Copied from 78 vinyl
Jim Andrews | Chicago, Illinois USA | 06/07/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Yes, this C.D. was manufactured by copying 78 vinyl and likely because of the noise reduction necessary the sound is muddy, lacking definition and missing many details. Look, you can get ALL these recordings in magnificent sound digitally remastered from the M-G-M Records master tapes under Joni James' personal supervision in her own, official releases. The difference between the quality of these copies and the real, authentic music is night and day. Why get terrible copies and pay money to people who don't even own the masters when you can get high quality remastered genuine releases? This business of manufacturing C.D.s from copies without the consent or participation of the artist, and no benefit to the artist, cheapens the art of music and is ruining the recording field."
TRACKS
David Newland | dayton, oh USA | 06/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"1. Have You Heard
2. Why Don't You Believe Me
3. Wishing Ring
4. Your Cheatin' Heart
5. Almost Always
6. Is It Any Wonder
7. You're Fooling Someone
8. My Love My Love
9. Let There Be Love
10. Nearness Of You
11. My Romance
12. Our Love Is Here To Stay
13. I'll Be Seeing You
14. You're My Everything
15. Am I In Love
16. Maybe Next Time
17. I'm Thru' With Love
18. It's The Talk Of The Town
19. These Foolish Things
20. Little Girl Blue
21. In Love In Vain
22. Autumn Leaves
23. That Old Feeling
24. Too Late Now
25. How Important Can It Be
26. When You Wish Upon A Star
27. Where Is That Someone For Me
28. You Are My Love
29. Love Letters
"
NOSTALGIC BALLAD SWEETNESS BY '50'S JONI
A. POLLOCK | PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom | 05/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"From her first hit in 1952, Joni James was rightly crowned Queen of MGM Records with fifteen US Top Ten hit singles and distinction as an early seller of albums thanks mainly to her winsome ballad style which was usually directed toward teenage angst. Much exposure via US television gave Joni an advantage over many other chirpy songbirds of the period who may have possessed better voices but were somehow consigned to recording novelty numbers and given insufficient promotion to reach the higher echelons of popularity.
Naturally, Joni's US hits dominate this collection with the million-selling HAVE YOU HEARD? WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME? YOUR CHEATIN' HEART and HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE? leading other chart successes like WISHING RING, ALMOST ALWAYS, IS IT ANY WONDER? YOU'RE FOOLING SOMEONE and MY LOVE, MY LOVE but the inclusion of some early album tracks extracted from some of the near forty LP's she released concentrate on standards. Joni was certainly no swinger so ballads MY ROMANCE, LET THERE BE LOVE, I'LL BE SEEING YOU and THESE FOOLISH THINGS possess an appealing introspective quality which adds extra substance with more lavish orchestral ornamentation added as her popularity progressed.
However, Joni's power at MGM Records waned by the late `50's, coinciding with the upsurge of their younger and more versatile pop-princess, Connie Francis, who produced her own string of massive world-wide best-sellers from 1958 onwards. As for Joni, she gradually wound down her career in exchange for domestic bliss but things change and out of obscurity, she has recently enjoyed a renaissance thanks to the reissue of many of her early recordings such as this generous twenty-nine track reappraisal of a career which celebrates in fine nostalgic style the essential foothold she forever holds in `50's pop history.
"
