Track Listing

1. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
2. Because of You
3. Rags to Riches
4. Just in Time
5. Stranger in Paradise
6. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
7. I Wanna Be Around
8. Good Life
9. Shadow of Your Smile
10. Put on a Happy Face
11. If I Ruled the World
12. Smile
13. Night and Day
14. How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
15. Mood Indigo
16. Blue Velvet
17. Steppin' Out With My Baby
18. When Joanna Loved Me
19. When Do the Bells Ring for Me
20. Best Is Yet to Come

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1883 in Music
• Released on: 2000-10-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording remastered

Amazon.com
While Sinatra, Martin, and the Rat Pack were busy sacrificing a good measure of their vocal talents in the sordid business of fame and fortune, Tony Bennett was quietly, stubbornly, burnishing his vocal gifts into High, if seemingly effortless, Art. How good is Bennett? Just ask the Chairman of the Board and Head Rat: "The best goddamned pop singer I've ever heard." While a single disc can't offer much more than a sketchy outline of Bennett's rich, seven-decade career, this one offers the commercial peaks--and some telling hints at the restless artistic instinct that produced them. From the pure, nearly operatic power and perfect vibrato he displays on early hits such as "Rags to Riches," "Stranger in Paradise" and the overly theatrical, borderline kitsch of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" through his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" to his gratifying if unlikely '90s resurgence, you can literally hear Bennett's voice tempering like the wood of a Stradivarius, his phrasing taking on a deceptively loose, jazz-fueled languor that tells you where his musical heart really lies. The singer, not the song; damn straight advice--take it from a master. -Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Heavy on the 50's & 60's...
With 14 songs from the 50's & 60's and 6 from the 80's and 90's, This CD is heavily weighted in favor of Tony Bennet's earlier commercial hits. According to the liner notes, Tony himself carefully handpicked these songs, so if you don't like the selection you'll have to talk to the singer about it.

However you look at it, this is undeniably the essential Tony Bennett hits over some 40 years. Many of them were produced by Mitch Miller. And many come from the classic compsers such as Julie Styne, Cole Porter, Jonny Mercer, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and such.

This is basically 50's and 60's nostalgia with a nod at Tony's more recent work, and so is obviously for those who prefer the older and most familiar music. And for those listeners, it's definite four star material.

Title says it all!
There is no fat on this one! No fillers! This is the creme de le creme of a long career full of tasteful music. Each and every song chosen is 100% pure TONY...100% pure TASTE! No fat on this review either! BUY IT! It's THE BEST!!!

The Best from one of the best.
Tony Bennett is a great singer. Like Hank Aaron could hit a baseball. Like New York has a few people around, or Dallas is warm in July.

This may be the best single disc compilation of Tony's work available. It has just about every popular song he has ever recorded. Leaving aside the ubiquitous "San Francisco (a classic of all time, it goes without saying), this disc has so much more to offer. "I Want to be Around (to pick up the pieces)", "Tender is the Night", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and on and on and on. Each song here is better than the next. His voice is a treasure. "Steppin' out with my Baby" is as cool as the other side of the pillow.

Thanks to MTV "unplugged", a whole new generation of fans got to hear this marvelous singer. As importantly, millions who had heard him before and somehow forgotten how fine his work were able to re-discovered his brilliance.

Do yourself a favor.