The Cream of Fred Astaire

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This overview of Fred Astaire's stage and early screen career is mostly comprised of the studio tracks Fred recorded with various orchestras for Brunswick in the 1930s, but a couple of songs from Lady Be Good add Fred's sister Adele on vocals and George Gershwin on the piano, while Benny Goodman appears on two others. The Brunswick recordings can't replace the actual soundtracks--especially without Ginger Rogers--but they have their own charm and character, and are really quite enjoyable. Through it all, Fred displays the unerring sense of rhythm and the sympathetic expression of lyrics that made the best American songwriters produce great standards expressly for him, including "Night and Day," "Cheek to Cheek," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "The Way You Look Tonight." --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

We Saw The Sea
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
Puttin' On The Ritz
I'd Rather Lead A Band
The Way You Look Tonight
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Hoops
Hang On To Me
I' Rather Charleston
Night And Day
Crazy Feet
Shall We Dance?
A Fine Romance
Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
The Wedding-Cake Walk
Dig It
Just Like Taking Candy From A Baby
I've Got You On My Mind
Let's Face The Music And Dance
So Near And Yet So Far
Who Cares? (From 'Of Thee I Sing')
They All Laughed
Isn't This A Lovely Day?
Slap That Bass
Cheek To Cheek

Amazon.com

This overview of Fred Astaire's stage and early screen career is mostly comprised of the studio tracks Fred recorded with various orchestras for Brunswick in the 1930s, but a couple of songs from Lady Be Good add Fred's sister Adele on vocals and George Gershwin on the piano, while Benny Goodman appears on two others. The Brunswick recordings can't replace the actual soundtracks--especially without Ginger Rogers--but they have their own charm and character, and are really quite enjoyable. Through it all, Fred displays the unerring sense of rhythm and the sympathetic expression of lyrics that made the best American songwriters produce great standards expressly for him, including "Night and Day," "Cheek to Cheek," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "The Way You Look Tonight." --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

A True Song-and-Dance Man.......2000-10-12

Fred Astaire is simply the greatest song-and-dance man the world has ever known. Why? Because he could do both very, very well. Fred is, of course, known primarily as a dancer, and it's unfortunate that not enough is said about his singing. The Cream of Fred Astaire is a wonderful way to introduce the vocal talents of Fred Astaire to those who've never heard his performances. It contains many of the songs that we immediately associate with Fred Astaire, such as "Cheek to Cheek," "A Foggy Day," and "Change Partners" -- songs he introduced in his musical films.

Now, Astaire is not Crosby, nor is he Sinatra, but one thing he has mastered that the other singers haven't is the way he "sold a song." There is such tender persuasiveness as he handles the lyrics some songwriters, such as Gershwin, Berlin, and Kern, wrote especially for him. Astaire sings directly to the listener's heart, another talent which made him the legend he know him as today. In a word, he is simply untouchable.

My favorite CD of this year.......1998-10-20

For months I had been searching for Smithsonian recordings of Fred & Adele Astaire in "Lady Be Good!" The recordings are apparently unavailable (even as we approach Fred's centennial).

This CD has Astaire favorites from several of his RKO pictures (sans Ginger), songs recorded with Benny Goodman in the '40's, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin--too many great numbers to mention. Most amazingly, though, it has three songs recorded in the 1920's with his sister Adele; one from their vaudeville act and two from "Lady Be Good!" As an added bonus, George Gershwin is playing the accompanyment on the "Lady Be Good!" numbers! I was and still am in Astaire heaven and can listen to this CD every day. Fred taps on several numbers, by the way, which is an extra treat. I am almost appeased at not finding the Smithsonian recordings.

The recorded quality of the songs is not perfect--they are not digitally remastered--but there's a certain charm about this and a feeling of live performance that allows you to listen to the words and music and not the recording equipment. I love it.

The Cream of Fred Astaire
Average customer rating:
The Cream of Fred Astaire

Manufacturer: Pearl Flapper
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000BOX4

Tracks:

We Saw The Sea
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
Puttin' On The Ritz
I'd Rather Lead A Band
The Way You Look Tonight
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Hoops
Hang On To Me
I' Rather Charleston
Night And Day
Crazy Feet
Shall We Dance?
A Fine Romance
Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
The Wedding-Cake Walk
Dig It
Just Like Taking Candy From A Baby
I've Got You On My Mind
Let's Face The Music And Dance
So Near And Yet So Far
Who Cares? (From 'Of Thee I Sing')
They All Laughed
Isn't This A Lovely Day?
Slap That Bass
Cheek To Cheek

Music:

Music

Music