Dionne Warwick - Sings Cole Porter

Recorded in 1990, the same year various pop stars came out in recognition of Cole Porter and AIDS awareness with Red, Hot + Blue, Dionne Warwick's Porter album collects 13 favorites. It's hard to go wrong with this singer or this songwriter, but the production is pretty middle of the road, neither strikingly good nor shockingly bad. She's backed by a large orchestra, except in the reprise of "Night and Day," in which Stanley Jordan and the late Grover Washington Jr. add a smooth-jazz groove. No, Dionne's not exactly Ella here, but then she's not trying to be. --David Horiuchi Amazon.com

Not Dionne's Best or Worst CD, But She's Simply the Wrong Singer for Cole Porter Songs

This CD was recorded in 1990 at a time when everyone from Carly Simon to Linda Ronstadt to Natalie Cole were remaking "Standards" recordings. Natalie Cole obviously scored the biggest hit with her "Unforgettable" tribute CD to her late dad. Dionne Warwick had the misfortune of going with the crowd and being badly compared to the likes of Natalie Cole. She chose Cole Porter, one of the most clever and wittiest (if not THE wittiest) of American songwriters.

I think what's getting everybody's pissed at Dionne in these Amazon reviews and most people have ripped her CD to shreds is the fact her unique voice and style are NOT well matched to Cole Porter songs. It's that simple. Yes, Dionne has the sophistication and class to possibly pull off these songs, but Porter's songs require MUCH MORE than that. They require a singer who has an innate sense of his words and sung in a fashion that is full of irony and sometimes comical. Warwick is not that kind of singer.

Think Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Feinstein, Bobby Short, and Toni Tennille (yes, that Toni from "Captain and Tennille" fame). All those singers are very suited to cover Cole Porter songs. What makes things even worse is the MUZAK arrangements from producer Arif Mardin. This is really quite shocking and disappointing that the great Arif Mardin could go with such an arrangement that's over-orchestrated and syrupy. The strings sound so gooey that they could melt into molasses.

I give Dionne a "B+" for trying, but everything from the cheesy arrangements and her own decaying voice simply didn't work for this ambitious project. Another sad revelation from listening to this CD is the great voice Dionne had from her heyday in the Sixties was at this point becoming coarse and limited in range (perhaps it's those cigarettes, Dionne!!) I think Dionne will always be associated with the Burt Bacharach-Hal David songs. Trying anything too risky and out of her vocal range will make her look very limited and silly. Nice try, but the CD deserves a "D+". The song selection deserves an "A" as these are probably the "creme de la creme" of Cole Porter's work. The "jazz version" of Night and Day is a nice touch in addition to the orchestrated version.

If I had to pick one song that Dionne survives on this outing, it would be "It's All Right With Me", but again her voice gets buried in the heavy orchestration. Sometimes she tries to shout over the strings, which makes her look worse. Again, a "B+" for effort, but the end result is still a "D+". Producer Arif Mardin also gets a "D+" for not coming up with more original and suitable arrangements for Dionne. If you look in the credits, everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lena Horne was praising this CD, and I have to wonder why....?? Were they doing Dionne a favor by saying nice things about this CD? June 21, 2008

A Hidden Gem of an Album

I must admit I didn't particularly like this recording the first time I heard it. It just didn't seem to grab me the way some of Dionne Warwick's earlier albums did. However, I soon found myself listening to it over and over again until I couldn't stop listenining. Now it ranks as one of my very favorite Dionne Warwick albums. Contrary to what some critics have written, Dionne certainly does know and like these songs.
If her delivery is low key, it's only because she is letting these great songs speak for themselves. By doing so, she is showing her exquisite taste in music. These songs are fantastic and the arrangements are perfect. I love the accordion on "I Love Paris" and the tap dance routine on "Anything Goes" could have come straight from a Busby Berkeley production.

Dionne doesn't need to slavishly copy Ella or anyone else. She is a first class singer in her own right and she certainly shows her vocal skills on this cd. I love it and I hope she follows up with more recordings from the Great American Song Book. How about a cd of Rogers and Hart songs?

July 23, 2007

This CD is still in print!

BMG/Sony still has prints of this bright Warwick session produced by the late Arif Mardin. Warwick fans in England and Japan bought it. I mostly liked "Begin The Beguine" and "Night and Day" when I first heard this CD back in 1990. A great concept album that should have done better in the States if given a solid promotional push. June 25, 2007

This is The Bottom, not The Top!

I simply cannot understand why all this album was recorded with sample keyboards, making sound of false violins. Pure disaster.

Certainly the most disappointing album by Ms. Warwick. Not even the great Cole Porter save the disc. One may say she is great as always, I cannot disagree.

Maybe the budget was small and so the producers gave birth to this completely neglectable album. January 3, 2007

Nothing groundbreaking, but enchanting nonetheless

This album was recorded in 1990, by which time all the years of smoking had clearly taken their toll on Dionne's once enviable vocal range. The musical arrangements here are pretty generic as others have mentioned, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as songs this good basically carry themselves with at least decent instrumentation (and there is plenty of orchestration on this record, even if it is a bit uninspired). Dionne's voice does sound a bit worn and tired throughout, but at the same time retains a rich quality and sophistication that make this album a very pleasant listen from start to finish. August 12, 2006

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