I am extremely happy with this purchase.
It came, promptly and the quality was excellent!
May 22, 2008Obviously the title rings true along with the theme song. Did they enjoy doing the Album, you bet they did and we can smile along with them.
September 16, 2007 |  | Darin and Mercer are Brilliant |  |
This is, in my opinion, the best collection Darin produced. With the brilliance of Johnny Mercer, and Bobby Darin's smooth interprertation of the music, one can actually hear the joy in Darin's vocals while he performs. TOP RATE.
February 20, 2007| | | Reliving fond memories from childhood | |
When "Two of a Kind" was released over 40 years ago, I was a teenager living just north of Los Angeles. My Dad wore out this LP - and all of my siblings and I loved learning the "cool" words to the songs, singing along with him as he conducted Billy May's orchestra from our living room. One of my brothers helped me track down this great Darrin/Mercer collaboration from Amazon. The surprises just kept coming the first time I listened to the CD - 1)I still could sing all the words, and 2)I finally "got" the jokes sprinkled throughout the recording - imitations of WC Fields, Elvis, Groucho Marx and Dean Martin, among others. What a bittersweet way to transport myself back to the good ole days. So I gave all my siblings this CD for Christmas and they've shared similar memories as they too have gone back in time to the days when there was always music blaring from the ole hi fi.
January 18, 2007Two of the all-time giants of American popular music come together in this delightful album originally released in the early sixties on Atlantic. According to the liner notes, written by Stanley Green, it was Bobby Darin's idea to undertake this project, and Mercer "was excited about the idea right from the start." Listening to the finished product, there is no doubt about that. The two are really enjoying themselves in the studio, which means that we, as listeners, are allowed to share in the fun.
As Green notes, there are hardly any standards in the album: "For this recital, both men decided that though the accent would be on the old-timers, the all-too-familiar warhorses would be kept carefully locked up in the stable." Thus, Darin and Mercer go through a great selection of old tunes, from "Indiana" to "East of the Rockies" to "Jellyroll," all delivered with a casualness that makes them irresistible. They also unearth a couple of obscure gems like "My Cutie's Due at Two to Two," "Paddlin' Madelin' Home," or "Caretaker's Daughter," and they even have time to throw in a classic written by Harry Barris and originally performed by Bing Crosby with the Rhythm Boys, "Mississippi Mud."
Some of Johnny Mercer's own compositions are also highlighted in this project, proving once more (as though it were really necessary!) that he is one of the most gifted, poetic songwriters of all time. For instance, "If I Had My 'Druthers" is given an enjoyable, laid-back treatment, while the reading of "Bob White" is among the best ever committed to wax.
Finally, the title track, "Two of a Kind," a tale of friendship and camaraderie, is a splendid collaboration by Bobby and Johnny, complete with ad-libbed asides that remind us of the timeless comic tradition of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Just like Bing and Bob, Johnny Mercer and Bobby Darin are, indeed, two of a kind. After listening to this album over and over, I am left with only one doubt: aren't there any surviving outtakes of these fantastic sessions in the Atlantic vaults? If so, let's hope that they surface one day. Anton Garcia -- Nashville, TN.
October 12, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
