Perry Como - The Love Collection

A Superb Perry Como Love Songs Collection!

You can't really fault this collection. For a start of their is Perry Como's singing. It's distinctive, it's rich, it's warm, it's everything you could ever want in a voice and it can certainly ad a beautfiul honey layer to a love song, be it a ballad or a up-tempo tune - Perry ahndles them all superbly!

This compilation showcases 20 tracks from the enormous Como catalogue. The songs covered here are from 1962 to 1987. It's far to brief for a definitive Como Love Songs collection from this period, but nevertheless this is an outstanding collection of Como Love songs.

The CD starts with the 1983 single version of Perry's 'The Best of Times'. All the time is the Best of Times when Perry is around be it years ago in person or now through the many ways his legacy is preserved on Records, Tapes, CD's, Video's, DVD's, etc.

We then continue the magical journey with 'Days of Wine and Roses' - a superb choice for this CD. The compiler/s of this CD have wisely chosen to use several recordings from Perry's albums produced the wonderful Hugo and Luigi. There are 4 songs from this period. 3 of which are from Perry's 1963 album 'The Songs I love': 'Days of wine and Rose', (I left my Heart) In San Francisco' and 'What kind of fool am I?'. The other song is 'What's new?' - which is from Perry's 1962 album what's new. All of these songs, like the entire Como legacy, are wonderfully performed by Mr. C!

Also on this CD, we have other tastes of Como magic including 'Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars' from Perry's 1966 album 'Lightly Latin' and from his 1970 Live Performance/Album 'In Person: Live at the International Hotel, Las Vegas' - we have the wonderful 'Without a song' - a Como signature tune and making a rare CD appearance! And, speaking of rare CD appearances of live performances...

Non of Perry's live performances are currently commercially available Worldwide! Please BMG - release Perry's Live Performances - they are undoubtedly superb and their release is well overdue! IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU USE 1ST GENERATION MASTER TAPES TOO! YOU OWN THE RIGHTS, SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND RELEASE THESE WONDERFUL CONCERTS AND ALL OF PERRY COMO'S WORK, SO WE CAN ALL ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL PERFORMER FOREVER!

Also on this collection, we hear some of Perry's big selling hits of the 1970's ('And I love you so' is for some unknown reason not included) - but 'It's Impossible', 'I think of you' and 'For the Good times' are all included!

As well as this and much much more - we get Perry's wonderful and definitive rendering of what became one of his signature songs: 'The Wind Beneath My Wings'. The song came from Perry's Last Studio album from 1987 called 'Perry Como Today' - Perry was 75 at the time and sounds fantastic! This album was another first for Mr. C - his first album to be originally released on CD as well as vinyl, etc!

If you are a fan of great vocalists and love songs or most importantly, if you are a Perry Como Fan - This CD is an essential for your Collection. Some of the songs in this CD are seldom released on other CD's, or if they have been, the sound quality has been disgraceful (that, because of the 'Collectables' label's lack of respect for Perry's legacy!)

2 other highly recommended Perry Como Love Songs CD's are the 1993 Music Club release 'The Love Songs' and the 2002 BMG Japan Release 'Love Songs'.

Like this CD, neither of the 2 CD's listed above are from 1st generation or release Master Tapes - which is dissapointing and in some places, the sound quality does suffer. Some songs are included in Mono when they should be in Stereo. There is nothing to do but keep plugging away at BMG until they finally get the sense to release the superb Perry Como Legacy completely re-mixed and re-mastered from original 1st gneration sources!

Until then, we will have to make do with these! But! Don't give up, keep the faith and keep hitting home the fact that the correct and proper release of this recordings is essential! If you haven't heard how god Original Master Tapes sound - I recommend getting the superb 'The Essential 60's singles collection' - by Perry Como, released by Tarago records in 1999.

SUPERB LISTENING!

Matthew Long
(An enormous Perry Como fan of a much younger generation!) August 12, 2006

Nice selection of Como's later material

Perry Como's biggest popularity was in the pre-rock era of the late 1940s and early 1950s. But after that, he continued singing in the same style, even having some million-selling hits as late as 1970 ("It's Impossible" which is included on this CD) and 1973 ("And I Love You So").

This CD highlights those later years, with recordings Como made from 1962 to 1987. And listening to them, I was struck by the fact that, unlike some other singers, his voice didn't get significantly less pleasant to listen to over those years. This is a very good collection of Como's later work, and worth listening to. January 28, 2005

A good easy listening CD.

Perry's singing is flawless but also a bit boring at times. However, there are some great tunes on here especially I THINK OF YOU with a great chart by Don Costa and THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS. Those two songs alone make the CD worth it! October 10, 2001

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