and a great singer. His songs featured great hooks and melodies. So when I read about this new release celebrating his 50th year in the business, I ran out and checked it out. The answer: Big dissapointment! The early sides are all re-recorded. I wanted to hear the original versions not some new version. What's up with that? Old hipsters know..just the sound of the original brings back memories. Re-recordings are for newbies who only care about sonic brilliance, but all the ambiance of memories is lost. If you really want a good CD on his early hits, stick with "The Very Best of..." or "All Time Greatest" . The very best of Neil..also features the rare gem from 1959, "I Go Ape", which is hard to find and the best overall sound (released in 2001). You can't go wrong though with either one. This new release could have been "the definitive collection" combining both the best of his RCA and Rocket sides, but alas it's just a marketing scheme by executives who don't really know Neil Sedaka. It's a sampler with too much an emphasis on the newer stuff, some of which never really charted. The earlier CD compilations overall contain more hits and the sound is very good and clean especially "The Very Best of..." which does have more presence and punch, plus the recordings are all original not K-Tel re-recordings."

Disappointing anthology of one of America's all-time favorit

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 08/07/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Oh how I wish I had read the reviews before I snapped up this one! If I had I would have been alerted to the fact that a number of the songs in "Neil Sedaka: The Definitive Collection" were in fact re-recordings. I must say that I am very disappointed in Razor and Tie records. There was absolutely nothing on the packaging to indicate that some of these songs were not the original recordings. Had I been aware of this I never would have purchased this disc.

In any event, "Neil Sedaka: The Definitive Collection" turns out to be somewhat of a mixed bag. The disc opens with a half-dozen of Neil's biggest hits from his heyday at RCA records between 1959 and 1962. These are the tunes that are the re-recordings. Enjoy once again big hits like "Next Door To An Angel", "Calendar Girl", "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" and the fast version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", a number one smash from the summer of '62. According to the liner notes these songs were recorded in 1991 and 1992 and are "exceedingly faithful" to the originals. In 2 or 3 cases I would beg to differ. Now on a more positive note it would appear that just about all of the tunes included from Neil's comeback years at Elton John's Rocket records are in fact the original recordings. Now that's more like it! Yes, Neil Sedaka was on top of his game in the mid 1970's with a pair of number one hits. Both "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood" are included here as is the slow version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" which peaked at number 8 in 1976. Also included is one of my all-time favorite Neil Sedaka tunes "The Immigrant".

Many years ago I saw Neil Sedaka being interviewed and he opined that the best song he ever wrote was a tune called "The Hungry Years". I would have to agree. If you have never heard this song then you are in for a real treat. I also enjoyed the "live" version of a tune Neil co-wrote with Phil Cody. "Solitaire" was a huge hit for the Carpenters and Neil Sedaka's version is equally as moving.

"Neil Sedaka: The Definitive Collection" concludes with 4 "bonus" tracks. Three of the four tunes were recorded later in his career and I found them to be very forgettable. However, there is an interesting story surrounding the other tune. In 1964, Neil Sedaka made a demo of the tune "It Hurts To Be In Love". It was a song he strongly believed in and Neil wanted to release it as a single in the worst way. However, for contractual reasons he was unable to do so. As it turned out, the record company simply erased Neil's vocals from the recording and replaced it with the voice of Gene Pitney. The song went on to become a Top Ten smash. "Neil Sedaka: The Definitive Collection" also includes a nicely done 12 page booklet. All in all, I would have to describe this collection as just so-so. Had the original RCA recordings been included here I would have enjoyed it so much more. Seems to me that three stars is just about right."

It is Definitive...if only in name...

Jerry McDaniel | 04/29/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Like the other reviewers...i was a bit disappointed...when i played the CD's opening track, BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, the fast-tempo version, i heard that opening chorus and was smiling throughout the song...i detected a 'rasp' in his voice, though midway through the song...i thought perhaps that's the way the song always sounded but on AM radio it didn't detect it as clear and crisp as a CD would...well...the arrangements threw me off because they ARE so true to the originals from the '60s. When i got home i opened up the fold-out cover to see that the '60s hits were all recorded in 1991...the other songs are the original recordings, though. So while the CD is "definitive" as far as the actual songs are concerned, the inclusion of these remakes at the start of the CD dampen the overall joy but we do have some recordings that are hard to find...making it somewhat definitive."

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