Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2571 in Digital Music Album
• Released on: 2009-09-22
• Running time: 2969 seconds

Customer Reviews

Musical Botox
There's a very interesting article from The Globe and Mail online that chronicles this, Harry Connick's first (and hopefully last) collaboration with mega-producer Clive Davis. Connick claims that the album was "the kind of...market-minded disc that [he] thought he'd never do, `not in a million years.'" Connick is quoted as saying that working with Davis at times left him "pissed" and "humiliated," and feeling "What am I doing, auditioning for this dude?" If there's proof positive that an artist of Connick's caliber should trust his own instincts, it's this seriously misguided collection of pop pablum.

The album starts with a fairly standard big-band arrangement of "All the Way," that clearly tells us we're in "When Harry Met Sally" territory. Which is fine, that's a place in which I'm more than happy to live. But what follows is dreadful: a cheesy version of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" that turns this simple, Grammy-winning classic into the theme from "Love, American Style." And other tacky renditions of tacky songs follow: A hokey, bluegrass version of Elton John's "Your Song;" Easy Listening takes on Beatles and Burt Bacharach tunes; a lackluster, rinky dink "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" that made me want to sway and hold up a lighter. Wynton Marsalis' trumpet solos only reinforce that's it all very Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

I've always regarded Mr. Connick as an arbiter of good taste and classy jazz, neither of which he displays here. There are thousands of brilliant, moving standards out there, and instead we get...Don McLean's "And I Love Her So?" Really? Disheartening to say the least.

To be fair, not all the tracks misfire. The abum's last three, including "Who Can I Turn To?" (which I was expecting to go over the top) are actually restrained and heartfelt; and the Nelson Riddle type arrangement for "Besame Mucho" works quite well. That it's pretty much the same one employed for "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Some Enchanted Evening" speaks again to just how uninspired and cookie cutter this album feels and sounds.

I'm not sure how reproducing the Perry Como Songbook is keeping Mr. Connick relevant, but Clive Davis has a plan. He did, after all, bring Barry Manilow back from the dead, and got a Grammy for doing so. We can only hope he confines himself to producing, and doesn't introduce Connick to Mr. Manilow's plastic surgeon.

Not my favorite Harry Connick CD
This is a good CD, though not my favorite of his works. It would make nice background music, but didn't capture my attention enough to sit and simply listen for the hour. I liked the song selections as they are classic romantic hits. Harry's voice is strong as usual, though his rendition of several of the tunes didn't do the songs justice.

It's Harry, but not quite the best Harry.
If you are a Harry fan already, you will be glad to add this to your collection. I don't think I'd recommend it for a first timer, though. He's still got the amazing voice that makes me all melty...and "Some Enchanted Evening" brought me to tears- it was one of my mother's all time favorite songs and hearing it in his voice, knowing how much she enjoyed his music- it just hit home. This CD will be a frequently played one when I want some mellow, chill music to hang out or have playing during dinner...especially when I need to remember my mom. Its like comfort food for my ears.