Softly, As I Leave You

The Billy May numbers, 'Here's to the Losers' and 'Come Blow Your Horn', still work -- the former is something of a fun anthem, and May's raucous swing is perfect here. Even with great arrangements and fine vocals, however, these are simply well-performed pop songs. The musical acting that makes Sinatra's 'Wee Small Hours' and (later) 'September of My Years' so enthralling never happens on 'Softly' -- I suspect Sinatra was listening to the record producers and not his own instinct for what was great music.

The best? The title track is moving, even with the obligatory '60s choir in the background. Sinatra explores his somewhat deepened register, with none of the coarseness that would alter his sound later in the decade, and the result is seamless and powerful. He sounds engaged in the song.

The rest? 'Suddenly Love' treats us to lyrics such as 'Love kicked in the window, Love knocked down the door.' 'Pass Me By' is excruciating, children's music but without the dignity of 'Pocketful of Miracles.' I will never understand how an album that proclaims to bring us Sinatra singing about 'everything there is to know about love' would sink to this kitsch.

Not an easy review to write, because the best popular albums ever made have Sinatra written all over them. In 1965, 'September of My Years' and two years later 'Sinatra and Jobim' would prove that no one had more class when it came to concept albums. The Reprise era was uneven, however, and the present album -- even with a few high points -- shows the wheels coming off the exquisite taste and excellence of the Sinatra legend.

Recommend for serious Sinatra fans and completists only.

Sinatra's the best... this album is okay.......1999-06-09

Softly as I Leave You reflects the influence of overproduced '60s music on the greatest vocalist in American music. As always, Sinatra sings beautifully throughout, but some of the material here is not up to the performance. "Here's to the Losers" and "Come Blow Your Horn" are fun, and the title track is something of a classic.

"Suddenly" is just a silly song with worse lyrics, though; even the Chairman can't save this one from obscurity. "Pass Me By" is worse.

Any Sinatra album is a treat (except maybe Duets I&II), and 'Softly' has some moments, but for Sinatra at his later best consider September of My Years and Basie and Sinatra at the Sands.

Recommended, but with reservations!

A More commercial Sound of Frank.......1998-10-08

This album is a classic example of the more commercial sound created for Frank by Producer Sonny Burke in the Sixties in addition to albums such as "Strangers In The Night", and "Sinatra 65". It is a fine collection of tunes given the Ultimate in performance by Frank.My favorite cuts are "I Can't believe I'm losing You","Emily",and the upbeat "Here's To The Losers". Also included is the title tune from the movie "Come Blow Your Horn". A must buy for any Sinatra Collector.

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Alma Gluck

Manufacturer: Marston
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000004BOD
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

ATALANTA: Come, my beloved (Care selve)
SEMELE: Oh sleep, why dost thou leave me?
ZEMIRE UND AZOR: Rose softly blooming
THEODORA: Angels ever bright and fair
HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE: Rossignols amoureux
LA SONNAMBULA: Ah! non credea mirarti
LA BOHJEME: Donde lieta usci
I PAGLIACCI: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo ... Stridono lassu
CARMEN: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
SAMSON ET DALILA: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix
LOUISE: Depuis le jour
HANSEL UND GRETEL: Suse, liebe Suse
HANSEL UND GRETEL: Der kleine Sandmann bin ich
HANSEL UND GRETEL: Juchhei, nun is die Hexe tot
TZAR'S BRIDE Lyubasha's air
SNEGUROCHKA (SNOW MAIDEN): To the Thunder called the Flying Cloud
SNEGUROCHKA (SNOW MAIDEN): Aller au bois
HUBIKA (THE KISS): Ukolebavky (Cradle Song)
NATOMA: I list the trill in golden throat
LA TRAVIATA: Libiamo, libiamo

Tracks:

Le Nil
L'Heure Exquise
Le Bonheur est Chose Legere
Chanson Hebraique ('Mejerke, main Suhn,')
Hatikvah
Two Folk Songs of Little Russia
The Rose and the Nightengale (Eastern Romance)
Have You Seen but a Whyte Lillie Grow?
As a Beam O'er the Face of the Waters
Canzonetta
The Monotone (Ein Ton)
Passage-birds' Farewell
La Colomba
Tu
Sylvelin
Parla!
Serenata
The Braes O' Balquhidder
Comin' Thro the Rye
Red, Red Rose
Sing Me to Sleep
Will-o-the-Wisp
The Bird of the Wilderness
Irish Love Song
Long Ago, Sweetheart Mine
A Maid Sings Light
From the Land of the Sky Blue Water
Dawn

Don't Go To Strangers/Softly As I Leave You

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Come Home to Eydie!
Good Memories
THE DEFINITIVE EYDIE GORME

Don't Go To Strangers/Softly As I Leave You
Eydie Gorme
Manufacturer: Gl Music Co.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Boleros | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Bolero | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000695N3
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Tracks:

How About Me?
What's New
What Did I Have That I Don't Have
I'll Be Around
If He Walked into My Life
Don't Go to Strangers
I Wish You Love
How Did He Look
I Wanna Be Around
Tell Him I Said Hello
When He Leaves You
Glad to Be Unhappy
You've Changed
For All We Know
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
What Is a Woman
Softly, As I Leave You
All Alone
Don't Worry 'Bout Me
Guess I Should Have Loved Him More
What's Good About Goodbye

Album Description

2 on 1 includes Don't Go To Strangers & Softly As I Leave. A pair of Don Costa-arranged masterpieces, from 1966 and 1967. Never before on CD.

Customer Reviews:

Come Home to Eydie!.......2004-04-09

I always wished that fans of easy listening and or the Great Amercian song book would love Eydie Gorme's voice as much as I do. I took 10 years to realize her fabulous talent. She is just the best! Known to be one of the happiest married women in show business, she can still belt the torch songs better than anyone. Take any classic she did & comapre it to other versions. Hers is simply the best. In this 2 album reissue Eydie chose many fabulous songs that were unkown to me at that time. Some had an connection to her: Guess I Should Have Loved Him More, Tell Him I Said Hello, & When He Leaves You. I doubt if any were top 10 hits. I wish I know how well this sold but I suspect these 2 may have been her best sellers! Here she did the Barbra Streisand route of doing just enough moderately known songs with the completely unkown. The difference is that Eydie had at that time a better range. Both gals could belt, purr, sob, & jest. Don't & Softly do stand up today. Eydie won the Grammy for If She Walked Into My Life but should have for the entire Don't Go To Stangers album. Heck, she should have won a year later for Softly As I Leave You set.

Good Memories.......2003-08-25

My mother used to play Don't Go to Strangers when I was 10-11 years old. She would turn up the stereo while we did house work on Saturday mornings. I didn't appreciate then what talent was on this record. There are some heartbreaking ballads that were sung to perfection. I have the original LP and a poor cassette recording of it, but I have been looking for it on CD for several years. I can't wait to crank up the CD player on a Saturday morning . . .

THE DEFINITIVE EYDIE GORME.......2002-08-14

Here are two of Eydie's finest albums on one CD. Hands-down, no arguments. Paired up with long time friend and one of the world's best arranger/conductors, Don Costa, Eydie was in her prime here, belting her way through broadway tunes and hit songs of the day. Gorme fans have been yearning for such stellar and definitive readings as Eydie's WHAT DID I HAVE I DON'T HAVE NOW and the heartwrenching IF HE WALKED INTO MY LIFE to finally make a compact disc, and the wait is over. Eydie's vocals, framed by Costa's dramatic brass and strings are what most female vocalists only can dream of. But no need for despair, besides some real tearjerkers there are some fun moments as well! Take, for instance, the romp Eydie makes of the Tony Bennett hit I WANNA BE AROUND. Great arranging by Don Costa and the soaring vocals by Eydie make one thing maybe breakin' up aint so hard to do! This is the first of the Eydie Gorme masterpieces to be released on CD, others are following after years on a shelf. Finally these rare Columbia sides are coming to see the light of day; and there are more to follow. Do yourself a favor, indulge a little, even if you've never owned an Eydie Gorme album, this would be an excellent place to start. You will thoroughly enjoy this collection from one of the greatest female vocalists ever.

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Choirs and Organ

Manufacturer: Os Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004D3B0
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

March Of The Peers
The Lost Chord
Carmen: Gypsy Air And Dance/Habanera/Toreador's Song - Nigel Ogden
Salut D'amour - Nigel Ogden
Liebesfreud - Nigel Ogden
Beautiful Dreamer
Eriskay Love Lilt
Summertime
Soldiers' Chorus
By Babylon's Wave
Portrait Of My Love/Softly As I Leave You
Love Is My Reason
My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose
The White Rose
Wedding March - Nigel Ogden
Mountain Greenery/Blue Room/It's Never Too Late To Fall In Love/The Boy Friend - Nigel Ogden
You'll Never Walk Alone
Love Changes Everything
Llanfair