Search - Peggy Lee :: Make It with You/ Where Did They Go?

Solid album from Peggy Lee with so much to enjoy

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Make It with You/ Where Did They Go? Is yet another recently released twofer CD by the great Peggy Lee. This twofer CD has all the tracks from two of Peggy's record albums entitled Make It With You and Where Did They Go? The quality of the sound is excellent; and I really like that artwork. I always love it when the CD artwork incorporates the original record album artwork.



The CD starts off with Peggy doing a sublime cover of "Make It With You." Peggy sings this flawlessly; and the music fits in perfectly with her vocals. That electric guitar work really enhances the music, too! Peggy swings gently as she puts her own mark on this classic love song and that's grand. "The Long And Winding Road" features Peggy singing this poignant Beatles ballad with all her heart and soul; and this impresses me a lot. Peggy sings this with lots of feelings; she truly delves into the song to make it a very special number on this album and I enjoy hearing her sing "The Long And Winding Road." "The No-Color Time Of The Day" is a song I've never heard before; but when Peggy Lee sings it this tune really grew fast on me. Peggy could sing the phone book and when she was finished you'd be standing there, clapping and begging for more. Wow, what a talent Peggy Lee had.



"Passenger Of The Rain" is a very pretty melody and Peggy sings all the notes just right--the flat notes are just right and the strings are used very well. "You'll Remember Me" is another pretty melody and Peggy sings this with panache. I believe that this was a French song and this English version of this tune showcases Peggy Lee's talent beyond a shadow of a doubt. In addition, "Where Did They Go?" gets the royal treatment from Peggy who delivers this with great sensitivity; and listen for "My Sweet Lord." Peggy sings this George Harrison tune with heart and soul; and the music is really grand. The percussion helps to mark the beat and that's very good indeed.



"Help Me Make It Through The Night" is a very pretty melody that Peggy sings well; and there's also "I Don't Know How To Love Him." I think Peggy handles this so well it really does prove that Peggy could sing just about anything. "Sing" is a charming cover of this tune by Karen and Richard Carpenter; and they must have been proud when they heard Peggy do this splendid rendition of their song! In addition, Peggy does good on "Losing My Mind;" this is another cover song and Peggy swings gently to make this a sharp number with lots of soul and feeling.



"Didn't We" places Peggy Lee front and center--right where she belongs! Peggy sings this wonderfully; and the music is great. The album ends strong with Peggy lee performing "Pieces Of Dreams;" "Pieces Of Dreams" has a great arrangement and it makes a fine ending for this CD.



Peggy Lee fans will love this album; and this is also a great choice for people who enjoy classic pop vocals. Enjoy!

"

Peggy Lee's Mastery of Pop Music Shines More Brightly Than E

Freeman Gunter | New York City | 07/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a life-long Peggy Lee fan, I feel compelled to add my review to the generally condescending critical commentary these albums have received. After a lifetime of listening to Peggy's recordings, from the Benny Goodman sides to her final recorded appearances and to her live work over the years, I find that these,and the other, Capitol recordings from 1969-72 are among the ones I re-visit most often. In the rock and roll years, Peggy embraced the contemporary music of that time to the (temporary) exclusion of the standards fare she had built her career upon. Peggy kept up with new developments in all types of music with an insatiable curiosity and understanding. She believed in this music and wished to keep herself moving forward, never content to merely repeat what she had always done so well. (I know this from a number of conversations I had with her on the subject.) Her from-the-ground-up knowledge of how a pop hit was built, and of the devices most effective in reaching the largest possible audience, enabled her quickly to penetrate the essence of this material and discern its secrets. Far from being the palid covers many find, I believe she reached a remarkeable synthisis of the qualities of these hits of the day (and other contemporary songs with which she personally identified). With arrangers Mike Melvoin, Benny Golson, Phil Wright, Michel Legrand and a young Randy Newman, she developed a musical atmosphere of mystery and melancholy unique in all of her recorded output, one that suits the songs and brings them to that special place where she musically could dwell within them as she does with all of her best performances. I even feel that she gives many of them a classic stature that makes them better songs than they were in their original juke box incarnations. I promise that a deep, open-minded listen to these two albums, and her other work of the period, all in print now, will reward you with some stunning insights into the towering artistry-that-conceals-and-even-denys-art of this overlooked and misunderstood area of her great body of work. I call this her "Rock 'n'Roses" period and I earnestly hope that many will come to love and enjoy it as much I and many (but not all) of my friends do. Believe me, "Is That All There Is?" is by no means all there was. Freeman Gunter"

Peggy Lee and Sondheim = Perfection

M. Topor | Hotlanta, GA United States | 04/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Miss Peggy Lee's recording of Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" is finally out on CD. I can now die a happy man. If there were a god, Ella's live performance of "Send in the Clowns" would also magically appear.



Miss Lee's venture into the Sondheim repertoire is a sublime pop treat. I waited for this recording for years. I am most thankful to have it and the rest of the album as well."