Bobby Darin - The Legendary Bobby Darin

The Legendary Bobby Darin

If you love Bobby Darin, this is a great collection of his music. A few of the songs were recorded live, which is fun because it shows his sense of humor. The sound quality is not up to todays standards, but gives you that old LP sound, which I like. April 21, 2008

Bobby Darin CD

I like ths CD. I wasn't a big fan until I saw the movie "Beyond the Sea". I like Bobby Darin, but I enjoyed the "Beyond the Sea" CD with Kevin Spacey singing a little bit more. February 9, 2008

Will Leave You Wanting "More".

Few performers led a more exciting and ultimately tragic life like that of Bobby Darin's. Not expected to live past 16 due to a heart condition, Bobby managed to squeeze an extra 26 years and become one of the most legendary performers in American popular culture. Darin was a gifted singer who could master jazz, showtunes, rock, pop, folk and gospel like few others, and was also successful as an actor, scoring a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for his motion picture work, and was also skilled at dancing and impersonations.

The 24 song "The Legendary Bobby Darin" is a most excellent snapshot of Bobby's versatility and dedication as an artist. Each song is sung with passion and soul, as Bobby ventures from showtunes ("Hello Dolly", "On The Street Where You Live") to great American standards (his amazing version of "More", "Moon River", "Call Me Irresponsible") to folk ("If I We Were A Carpenter"), all done with his trademark style and dedication. Only Frank Sinatra was able to trump Bobby Darin's talent as a vocalist, and even Frank couldn't nail "Mack The Knife" half as good as Bobby.

Because this collection is marketed by Capitol, early Atco hits like "Dream Lover" and "Queen Of The Hop" are omitted, while "Mack The Knife", "Beyond The Sea" and "Splish Splash" are included in live versions, all of which demonstrate that Bobby was just as, if not more, exciting onstage as he was on the turntables.

The liner notes by Will Friedwald are absolutely a joy to read, and the remastering job is fantastic. Right now, Bobby is in Heaven, hopefully thrilled to know how loved he still is today. August 18, 2007

Bobby Darin sold his songs without even trying--and that's no small feat !!!

Bobby Darin was a consummate entertainer who could reach out to his adoring audiences and lead them wherever he wanted them to go. He knew his life would be a short one because he had a bad heart; and every time he sang he poured so much genuine feeling and soul into his performance it touched people everywhere. This CD gives us a generous sampling of just some of Bobby's greatest hits recorded both live and in the studio; and every moment of this CD proves Bobby was more than a male singer--he was a force.

The CD track set begins with "Once In A Lifetime;" the drums at the beginning signal the beginning of a high energy number--and, sure enough, Bobby delivers this number with a faster than usual tempo. The power of Bobby's voice makes this the ultimate rendition of "Once In A Lifetime." The romantic ballad "More" follows; Bobby again speeds up the tempo along with musical arranger Richard Wess. The effect is an especially energetic rendition of "More." The lush musical arrangement works wonders, too.

One live number that stands out would have to be "Beyond The Sea" recorded in concert in Los Angeles in 1973. Bobby delivers this with passion and high octane energy; the audience enjoys every minute of it, too! You also get a live recording of "Mack The Knife" when Bobby performed at The Flamingo in Las Vegas in November, 1963. Bobby has a playful and very positive rapport with his audience even though these days one or two of his comments would be considered embarrassingly dated. The high quality control of the actual song "Mack The Knife," however, stuns me as Bobby Darin delivers this flawlessly.

"On The Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady gets a much faster than usual tempo from arranger Richard Wess and Bobby; but I think you will enjoy this number very much. "Hello, Dolly!" gets the royal treatment from Bobby and the musicians; Bobby delivers this as if he feels genuinely thrilled to see his friend Dolly again after many years. The tempo of "Hello, Dolly!" eventually speeds up to the normal tempo; and the arrangement complements Bobby's vocals perfectly. Bobby's sensitive interpretation of "The Good Life" touched me greatly; and Bobby again sings "Moon River" with panache and sensitivity. Great!

"Call Me Irresponsible" shines brightly like a golden nugget; and "Softly, As I Leave You" glistens like gold! The backup chorus on "Softly, As I Leave You" enhances the beauty of this number. In addition, "Venice Blue" tells how a man is so sad that his love affair is over than even the entire city of Venice turns blue before his very eyes.

There is another live track in which Bobby performs a playful medley of four of his greatest earlier hits: "Splish Splash/Beyond The Sea/Artificial Flowers/Clementine." Finally, the last track on the CD is another live track recorded in November of 1963 when Bobby truly believed that this would be his last live concert. (He subsequently changed his mind.) "The Curtain Falls" doesn't merely explore Bobby's feelings as he ends this particular concert; it also makes the perfect ending to this album. As Bobby sings this ballad about the end of his concert career; we also recognize that there is another meaning: "The Curtain Falls" gives us the perfect ending to this album as well.

The liner notes include an informative essay about Bobby Darin and his career by Will Friedwald; and you get excellent photos of Bobby, too. The liner notes also provide the song credits and recording dates.

Bobby Darin remains a formidable force whose star still shines brightly long after his life ended. Bobby will always be a legend; and long after most "celebrities" are dead and buried we will still remember Bobby very fondly. I highly recommend this excellent CD for Bobby Darin fans; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will cherish this one for ages to come.

Enjoy!

June 24, 2007

Extraordinary!

And extraordinary collection of Bobby Darin music. Featuring live recordings of Beyond The Sea, Mack The Knife, The Curtain Falls, Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher, and also an excellent, live medley of his hits Splish Splash, Beyond The Sea, Artifical Flowers, and Clementine.

For the price of $14.98 you get twenty-four, excellent versions of popular songs sung by Darin. If you want to look at the technicalities of pricing, your spending around 62 cents a song. You cannot do better than that, and every song is worth it. I highly recommend this CD. July 6, 2006

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