Track Listing

1. Ain't That a Kick in the Head
2. That's Amore
3. Memories Are Made of This
4. Just In Time
5. Sway
6. I'd Cry Like A Baby
7. Volare
8. Under The Bridges Of Paris
9. Love Me, Love Me
10. If
11. Mambo Italiano
12. Let Me Go Lover
13. Standing On The Corner
14. You Belong to Me
15. Powder Your Face With Sunshine
16. Innamorata (Sweetheart)
17. I'll Always Love You
18. Kiss
19. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
20. Return to Me (Ritorna-Me)
21. The Door Is Still Open to My Heart
22. Houston
23. Send Me The Pillow You Dream On
24. Everybody Loves Somebody
25. In the Chapel in the Moonlight
26. I Will
27. Little Old Wine Drinker Me
28. Somewhere There's a Someone
29. In The Misty Moonlight
30. Gentle On My Mind

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #390 in Music
• Brand: Dean
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The revisionist take on the Rat Pack's razor-witted King of Cool reveals a Dean Martin who was considerably more complex than the Titan of Tipplers legend; a man who would just as soon retire to his room with a tumbler of milk to watch a TV Western than prowl the Strip with his famous cohorts. That sublime, preternatural indifference is both underscored and belied with dizzying regularity on this good 30-track overview of Martin's singing career. The breezy hits "That's Amore" and "Volare" underscored his public staying power when many counted him out in the face of a surging 1950s youth market. He repeated the feat again with trademark effortlessness a decade later to knock no less than the Beatles off the top of the charts with the unlikely, if inviting schmaltz of "Everybody Loves Somebody." Ever informed by his warm, deceptive vocal ease, Martin's rich signature tunes are well-represented here. But the collection also spans enough lovable kitsch ("Mambo Italiano," "Little Old Wine Drinker Me") and unabashed romantic yearning ("Innamorata," "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On") to deepen the compelling mystery of one of pop music's most enduring ciphers. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

the ultimate definition of "easy listening"
The unique interpretations of a master song stylist, Dean Martin shines in this collection of recordings which were released from 1949 (''Powder Your Face With Sunshine'') to ''Gentle on My Mind'' in 1968. His smooth, gorgeous voice never loses a twist of humor, and you'll find yourself smiling and sometimes singing along with these uplifting tunes, which are the ultimate in ''easy listening''.
The later songs, from the mid '60s on, tend to have a hint of country flavor, and the early ones in the '50s have an Italian feel to them, and some of them of course, like ''Volare'', were originally Italian songs.

It's these early gems that are my favorites, like ''Love Me, Love Me'' from '53, ''Sway'' from '54, a marvelous melody that was also a hit for Bobby Rydell in '61, and Dean's fabulous rendition of ''Mambo Italiano'' from '55, which a few months earlier had been a top hit for Rosemary Clooney, and then there's ''Volare'', which I identify even more with Dean Martin than its singer/songwriter Domenico Modugno.
The booklet insert is excellent, with liner notes by Stevie Van Zandt and two of Dean's children, Deanna and Gail, and most of all, I appreciate its detailed list of each song, with release date, highest chart position, and more, and some nice b&w photos of the very cool Mr. Martin.
The sound overall is quite good, and total running time is 77'59.

The Tan Man In The Tuxedo
More than half of one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, more than a Rat Packer, and more than the host of a highly rated variety show, the man who made a tuxedo look as comfortable as a t-shirt: Dean Martin was the substance of cool. The Essential Dean Martin (Capitol) stands out among other greatest hits collections, in that it combines the Capitol and Reprise hit singles into one stunning package of memorable excellence. The liner notes and accompanying booklet studied alone are a treasure, with words from Stevie Van Zandt and Dean's children Deanna and Gail, the release dates for each song and its peak chart position, and the obligatory black & white photos of the master song stylist himself.

It's safe to say that it's all here, from the recognizable standard to some of the most sought after ballads. From the beautiful and hard to find waltz "Under the Bridges of Paris" to the quintessential rumba "Sway," listening to Dean's velvety, smooth vocals is only pure joy. At a time when rock n' roll ruled the charts, Dean was slipping through gems like "That's Amore," and attaching his name forever to Italian themed hits like "Volare" and "Inamorata." Dean was charming and swinging with "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" and "You're nobody `Til Somebody Loves You." He knocked the Beatles off of #1 with "Everybody Loves Somebody," and swept the girls away with love songs like "Return to Me" and "I'll Always Love You." Western styled selections from the 60's are here as well, like "Houston," and "Gentle on My Mind." Truly, from "Powder Your Face With Sunshine" to "Just In Time," this is a wonderful starting place for a new fan of Dean, or a great summation of his career for a loyal follower. There's a comforting spirit of truth and optimism in the relaxed styling of a man who was the world's coolest crooner. This is the Dean Martin collection to own, for its diversity, its history, and its warm and tipsy dedication to the handsome tan man in the tuxedo.

The best single CD of Dean's music
Dean Martin had two separate hit-making periods - in the fifties with Capitol and in the sixties with Reprise. The early sixties were not successful in the charts, although Dean continued to record albums and was also kept busy in other ways. You would normally have to buy one album to get his Capitol music and another to get his Reprise music. This collection spans both periods.

This collection contains most of the songs that are associated with Dean, including Memories are made of this, That's amore, Volare, You're nobody till somebody loves you, In the chapel in the moonlight, Standing on the corner, Send me the pillow that you dream on, Houston and Everybody loves somebody.

Dean's first solo hit, Powder your face with sunshine, is also included. It was no match for Evelyn Knight's version, which was number one in America for many weeks, but it was a start. Evelyn was at the peak of her career while Dean was just beginning. You belong to me (Jo Stafford) and Mambo Italiano (Rosemary Clooney) were other songs that other singers had bigger hits with than Dean.

Dean is often compared to Frank Sinatra, but their music was quite different. I enjoy both of them in different ways. While Frank's music was rooted in the big band sound of the late thirties, Dean's was altogether more relaxed - Dean was the classic crooner. In the sixties, his music took on a country flavor. It was never country enough for him to establish credibility amongst diehard country music fans, but for those who enjoy both pop and country music, Dean's sixties music is particularly appealing. Dean does not twang, so a lot of people who don't like country music can still enjoy his music.

If you only ever buy one Dean Martin album, this is the one to buy.