Search - Various Artists :: Stars Sing Cole Porter

A Grab Bag of Styles

Gary F. Taylor | Biloxi, MS USA | 06/21/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although he was most closely associated with Broadway, the words and music of Cole Porter have had a broad fascination for both artists and audiences alike--and while I would not say that this particular collection offers consistently excellent renderings of his work, it does give one a very good idea of Porter's very wide appeal, for each of these releases were extremely popular in their own time.Most of the selections here are drawn from the 1950s and 1960s, and some of the interpretations are quite startling. One hardly expects a do-wop harmony group like The Four Seasons to perform a song like the intricate "I've Got You Under My Skin" in 1960s wall-of-sound style, but although it is entirely unexpected they carry it off extremely well--and certainly one can hardly argue with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire, or Sarah Vaughn, all three of whom were renowned for their way with a Porter song and all of whom aquit themselves extremely well.But for the most part, STARS SING COLE PORTER is a grab bag of interpretations that have faded over the years. Although she is an exceptional singer, Connie Francis lacks the necessary vocal qualities for a Porter tune such as "True Love," which in her hands emerges as so much sob-pop; Patti Page, a popular singer of the 1950s and 1960s more at home with country-tinged music that urbane sophistication, is completely out of her depth with "I Get A Kick Out of You;" and the Harpers Bizarre version of "Anything Goes" is, well, simply bizarre.While the collection does have its charms, it will be of most interest to people who are less interested in Cole Porter music than in acquiring a particular version of a Porter song to which they have a sentimental attachment. If you actually want great renditions of great Cole Porter tunes, however, you'd be better off with a different and more consistent compilation.GFT, Amazon Reviewer"