Search - Various Artists :: The Sounds Of Murphy Brown: Original Television Soundtrack Album

And the nostalgia continues...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Sounds Of Murphy Brown is an excellent assortment of tunes that were played as background music during the years that the Murphy Brown television show was on the air. These songs are a fine assortment of hits that bring back memories and the sound quality is excellent. The artwork is very well done, too.



Candice Bergen and two of the other actors on the show start off the CD with their rendition of "You Keep Me Hangin' On." While this shows why Candice Bergen won't exactly be bringing home a Grammy anytime soon, it does start the CD off well. My only true objection is that laugh track that goes with the song; but this is a minor disappointment overall. Aretha Franklin then picks things up a whole lot with her stunning "Respect;" Aretha does this one up right and she never misses a beat! I like the key modulations and when Aretha belts this out she proves why she's so great! There's also Stevie Wonder doing a fantastic job on "Superstitions:' I always like this Stevie Wonder tune and it's great for dancing, too.



Martha Reeves & The Vandellas do a smash-up job on "Nowhere To Run;" they sing and harmonize to perfection--and beyond! Wow! "Nowhere To Run" has a great beat and the percussion is mighty awesome! "Nowhere To Run" is a highlight of this album. Diana Ross & The Supremes also score big with their classic hit entitled "Love Child;" this poignant ballad works well on more than one level at once; it can be taken as a meaningful song but it's also quite good for dancing. The Temptations also perform "Get Ready" with a solid beat and they never sing a superfluous note!



Gladys Knight & The Pips turn in a great performance with "If I Were Your Woman;" this song always tugs at my heartstrings and it's really a very beautiful and moving torch song. Gladys Knight sings this flawlessly and she really delves into the song to be able to deliver it so very well. What's more, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers sing and play "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" with a lot of style; this early rock and roll ballad still sounds great all these years later--and how's about that horn solo?



Gladys Knight & The Pips return to do their hit "I Heard It Threw The Grapevine;" this has a great Motown sound and it's very memorable. Gladys Knight & The Pips could really sing out a tune! The percussion sounds great and it also helps to mark the beat. The CD ends with a group called Take 6 performing "Like The Whole World's Watching." "Like The Whole World's Watching" has an excellent sound to it that I can't completely describe in words--this song is their ode to the television series called Murphy Brown and it makes a strong ending to this nostalgic album.



Overall, fans of Motown, R&B, soul, and the Murphy Brown television show will enjoy this CD.

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