Search - Peggy Lee :: Let's Love (Exp)

SOULFUL PEGGY LEE MASTERPIECE!! BRAVO!!!!!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 08/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A beautiful restoration with stunning bonus tracks of a strangely overlooked Peggy Lee masterpiece from 1974 capture this legend in peak form with the title song produced and arranged by Paul McCartney. Fresh from a dramatic weight loss and looking like a million bucks, Peggy Lee was ready to go when she signed with Atlantic Records to record a soulful set of great contemporary songs. Peggy Lee went deep inside and laid down a stunning vocal on the great "Let's Love" which should have been a huge hit but received no airplay when it was released. Next is a very spirited version of Melissa Manchester's "He Is The One" with a background gospel chorus with Peggy leading the way with a superb vocal. Sensuous and funky on a playful "Easy Evil" and torchy and illuminating on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", it is clear that Miss Lee is in peak form and very inspired! A new and fresh funk arrangement make the evergreen "Always" a delight while "You Make Me Feel Brand New" becomes a tour-de-force that makes this the definitive version of this soulful classic. A gospel spiritual "Sweet Lov'liness" is engrossing and a haunting Peggy Lee original "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" is simply gorgeous. Soulful seduction make "Sweet Talk" a quiet storm classic which should have been a huge hit and a mesmerizing and achingly gorgeous Henry Mancini "Sometimes" is a sentimental classic that has a special feel all its own. Bonus tracks are wonderful discoveries with "I Am His Lady" the best ever version of this soft-jazz treat. A ragtime arrangement make the Peggy Lee original "I Wanna Be Seduced" great fun and another Peggy original "The Nickel Ride" is a stunning classic that is naked and haunting. This unique original has Peggy brilliantly accompanied by piano only and the result is another great song that echos the Grammy Winner "Is That All There Is?". Peggy must have wondered Is That All There Is when this great release was received with such shocking indifference thus robbing the public exposure to a great work and Peggy the acclaim that she deserved. Closing is a great circus like arrangement for a stirring "Let's Keep Dancing" which was to be Peggy's last major studio production and a winner it is! This too should have been a big hit and would have been in better musical times. Now if only Capitol Records would release the great 70's "Where Did They Go" and the classic "Norma Delores Egstrom" which both feature Peggy Lee in peak form, us fans will be happy that this legendary singer is finally given some justice for her great but sadly overlooked 70's work. For those who enjoy great singers in peak form, do not miss this classic collection as this kind of greatness will never happen again and this is a special Limited Numbered Edition whose value will soar when they are all bought up and no longer available...Thank You Peggy Lee for years of great entertainment and sublime vocals..."

CONTEMPORARY PEGGY LEE MASTERPIECE!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 06/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since the start of CD'S, I have waited for the release of this overlooked masterpiece and with this great restoration that is complete with stunning bonus tracks it was worth the wait! Thank you RhinoHandmade for such a lovingly glorious restoration of a great musical treasure!! Fresh from a dramatic weight loss and looking like a million bucks, Peggy Lee was ready to go when she signed with Atlantic Records with Paul McCartney as producer of the classic title track "Let's Love". Peggy Lee went deep inside and laid down a stunning vocal on this great but strangely overlooked McCartney classic which should have been a HUGE hit. Next is a soulful version of Melissa Manchester's "He Is The One" with a background gospel chorus that Peggy is completely on top of!! Sensuous and funky on "Easy Evil" and torchy and illuminating on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", it is clear that Miss Lee is in peak form throughout and very inspired! A new and fresh funky arrangement make the evergreen "Always" a delight while "You Make Me Feel Brand New" becomes a tour-de-force that is the definitive version of this soul classic!! A gospel spiritual "Sweet Lov'liness" is sizzling and a haunting Peggy Lee original "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" is simply gorgeous. A completely smooth and seductive "Sweet Talk" is a quiet storm classic which should have been a huge hit and a mesmerizing and achingly gorgeous Henry Mancini "Sometimes" is a sentimental classic that has a very special feel all its own!! Bonus tracks are wonderful discoveries with "I Am His Lady" the definitive version of this unique soft-jazz treat. A ragtime arrangement make the Peggy Lee original "I Wanna Be Seduced" great fun and another Peggy original "The Nickel Ride" is a stunning classic that is naked and haunting as this classic has Peggy brilliantly accompanied with piano only and the result is a song that echos the Grammy Winning "Is That All There Is?". Peggy must have wondered "Is That All There Is?" when this release was received with such shocking indifference and where were the radio programmers of America when this great masterpiece was released? This makes me angry that so much crap is on the airwaves but no room for a classic such as this that many would have enjoyed and this ia a real shame!! Closing is a great circus like arrangement for a stirring "Let's Keep Dancing" which was Peggy's last major studio production and a winner it is even if radio chose to ignore it! Now if only Capitol would release the great 70's "Where Do They Go" and "Norma Delores Egstrom" which are again Peggy Lee in peak form, us fans will be happy that this great singer is finally given some justice for her great but sadly overlooked 70's work!! If you ever enjoyed any of this great singers recordings, do not miss this classic collection as Peggy stretched out and refused to be left behind in the music world...thank you Miss Peggy Lee for the many years of great entertainment and the very best in vocal artistry...you are loved and are missed"

Soft Soul Masterpiece

Rick | Sydney Australia | 06/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If any singer has run foul of labelling it's the great Peggy Lee. Long considered the singer's singer in both jazz and pop idioms, the quirky, intelligent and breathtakingly beautiful song stylings of Miss Lee actually graced most styles of music this side of Wagner. While remembered as the quintessial 50's blonde broad with the hourglass figure who finger-snapped "Fever" into musical history, Peggy Lee was unique inasmuch as she always remained musically contempoary in a way her peers could only dream about. It was her innate musicality - coupled with a dynamic and often-demanding professionalism - which ensured she transcended genres rather than simply "keeping up with the times".



"Let's Love" is her sure-footed offering in the "soft soul" genre, and like all recordings of true excellence it sounds better thirty years after it first hit the market. It's no easy feat for a white woman to credibly draw from jazz, gospel, rock and standards but for Peggy Lee here it seems both effortless and magical.



This Limited Edition reissue (finally on CD) is one of those hard-copy discs which seem to be disappearing quickly from our local music stores: superb presentation and sound quality - with desirable bonus tracks added.



"Let's Love" is the quintessence of style and performance from a woman who's taught the likes of k.d. laing and Diana Kraal very well indeed - it's one of those discs you just put on for sheer musical enjoyment without being reminded of its relative vintage."