Dionne Warwick - Here I Am (Original Release Date: 1966)

Vintage Dionne! She was Peerless

Dionne Warwick possessed one of the most beautiful pop voices of all time. Her soft soprano voice with the lilts and turns just drew me in like a bee to a blossom. Her voice was like a real breath of difference in a whole world of sameness. "In Between The Heartaches" begins this Dionne fest and the charm of her voice is seductive. You want to hear more. She is versatile and skilled as an interpreter of the beautiful Hal David Lyrics. She is the perfect match for the sometimes complicated melodies of Baccharach. Just when you think ya got the girl pegged she breaks the mold with her version of "This Little Light". Dionne reminds the listener of her gospel roots and her familial association with the fabulous Drinkard Singers. This offering alone would give no indication of her diverse sound on the other cuts. In fact, the song immediately following the gospel number is remarkably different in tone and character and Dionne fills the bill expertly.
Dionne Warwick deserves more regnigtion for her singular contribution to American Pop Music. Before Diana and The Supremes captured the hearts of young America, before Aretha made the world listen and respect her, there was Dionne. This CD helps substantiate her place in musical history. Love every moment. March 10, 2008

Classic 60s dionne LP gets remastered!

When Rhino Records' specialty imprint, Rhino Handmade began releasing limited edition Dionne Warwick CDs of her 60s catalog, fans were thrilled. Deluxe packaging, copious notes, awesome sound, and TONS of extras. Well, they did about 4, promised more to come, and then... nothing. Little by little though, her rare out of print catalog has been trickling out.

Which brings us to the Collector's Choice batch, just out now. Pretty straight-forward, no frills or bonus tracks... but good sound and decent liner notes. Hey, I'm just happy they are putting more rarities in print. Only a few Dionne gems left to go now...

Here I Am is one of my faves of her work, finding her moving gradually into her sophisticated pop phase. There are lots of ballads, gentle bossa nova ditties and even a gospel-style track. The lyrics are clever, with a dark underside that belies the sunny melodies. Dionne finds the heart of those lyrics, elevating the precedings to art.

Although many dismiss her mid to late 60s era as easy-listening pop, I think it's incredible stuff. Dionne has the grit and soul to move you, no matter what style she sings in. May 24, 2007

Warwick reissued! Again and again?

Warner continues to make money off the legendary diva's Scepter label material. I wonder how much has been made to date. Prior re-releases have
been reissued in the UK and Japan of this LP and her many others from the 60s. Seems like every time she has new material out, her former record label puts out her oldies to cash in on her yet again. HOW TACKY and GREEDY THAT IS! May 24, 2007

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