segunda-feira, 26 de março de 2012

Johnny Mathis (6)

JOHNNY MATHIS - CHRISTMAS WITH (1972)

1. The Sounds of Christmas
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
3. A Marshmallow World
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
6. The Secret of Christmas
7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
8. Carol of the Bells
9. Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart
10. Hallelujah Chorus

By the time Johnny Mathis released Christmas with Johnny Mathis in the early '70s, he had already recorded a few holiday records and was justly famous for his smooth style. Wisely, he saw no need to change it for this record, since his warm stylings are perfectly suited for such holiday songs as "Carol of the Bells," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Hallelujah Chorus," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "The Sounds of Christmas" and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." There's nothing new here, but there doesn't need to be -- Christmas with Johnny Mathis is a terrific complement to his previous Christmas albums, and a wonderful fireside companion for those cold holiday nights.

JOHNNY MATHIS - CUANDO VUELVAS A CASA (1983)

01 Cuando vuelvas a casa
02 Begin The Beguine
03 El amor y el querer
04 What I Did For Love
05 (Where Do I Begin) Love Story
06 Cosas pequeñas
07 Memory
08 99 Miles From L.A.
09 Just The Way You Are
10 Three Times A Lady

During the dawn of the rock 'n' roll era, greasy-haired youth of every ilk chose Johnny Mathis as the backdrop for their initial romantic conquests. While their older siblings preferred the darker, more jazz-orientated worlds of Sinatra and Nat King Cole, the kids took to the sunnier and glossier Mathis style. This Bay Area native was the last classic Columbia Records crooner to dominate the pop charts by singing standards in a Technicolor tenor that put a rosy, fireside glow to complex emotions. Mathis had a string of hit albums throughout the '60s and, thanks to his younger fan base, survived the soft rock '70s better than artists such as Sarah Vaughan. Today, Mathis remains a big concert draw and alternates Adult Contemporary albums with the same upscale collections of standards that got all that blood boiling back in the '50s.

JOHNNY MATHIS - THE BALLADS OF BROADWAY (1960)

1. Moanin' Low
2. Fun To Be Fooled
3. I Have Dreamed
4. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
5. My Romance
6. Dancing On The Ceiling
7. I Warried An Angel
8. Isn't It A Pity
9. Spring Is Here
10. Don't Blame Me
11. Taking A Chance On Love
12. The Party's Over

Here Mathis made Frank Wildhorn, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Jonathan Larson sound even greater.

JOHNNY MATHIS - THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE (1972)

1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
2. Speak Softly Love
3. Theme from Summer of '42 (The Summer Knows)
4. Brian's Song (The Hands of Time)
5. Since I Fell for You
6. Without You
7. Betcha by Golly, Wow
8. Life and Breath
9. I Need You
10. (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All
11. Life Is What You Make It

Jerry Fuller's production of The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) for Johnny Mathis is a pleasant and much-needed change in sound, as his same formula continues -- songs of the day mixed in with movie themes. Unfortunately, this change in sound was not utilized to its full potential. Al Capps arranges five of the 12 tunes, including the title track and "Love Theme From 'The Godfather' (Speak Softly Love)." There are exquisite shades and added depth to the production, though the song order is a little questionable. "Theme From 'Summer of '42' (The Summer Knows)" keeps everything mired in the mellowness of the first two selections, not giving the listener (or the LP, for that matter) a chance to breathe. Al Capps' arrangements are gorgeous, but it is all a bit overwhelming, too much in too quick a succession. Try hearing the difference between "Brian's Song," the theme from the TV show, and "Theme From 'Summer of '42.'" They flow seamlessly, which perpetuates the low tones and bluesy feel. "Since I Fell for You" has the first of six arrangements from D'Arneill Pershing, but still has the slow, moody presence of the preceding four numbers, one that doesn't make for repeated spins. Not recommended for those easily depressed. Would you believe that the Nilsson classic "Without You" is the first up-tempo number? It starts off side two and is tremendous, the final Al Capps arrangement here. D'Arneill Pershing handles the rest of the disc, starting with a sweeping "Betcha by Golly Wow" with majestic, Star Trek-style, otherworldly backing vocals. It is right up there with the Stylistics' own version and no doubt made one of Mathis' other producers, Thom Bell, quite proud. "Betcha by Golly Wow" is one of the album's finest moments. "Life and Breath," a slower-tempo version of America's "I Need You," the 5th Dimension's "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All," and the theme from Kotch, "Life Is What You Make It," conclude the disc in more traditional Johnny Mathis style, with side two playing much more easily than the first. For such an important artist, whose bread and butter at this point in time was reworking familiar material, song placement is key. The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) by Johnny Mathis has wonderful performances, but truly needs to shuffle these songs around to enhance the listening experience.
Joe Viglione, All Music Guide



JOHNNY MATHIS - WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL (1957)
 
01 Will I Find My Love Today
02 Looking At You
03 Let Me Love You
04 All Through The Night
05 It Could Happen To You
06 That Old Black Magic
07 Too Close For Comfort
08 In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
09 Year After Year
10 Early Autumn
11 You Stepped Out Of A Dream
12 Day In - Day Out

Arrangements by Percy Faith.

JOHNNY MATHIS - PEOPLE (1969)

A1.Sunny           
A2.More         
A3.The Shadow Of Your Smile         
A4.Elusive Butterfly         
A5.Autumn Leaves         
B1.A Wonderful Day Like Today         
B2.Laura         
B3.Quiet Night Of Quiet Stars         
B4.What The World Needs Now Is Love         
B5.People

Mathis spent four years recording for Mercury Records (1963-1967) producing 10 studio albums. Under the terms of his contract with the label, Mathis owned the masters of his recordings. He returned to Columbia Records in 1968 and licensed 20 Mercury album tracks to Columbia for release, 10 of which appeared on this record. The remaining 10 Mercury tracks appeared on his next album for Columbia, The Impossible Dream. The track listing below includes the title of the original album on which each song appeared.

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