Search - Various Artists :: Torch Songs

Fine assortment of classic torch songs

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

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Torch Songs is yet another excellent CD of great torch songs performed by some of the greatest songbirds who ever lived. We are all better of for their sharing their gifts with us. The quality of the sound on this album is excellent; and the artwork reflects good taste.



"Autumn Leaves" gets a very sensitive treatment by Eva Cassidy; Eva sings this with all her heart and soul; and just one listen proves it! This is certainly anything but elevator music or muzak. The guitar playing that accompanies Eva as she sings fits in perfectly with Eva's vocals--great! The great Ella Fitzgerald also turns in a wonderful performance of that famous Gershwin tune entitled "But Not For Me;" Ella's voice is like silk and naturally she never misses a beat. Ella also gets to show of a bit of her operatic qualities of her voice on this tune also. There's also Patsy Cline's huge hit entitled "Crazy;" "Crazy" features Patsy front and center--and she doesn't waste a minute as she delivers this with panache. Ooh, how wonderful this is!



Julie London also does a magnificent job on what was a very famous song for her, "Cry me A River." Julie sang this so well that many people said that this was her song; and I'm inclined to agree entirely! Julie sings "Cry Me A River" with all her might and the effect is extremely elegant and moving at once. In addition, Carly Simon sings a fin rendition of "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good);" Carly's voice is warm and very vibrant as she sings this torch song really right!



Listen also for the great Dinah Washington to do a fine crossover hit for her, "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes;" Dinah sings this to perfection--and beyond! The chorus bolsters her performance but make no mistake about it--Dinah never needed a chorus to support her. Dinah sang so well that I could never forget her; and you owe it to yourself to get a CD by Dinah Washington if you don't own one already.



Diana Ross performs "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)" with heart, soul and all the style of a great diva; the musical arrangement includes some mighty fine piano playing which serves to make this an elegant torch song. I love it! The immortal Edith Piaf also weighs in with her classic "La Vie En Rose;" Edith could make any song seem like a gorgeous melody, all fresh and new; and when Edith sings this the English lyrics are particularly beautiful.



Judy Garland sings "Over The Rainbow;" this mid 1950s interpretation of "Over The Rainbow" features a more mature Judy with a very full, rich voice. The CD also ends strong with Ketty Lester performing "Love Letters." "Love Letters" has a fine piano arrangement and the percussion marks the beat very well. Ketty's voice is charming and "Love Letters" makes a fine ending for this album.



Overall, Torch Songs is an album you can't afford to skip if you like this genre; and lovers of classic pop vocals everywhere will want this CD, too.

"

Not really the best

Matthew G. Sherwin | 01/04/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Great songs and great singers, but really not the best recordings in a lot of cases. This will make you wish for the better recordings you know you've heard, and not really increase your respect for some of the singers.
Also, most of the tracks are very slow - mellow and bluesy. Not really what I think of when I hear "torch songs", nor is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow.""

Love Songs from the Best Female Singers

gac1003 | 12/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A torch song is a senitmental love song, usually about an unrequited love. The 18 songs on this album offer some of the best examples of this beautiful type of music with a wide range of female singers, from Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Lena Horne and Peggy Lee to Linda Ronstadt, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Carly Simon. All the songs are classics, including Dinah Washington's "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather," Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Linda Ronstadt's "My Old Flame" and some signature songs, as well, such as "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf and "Over the Rainbow" by an older Judy Garland. When these ladies sing, you can feel the love and the pain in their voices. A truly wonderful CD that is highly recommended to all music fans!!"