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Sammy Reconsidered

J. D Suggs | Atlanta, Georgia United States | 02/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This well-chosen set makes the case powerfully that Sammy was the most talented of the Rat Pack (though Frank made him regret saying so). The material here sparkles from beginning to...well, "The Candyman", anyway, and that stuff doesn't get going until pretty near the end. People who have reduced this gifted artist to the campy talk-show perennial that he chose to become are cheating themselves, but this is powerful proof that he deserves to live all that down. Even if he was guilty of not taking his gifts seriously enough, a great recorded legacy remains; highlights include his collaborations with guitarist Laurindo Almeida (yielding perhaps the definitive "Here's That Rainy Day") and arranger Marty Paich. The pipes are beyond question, but notice what a witty and intelligent performer Sammy is- his total command of the material truly rivals Sinatra's.The fourth disc captures the live act very well, but here's a minor kvetch: with that area so well served by a number of recent Sammy releases, it would have been nice to have had more studio material, since so much is still unavailable. Anyway, this is a great set by a criminally misjudged performer, and it's nicely packaged, too. It'll make a believer out of you."

Sammy - The Ultimate Performer

Florian Kerz | 08/11/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, at first I'd like to say that it was definately time to release a boxed set like this, because the numbers of CD's available of the greatest Entertainer of all times is really poor. On this boxed set you'll find some tracks of Sammy's very first recordings he did for Capitol in 1949. Although, this tracks were previous released in 1990 by Capitol "The Capitol Collectors Series". But it's still nice to have them on the boxed set. On disc one you'll also find songs from his first album "Starring Sammy Davis Jr.", for example "Easy To Love" which he in performed on the "Ultimate Event" Tour in Milan, Italy in April of 1989. Then there are several other songs from his Decca albums, "Cahnge Partners", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "But Not For Me". You'll enjoy disc one, but in many of the tracks were available on CD before. Disc 2 has many songs of Sammy's 60's reocrding period and now we have many songs from his Reprise albums "Wham Of Sam", "California Suite" "Golden Boy" and "Our Shinning Hour". There you'll see Sammy's huge repertoire of songs. Disc #3 has beside some other 60's hits like "The Shelter Of Your Arms)some songs from his later recording-career: the 70's. Of course "Candy Man" is not missing ! Never on CD available before: "I'll Begin Again", "I'm Not Anyone", "Live Is A Woman", "Lover Come Back To Me". These for tunes are more than excellent, because they're also ultra rare ! "I'll Begin Again" is from the "Now" album (4/72), "I'm Not Anyone" was issued as single (3/73), "Lover Come Back To Me" (8/74)was taken from his lat album for MGM "That's Entertainment". "Life Is A Woman" originally appears on the "Sammy Stops The World" album from 1978. Great great great. Disc #4, and maybe the best of the whole set: LIVE LIVE LIVE Here are live tracks, but ONLY from his offical albums "Sammy Davis Jr. At Town Hall" (1958), "Sammy Davis Jr. At The Cocoanut Grove" (1963), "The Sounds Of '66" (1966), "That's All" (1967) and "In Person '77". Unfortunately NO title from the "Together Again" and "Ultimate Event Tour" 1988/89. But this disc is really powerful, if you're a fan you'll like it and say "THAT'S SAMMY". Better than all the studio recordings. Sammy was always live at his peak. The set comes with a very nice book that includes a biography, many unseen pics, pics of all of his album covers and a discography which is NOT complete. An excellent collection of songs, but it doesn't feature Sammy's 70's period too much, because you won't find one of his "hippie" arrangements from his Motwon albums. It would have been also great to put some songs from his last album "Closest Of Friends" and his "Hello, Detroit" single from 1985 onto one of the CD's.But for now, you won't a collection that's better than this one ! Buy and enjoy "Mr. Bojangles". !"

You can't climb the walls every time out

Florian Kerz | 09/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sammy Davis, Jr. has always reminded me of a baseball slugger in the sense that he strikes out more often than any great ballplayer should, but when he connects with the ball, he's likely to hit a home run. There are more than enough home runs on this box set to convince anyone that Sammy's a great singer - when he connects with the right song and the right arranger. More than even Sinatra in the late 1960's, Davis continued to do outstanding work. (I haven't heard his infamous Motown album, and there aren't any of those tracks on this compilation.) But you can't listen to "Here I'll Stay," a great song by Kurt Weill with a fantastic arrangement by Richard Wess (Bobby Darin's favorite arranger)from 1968 without shaking your head in awe and playing it over and over again. It's hard to tell whether the drummer or the singer is swinging the band harder. That's followed with "I Think I Like You," another marvelous song recorded in the late 1960's, with a Marty Paich arrangement in which the singer gradually convinces himself that the girl he's singing to likes him as much as he likes her, then at the end hesitantly asks, "Do You, do you, do you?" And that's not to mention the terrific songs from "Golden Boy" like "Night Song" that are included. And all this only on disc 3.Yes, there are some mediocre songs with truly awful arrangements, but this compilation proved to me that while Sammy Davis won't make you climb the walls every time out, his slugging percentage is pretty darn good."