Bobby Darin - That's All

When Bobby Darin released That's All in 1959, he was already famous in the teen market--first as a rock & roll singer-songwriter ("Splish Splash," "Queen of the Hop"), then later as a teen idol (for his gorgeous "Dream Lover"). When he decided to release an album of pop standards aimed at the adult market, however, his label and even teen kingpin Dick Clark told him he was nuts. But Darin, who had a short life expectancy and swore to be "a legend by 25," prevailed. Radio picked up on his Vegas big band take on Bertolt Brecht's "Mack the Knife" and it became one of the biggest hits of the century. Its follow-up, "Beyond the Sea," did nearly as well. Suddenly, Darin was no longer competing with Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell, but with Frank Sinatra. In fact, Darin was the only performer Sammy Davis Jr. refused to follow onstage. You could call this lounge music at its best--but that's faint praise. Simply call it Darin at his best. --Bill Holdship Amazon.com

Thats NOT ALL

A fantastic selection of songs on this one. The one Sammy Davis Jnr. sent him a telegram of congratulations when he heard the Dubs for the album. One song "That's the Way Love Is" his own composition. one of the 200 songs he co-wrote. September 15, 2007

My favorite Darin

I'm sorry to hear it's a poor remix but I will get it anyway. I have the lp and transferred it to cassette.

This album is superb. My two favorites are Beyond the Sea (no one does this song better) and Through a Long and Sleepless Night, from an awful Celeste Holm film, Come to the Stables. There are really no losers on this album and Bobby rules. He is not a copy of Sinatra but a Darin original and I'm glad to see people are still being turned on by this wonderful performer.

Through the decades, this album has always been played. May 30, 2006

Wonderful music, terrible mix.

This is the stuff friends!!!! Bobby has become the unknown swinger in a group which he clearly could keep up with. The arrangments here a wonderful and the vocals are hip. Having said this "WE NEED A BETTER REISSUE!!!! The versions of B.T.S and M.T.K on the greatest hits (from Atco) sound 100x's better, but it was remastered at a latter date, I think. This sounds terrible. There is too much reverb, the vocals are fuzzy, the band is too loud, and it just overall sounds like a cheap bootleg...Having said that, until the record industry supports great music over profit, this is what we'll have to deal with. Still, pick this up...This is REAL MUSIC, folks! April 25, 2006

music freak

Bobby Darin's "That's All" is deserving of credit, mainly for the two first tracks, 'Mack the Knife' and 'Beyond the Sea', which are indeed classics. His album overall, I'd say is pretty bold with relatively strong lyrics and emoting of his voice (extreme compared to other Big Band singers of the time, such as Sinatra), but it still remains pretty stable throughout the album. Bobby Darin's second album has matured somewhat since his first, but his youth and vigor remain, leaving a stylish, but playful sound behind. Yes, there are, in my opinion, a few weak points of the album, where songs get a little repetative, which is why I did not give him a 5, but the high points of the album make up for it. There are a few slow soft songs in the album ("Through a Long and Sleepless Night", "She Needs Me", "Where is the One"), but most are loud, fast, and swingin', such as the tracks "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" (which is comical in the sense of the irony it uses as the song is not "soft" in the least bit) and "That's All," which really demonstrate Darin's general style. I must warn those who want to purchase an album that would set up a warm ambiance, that you'll find the mood more to be rousing than anything else; but, let's be honest: it's Bobby Darin nonetheless! Although this may not be the best cd to add to any first time Bobby Darin listeners' collections, I think all those Bobby Darin and Bop/Big Band fans out there would agree: this album is the most worthy of all the Bobby Darin selections, and it's definately a classic. 4 stars to you, Bob. August 20, 2005

Landmark LP

"That's All" was Bobby Darin's 2nd LP. Originally released in 1959, it won the Grammy for "Record of the Year" and a Grammy for Darin as "Best New Singer." Darin includes a hearty thank you for arranger Richard Wess who shines on the "side two" opener of the LP, "I'll Remember April." Its big band horn chart and the subtle punctuation of piano & strings allow Darin to vocally soar. On the standards, "Was There a Call for Me" has a blues feel with Darin diving into the emotional content. Gary Kramer's liner notes joke, "To know the complete history of 'Some of These Days,' you would have had to know Sophie Tucker when she was a young girl, and nobody goes back that far." Tucker recorded the song in 1913 which was followed by versions by Louis Armstrong (1929), Benny Goodman (1936), and even Billie Holiday in the 40's. It's a great big band number that Darin nails. The title track that closes the set is a great uptempo number with Wess' sterling horn charts. The album is of course most strongly remembered for its opener, "Mack the Knife," written by Kurt Weill in 1928 for "Threepenny Opera." Darin's swinging joyful delivery juxtaposes the sad tale of a serial killer who preys on women. The song rested at #1 for 9 weeks in 1959, an amazing feat. "Beyond the Sea" was also a top ten record and seems to capture the era of the late 50's with a part big band part rock pop feel. "That's All" was an important album for Bobby Darin. It peaked on the Billboard charts at #7 and remained on the chart for 52 weeks. It remains an entrancing work over 4 decades later. Enjoy! May 21, 2005

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