Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the music for this film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The scene in which Andrews crests a hill with her arms spread singing the title track is one of the greatest in American film. Hearing that song forever fills the listener with that image, and remains as fresh and even chilling as it was initially. Unfortunately much of this has been co-opted by television advertisements or whatever, and so could languish because of the clichéd quality of it. Fortunately, conductor Irwin Kostal delivered a wonderful score, and the vocal delivery is as vibrant as any in the storied history of film musicals. --Scott Wilson

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

INCREDIBLE SOUND!!, 02 Apr 2008
I love this cd; It remembers me my childhood and my teenager years!! I saw the movie at the cinema when I was 12 years old and I purchased it on vinyl; now, when I found it on the cd format, I bought it inmediately!! The songs are beautiful and in excellent condition, without scratch and in a very good restoration!! buy it!!

What a Sound of Music, 25 Aug 2004
As said in other reviews, this cd needs no praise. It contains all the songs from the musical which are great to listen to if you just want to sing your heart out.

5th Leigh Guides do The Sound of Music!, 11 Jun 2004
The Sound of Music has always been a favourite of mine, but I felt the need to bring it to a wider audience. For the past few years at Guide camp, I have abandoned the traditional whistle to wake the girls up, and instead, hold a stereo to the door of their tents and give them a blast of Lonely Goatherd, I Have Confidence and other classics from the CD! Can you think of anything better to wake up to?! This has inspired a whole new generation of fans! :o)

One of my favourite things..., 29 Feb 2004
Unlike some musical soundtracks, this really does justice to the film, the songs are fantastic and timeless, my personal favourites being 'I have confidence' and 'Do-Re-Mi' which is especially good as it keeps to exactly how it is in the film, starting with the scene on the hills, and finishing with the 'steps' finale. Julie Andrews is of course amazing and shows her versatility with the grand opening of 'the sound of music' and the tender 'something good.' The childrens voices are also great, especially Liesl's in 'sixteen going on seventeen.' The only song which is not in its entirety is 'Edelweiss' by Captain Von Trapp but Christopher Plummer was dubbed anyway so this is not a great loss! The audio restoration is faultless, and you need to play this loud and sing along, even if it annoys your 'the darkness' loving brother. The booklet is also well laid out and informative but does not include song lyrics.

This album needs no praise, 23 May 2003
You are already aware of the basics. Rodgers & Hammerstein only produce winners. Julie Andrews has exceptional range clarity and stamina. The Musical is a classic.

As with most sound tracks they threw everything in (well maybe not everything). And due to the wide audience every one will have a different favorite song. Personally having all the music helps me remember the movie. However for just listening I have no problem by-passing a few. Even watching the movie, I always considered "I Have Confidence" to not be quit up to standard. Of course "The Sound Of Music" is a given. Yet if I had to pick one my favorite is "Edelweiss" If the songs were cut short it may be due to logistics.

Barbra Streisand's bravado made her one of the 1960s' overnight sensations. This 40-cut Essential Collection traces her recording career from early tracks that frequently relay her subtlety to often impressive accommodations with soft rock and still later vibrato-fests that find her taxing the limits of performer's ego and listeners' ears. The narrative is one of direct, sometimes showy, emotion giving way to empty displays of technique. By 1983s icky anthem "A Piece of Sky", Streisand has plowed under the light touches of "Lover, Come Back to Me" and the triumphal Central Park version of "Happy Days Are Here Again". Where she produced schlock masterworks when teamed with Neil Diamond ("You Don't Bring Me Flowers") and Donna Summer ("Enough Is Enough") in the 1970s, a diva summit with Celine Dion led to the car wreck of 1997s "Tell Him". Essential wraps up with previously unreleased takes of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone". --Rickey Wright

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

INCREDIBLE SOUND!!, 02 Apr 2008
I love this cd; It remembers me my childhood and my teenager years!! I saw the movie at the cinema when I was 12 years old and I purchased it on vinyl; now, when I found it on the cd format, I bought it inmediately!! The songs are beautiful and in excellent condition, without scratch and in a very good restoration!! buy it!!

What a Sound of Music, 25 Aug 2004
As said in other reviews, this cd needs no praise. It contains all the songs from the musical which are great to listen to if you just want to sing your heart out.

5th Leigh Guides do The Sound of Music!, 11 Jun 2004
The Sound of Music has always been a favourite of mine, but I felt the need to bring it to a wider audience. For the past few years at Guide camp, I have abandoned the traditional whistle to wake the girls up, and instead, hold a stereo to the door of their tents and give them a blast of Lonely Goatherd, I Have Confidence and other classics from the CD! Can you think of anything better to wake up to?! This has inspired a whole new generation of fans! :o)

One of my favourite things..., 29 Feb 2004
Unlike some musical soundtracks, this really does justice to the film, the songs are fantastic and timeless, my personal favourites being 'I have confidence' and 'Do-Re-Mi' which is especially good as it keeps to exactly how it is in the film, starting with the scene on the hills, and finishing with the 'steps' finale. Julie Andrews is of course amazing and shows her versatility with the grand opening of 'the sound of music' and the tender 'something good.' The childrens voices are also great, especially Liesl's in 'sixteen going on seventeen.' The only song which is not in its entirety is 'Edelweiss' by Captain Von Trapp but Christopher Plummer was dubbed anyway so this is not a great loss! The audio restoration is faultless, and you need to play this loud and sing along, even if it annoys your 'the darkness' loving brother. The booklet is also well laid out and informative but does not include song lyrics.

This album needs no praise, 23 May 2003
You are already aware of the basics. Rodgers & Hammerstein only produce winners. Julie Andrews has exceptional range clarity and stamina. The Musical is a classic.

As with most sound tracks they threw everything in (well maybe not everything). And due to the wide audience every one will have a different favorite song. Personally having all the music helps me remember the movie. However for just listening I have no problem by-passing a few. Even watching the movie, I always considered "I Have Confidence" to not be quit up to standard. Of course "The Sound Of Music" is a given. Yet if I had to pick one my favorite is "Edelweiss" If the songs were cut short it may be due to logistics.

Collection, 20 Jul 2007
I think the last reviewer (Dr Powell) bought the wrong album (Il Divo are on the live album sir!.. ah bless)
A superb collection of her finest songs.

Warning: Il Divo is NOWHERE on this CD, 15 Jul 2007
For those of you who are thinking about buying this CD because of Barbara Streisand doing a duet with Il Divo....BEWARE: Il Divo is nowhere to be found on this double CD. This is false advertising by Amazon. This CD is a compilation of selected favorites from her earlier CDs, which still show off Barbara's fantastic voice. However, I think the public deserves to be warned about the misleading promotion of Il Divo in a double CD that doesn't include them.

Love Barbra!!!!, 23 May 2006
I have listened to these two CDs so many times! I love every song on this CD. Barbra Streisand is the best, she has an amamazing voice, and this is one cool album! If you don't have this CD you should get it! Barbra's amazing voice and talent will make you fall in love with her!!!

Total Quality, 04 Jan 2005
I wouldn't claim to be a particular fan of Barbra Streisand although I have always enjoyed her films and music. I think this collection is fantastic. Great songs sung by a diva. There are no 'make weight' tracks as you usually get with these collections. It is an excellent reminder of true star quality in every respect.

the 'longawaited' essential, 02 Nov 2004
It is hard to say who is the best female artist of all time,it would depend on musical preference or taste.But with this collection that spans over 40 years of recordings,it is safe to say that Barbra Streisand is perhaps THE best.Why?not only one of the longest and still successful careers of all time, selling more albums than any other female and a glowing film career,Barbra has one of the most remarkable voices ever heard.This 2 CD collection is just a hint of the sheer magnitude of her contribution to entertainment.

Released to coincide with his Lifetime Achievement award at the 2003 BRIT Awards, Greatest Hits brings together some of Tom Jones's biggest songs to one CD, including favourites such as "Delilah", "It's Not Unusual", "Kiss", "Mama Told Me Not to Come" and "Green, Green Grass of Home". Combining both the old and new high points of his decades-long career in music, this is an essential introduction to this classic singer and national treasure. --Ted Kord

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

INCREDIBLE SOUND!!, 02 Apr 2008
I love this cd; It remembers me my childhood and my teenager years!! I saw the movie at the cinema when I was 12 years old and I purchased it on vinyl; now, when I found it on the cd format, I bought it inmediately!! The songs are beautiful and in excellent condition, without scratch and in a very good restoration!! buy it!!

What a Sound of Music, 25 Aug 2004
As said in other reviews, this cd needs no praise. It contains all the songs from the musical which are great to listen to if you just want to sing your heart out.

5th Leigh Guides do The Sound of Music!, 11 Jun 2004
The Sound of Music has always been a favourite of mine, but I felt the need to bring it to a wider audience. For the past few years at Guide camp, I have abandoned the traditional whistle to wake the girls up, and instead, hold a stereo to the door of their tents and give them a blast of Lonely Goatherd, I Have Confidence and other classics from the CD! Can you think of anything better to wake up to?! This has inspired a whole new generation of fans! :o)

One of my favourite things..., 29 Feb 2004
Unlike some musical soundtracks, this really does justice to the film, the songs are fantastic and timeless, my personal favourites being 'I have confidence' and 'Do-Re-Mi' which is especially good as it keeps to exactly how it is in the film, starting with the scene on the hills, and finishing with the 'steps' finale. Julie Andrews is of course amazing and shows her versatility with the grand opening of 'the sound of music' and the tender 'something good.' The childrens voices are also great, especially Liesl's in 'sixteen going on seventeen.' The only song which is not in its entirety is 'Edelweiss' by Captain Von Trapp but Christopher Plummer was dubbed anyway so this is not a great loss! The audio restoration is faultless, and you need to play this loud and sing along, even if it annoys your 'the darkness' loving brother. The booklet is also well laid out and informative but does not include song lyrics.

This album needs no praise, 23 May 2003
You are already aware of the basics. Rodgers & Hammerstein only produce winners. Julie Andrews has exceptional range clarity and stamina. The Musical is a classic.

As with most sound tracks they threw everything in (well maybe not everything). And due to the wide audience every one will have a different favorite song. Personally having all the music helps me remember the movie. However for just listening I have no problem by-passing a few. Even watching the movie, I always considered "I Have Confidence" to not be quit up to standard. Of course "The Sound Of Music" is a given. Yet if I had to pick one my favorite is "Edelweiss" If the songs were cut short it may be due to logistics.

Collection, 20 Jul 2007
I think the last reviewer (Dr Powell) bought the wrong album (Il Divo are on the live album sir!.. ah bless)
A superb collection of her finest songs.

Warning: Il Divo is NOWHERE on this CD, 15 Jul 2007
For those of you who are thinking about buying this CD because of Barbara Streisand doing a duet with Il Divo....BEWARE: Il Divo is nowhere to be found on this double CD. This is false advertising by Amazon. This CD is a compilation of selected favorites from her earlier CDs, which still show off Barbara's fantastic voice. However, I think the public deserves to be warned about the misleading promotion of Il Divo in a double CD that doesn't include them.

Love Barbra!!!!, 23 May 2006
I have listened to these two CDs so many times! I love every song on this CD. Barbra Streisand is the best, she has an amamazing voice, and this is one cool album! If you don't have this CD you should get it! Barbra's amazing voice and talent will make you fall in love with her!!!

Total Quality, 04 Jan 2005
I wouldn't claim to be a particular fan of Barbra Streisand although I have always enjoyed her films and music. I think this collection is fantastic. Great songs sung by a diva. There are no 'make weight' tracks as you usually get with these collections. It is an excellent reminder of true star quality in every respect.

the 'longawaited' essential, 02 Nov 2004
It is hard to say who is the best female artist of all time,it would depend on musical preference or taste.But with this collection that spans over 40 years of recordings,it is safe to say that Barbra Streisand is perhaps THE best.Why?not only one of the longest and still successful careers of all time, selling more albums than any other female and a glowing film career,Barbra has one of the most remarkable voices ever heard.This 2 CD collection is just a hint of the sheer magnitude of her contribution to entertainment.

Tom at his best, 10 Sep 2004
I must admit, I'm not exactly a fan or Tom Jones, but my sister already has this album and when I listened to it I just had to buy it. The man has an awesome voice and every track on this album is totally different. A good one to add to your collection!

awesome, 18 Jan 2004
I got this as a gift for my girlfriend for Xmas and she listens to it over and over and over again.. the only annoying part is that I'm not the biggest Tom Jones fan... but even I have to admit that this grows on you...

OKay, 27 Jun 2003
This was okay but not as great as I had expected. Niavely thought that there would be most of Tom's biggest hits on here and be great & get up all the way through...alas not to be..

The epitome of the Big Ballad, 13 May 2003
After nearly four decades in the music business, Tom Jones is still popular due to his incredible voice and of course, a variety of intelligent collaborations with younger artists. This compilation traces his career from the sixties in classic songs like It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat, the country-tinged Green Green Grass of Home and the melodramatic Delilah, through the seventies in hits like She’s A Lady and Daughter Of Darkness, into the eighties with the brilliant Kiss and up to the present with Sex Bomb and the Full Monty Medley. There will always be a place for a big balladeer, and I’d rather have Tom Jones than most of the modern ones. Tom certainly outlived his 60s rival Engelbert Humperdinck! His choice of material has always been great and his voice is perfectly suited to a surprising variety of styles. Besides, there’s the nostalgia factor – I grew up to songs like Help Yourself and She’s A Lady. This wonderful anthology deserves five stars, through and through.

Excellent compilation, 14 Apr 2003
I thoroughly enjoyed this CD - I can't stop playing it! Its a great compilation of tracks from throughout Tom Jone's musical career. I would recommend it to anyone of any age.

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

INCREDIBLE SOUND!!, 02 Apr 2008
I love this cd; It remembers me my childhood and my teenager years!! I saw the movie at the cinema when I was 12 years old and I purchased it on vinyl; now, when I found it on the cd format, I bought it inmediately!! The songs are beautiful and in excellent condition, without scratch and in a very good restoration!! buy it!!

What a Sound of Music, 25 Aug 2004
As said in other reviews, this cd needs no praise. It contains all the songs from the musical which are great to listen to if you just want to sing your heart out.

5th Leigh Guides do The Sound of Music!, 11 Jun 2004
The Sound of Music has always been a favourite of mine, but I felt the need to bring it to a wider audience. For the past few years at Guide camp, I have abandoned the traditional whistle to wake the girls up, and instead, hold a stereo to the door of their tents and give them a blast of Lonely Goatherd, I Have Confidence and other classics from the CD! Can you think of anything better to wake up to?! This has inspired a whole new generation of fans! :o)

One of my favourite things..., 29 Feb 2004
Unlike some musical soundtracks, this really does justice to the film, the songs are fantastic and timeless, my personal favourites being 'I have confidence' and 'Do-Re-Mi' which is especially good as it keeps to exactly how it is in the film, starting with the scene on the hills, and finishing with the 'steps' finale. Julie Andrews is of course amazing and shows her versatility with the grand opening of 'the sound of music' and the tender 'something good.' The childrens voices are also great, especially Liesl's in 'sixteen going on seventeen.' The only song which is not in its entirety is 'Edelweiss' by Captain Von Trapp but Christopher Plummer was dubbed anyway so this is not a great loss! The audio restoration is faultless, and you need to play this loud and sing along, even if it annoys your 'the darkness' loving brother. The booklet is also well laid out and informative but does not include song lyrics.

This album needs no praise, 23 May 2003
You are already aware of the basics. Rodgers & Hammerstein only produce winners. Julie Andrews has exceptional range clarity and stamina. The Musical is a classic.

As with most sound tracks they threw everything in (well maybe not everything). And due to the wide audience every one will have a different favorite song. Personally having all the music helps me remember the movie. However for just listening I have no problem by-passing a few. Even watching the movie, I always considered "I Have Confidence" to not be quit up to standard. Of course "The Sound Of Music" is a given. Yet if I had to pick one my favorite is "Edelweiss" If the songs were cut short it may be due to logistics.

Collection, 20 Jul 2007
I think the last reviewer (Dr Powell) bought the wrong album (Il Divo are on the live album sir!.. ah bless)
A superb collection of her finest songs.

Warning: Il Divo is NOWHERE on this CD, 15 Jul 2007
For those of you who are thinking about buying this CD because of Barbara Streisand doing a duet with Il Divo....BEWARE: Il Divo is nowhere to be found on this double CD. This is false advertising by Amazon. This CD is a compilation of selected favorites from her earlier CDs, which still show off Barbara's fantastic voice. However, I think the public deserves to be warned about the misleading promotion of Il Divo in a double CD that doesn't include them.

Love Barbra!!!!, 23 May 2006
I have listened to these two CDs so many times! I love every song on this CD. Barbra Streisand is the best, she has an amamazing voice, and this is one cool album! If you don't have this CD you should get it! Barbra's amazing voice and talent will make you fall in love with her!!!

Total Quality, 04 Jan 2005
I wouldn't claim to be a particular fan of Barbra Streisand although I have always enjoyed her films and music. I think this collection is fantastic. Great songs sung by a diva. There are no 'make weight' tracks as you usually get with these collections. It is an excellent reminder of true star quality in every respect.

the 'longawaited' essential, 02 Nov 2004
It is hard to say who is the best female artist of all time,it would depend on musical preference or taste.But with this collection that spans over 40 years of recordings,it is safe to say that Barbra Streisand is perhaps THE best.Why?not only one of the longest and still successful careers of all time, selling more albums than any other female and a glowing film career,Barbra has one of the most remarkable voices ever heard.This 2 CD collection is just a hint of the sheer magnitude of her contribution to entertainment.

Tom at his best, 10 Sep 2004
I must admit, I'm not exactly a fan or Tom Jones, but my sister already has this album and when I listened to it I just had to buy it. The man has an awesome voice and every track on this album is totally different. A good one to add to your collection!

awesome, 18 Jan 2004
I got this as a gift for my girlfriend for Xmas and she listens to it over and over and over again.. the only annoying part is that I'm not the biggest Tom Jones fan... but even I have to admit that this grows on you...

OKay, 27 Jun 2003
This was okay but not as great as I had expected. Niavely thought that there would be most of Tom's biggest hits on here and be great & get up all the way through...alas not to be..

The epitome of the Big Ballad, 13 May 2003
After nearly four decades in the music business, Tom Jones is still popular due to his incredible voice and of course, a variety of intelligent collaborations with younger artists. This compilation traces his career from the sixties in classic songs like It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat, the country-tinged Green Green Grass of Home and the melodramatic Delilah, through the seventies in hits like She’s A Lady and Daughter Of Darkness, into the eighties with the brilliant Kiss and up to the present with Sex Bomb and the Full Monty Medley. There will always be a place for a big balladeer, and I’d rather have Tom Jones than most of the modern ones. Tom certainly outlived his 60s rival Engelbert Humperdinck! His choice of material has always been great and his voice is perfectly suited to a surprising variety of styles. Besides, there’s the nostalgia factor – I grew up to songs like Help Yourself and She’s A Lady. This wonderful anthology deserves five stars, through and through.

Excellent compilation, 14 Apr 2003
I thoroughly enjoyed this CD - I can't stop playing it! Its a great compilation of tracks from throughout Tom Jone's musical career. I would recommend it to anyone of any age.

Great Collection Of A Forgotten Era, 20 Sep 2008
The name Frank Sinatra is synonymous with with Jazz, Swing and Orchestral sound of music. He had an unmatched vocal talent and his music will always be viewed as legendary. It's hard to believe it's just over 10 years since we unfortunately lost this musical great. The Platinum collection compiles all of his classic greats that anyone and everyone would recognise instantly. His music wasn't made in the same way as todays standards. It wasn't released album by album, and you didn't need crazy looking music videos in order to get people to pay attention. It was music created solely to be performed in front of small audiences at such places like the legendary Copacabana night club. It wasn't music created with cheap gimmicks or a fancy look, it was music. Music from the heart and soul. This is what makes Sinatra the greatest vocalist in history.

Since the days of Sinatra and the Rat Pack, music has slowly gone down hill in regards to vocal ability. With the odd exceptions of course. We needn't fret though, as the Platinum collection gives us the opportunity to relive the Sinatra sound whenever we need to relax.

This is the definitive collection with the classics like "Come Fly With Me" "Love and Marriage" "You Make Me Feel So Young" and "Witchcraft." There's no denying the talent of Sinatra and there's no way you can dismiss this album. If you have even an ounce of respect for Sinatra or that generation of music you will all buy it.

The Voice, 09 Jul 2008
I have been listening to Sinatra for about 50 years and I still LISTEN to him and I still occasionally find something new in the way he treats a song. I saw him in concert four times! His phrasing and his ability to sing so much with a single breath ( he swam underwater to improve this )were tools that he used with such effect.There have been many people who emulated him but no-one who came anywhere near him, as this collection shows very plainly.

Masterly Compilation, 02 Jul 2006
A superb compilation. I have a good few Sinatra albums but none of the other compilations I have comes near this.
It has some of the finest records he ever made,across three, truly marvellous CDs. If you buy this, I cannot see how you could not love it.
Get this, then treat yourself to "Songs For Swinging Lovers " & "In The Wee Small Hours" (two superbly crafted records) & you'll be sorted.
A truly far reaching & expansive compilation. Excellent value, considering the quality of the music.
They really don't make them like this any more - let's face it, there was only one Frank Sinatra - buy this & you'll see why.

Definitive Frank, 25 Feb 2005
The best Frank collection ever. They're all here - "I've got you under my skin", "Chicago", "It was just one of those things".

How Capitol managed to get the best from Frank at a time when his career appeared to be over is one of popular musics great stories.

The absolute and essential definitve Frank Sinatra collection.

The Best Sinatra Album Ever, 21 Jan 2005
If you could collect sinatra's best works and put them in an album, you'd end up with the platinum collection. I can't stress enough how good this album is. Can't stop listening (and singing along) to it regardless of how many times I hear it. A must have for all sinatra fans.

In 1979, not content with being one-third of America's hottest recording act, Barry Gibb still had some songs to spare. However, perhaps fearing that the famous falsetto was already proving a little too ubiquitous, the hirsute Bee Gee hooked up with Barbra Streisand. Predictably, Guilty instantly became the singer's biggest selling album. With the Donna Summer duet "Enough Is Enough" still fresh in the folk memory, many expected Gibb's involvement to result in a full-on disco extravaganza. Gibb though, had already left the dance floor behind and, if anything, Guilty is best seen as a companion piece to the Bee Gees' beautifully introspective Spirits Having Flown album. "Guilty" and "Make It Like A Memory" are particular standouts, object lessons in pristine FM pop, whilst the Grammy-gobbling "Woman In Love" singlehandedly explains why Streisand insisted on posing in Gibb's embrace for the sleeve image. --Peter Paphides

Two-disk definitive introduction to all things Jacques Brel, 27 Feb 2008
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette smoke, with the music occupying a special place upon the stage within the low-rent night club scenario that play out inside our minds.

The forty tracks collected here represent Brel at his best, offering a great introduction for those previously unfamiliar with his work. Although it is true that there probably could have been a third disk included, with some of Brel's equally great (but lesser known) songs missing from this collection, the real point of this set is to introduce Brel's music to a new audience, or to act as a definitive collection of hits for those of us who can't afford the epic Jacques Brel box-set released a few years before this. If you're at all interested in European music, theatrical-decadence, grand orchestration and a genuine outpouring of pure emotion through song, or perhaps if you're already familiar with Brel through the references to him from subsequent artists like Scott Walker, Neil Hannon, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, then this really is a must-have purchase.

Definitely the greatest!, 15 Nov 2005
Jacques Brel was most definitely the greatest Chanson singer of all times, and I find it regrettable that his work is so little known in the English-speaking world.
Of course, many people have heard "Ne me quitte pas" ("If you go away") or "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") sung or played by other musicians, but listening to Jacques Brel can also be a wonderful experience, even for those who do not understand the French language: you can feel the passion in almost every word, and songs like "Amsterdam" or "Quand on n´a que l´Amour" are bound to move you.... Try it!

Jean-Luc Dancy
French singer / songwriter

Pure genius., 26 Nov 2003
What more is there to say? The Franco-Belgian poet, songwriter and singer Jacques Brel was pure genius. If you didn't know already, this double CD will convince you. It is beautifully remastered - and many of his finest songs are there. There is really only one reason NOT to buy it - that is if you choose to buy his COMPLETE songs instead.
I cannot possibly think of a future where the people of Europe are not moved by the songs of Jacques Brel.

After 25 years - 'new' material from Brel!, 20 Nov 2003
Ok, this is another collection of Brel's music, on double-CD there are 40 tracks and most of them are very clear choices: 'Ne me quitte pas', 'Jacky', 'Les bonbons' 'Chanson des vieux amants', 'Amsterdam', 'Les bourgeois' and so on. But everything has been remastered for a clearer sound and obviously there is an attempt to cover the whole career, with early songs like 'Le diable' to the last album - and with five songs that were intended "for the next album" as Brel decided - and died before being able to make it. Of these 'L'amour est mort' is the most impressive one, with extremely cold piano sounds and Brel's passionate, coarse voice. The leaflet contains the words for these five songs, others have been published earlier in other collections. Or if you want all the lyrics, try to find 'Tout Brel', everything he wrote in one book.

How necessary is this after all the collections? Very. Not only because of the newly found records but because even the oldest songs sound better than on older CD's. However, I still wonder why 50's songs are so poorly presented in this and other collections, after all 'Seul', 'La mort', 'La tendresse' and 'La colombe' from the end of the 50's are all powerful songs and bring out Brel's themes clearly, and from the earlier years there are lots of interesting songs, like beautiful 'Sur la place'. All of these are missing from this collection, which follows the very mainstream 'best of Brel'-tradition. Still, Brel family has done a good job, when finally releasing the previously unedited songs, so I simply can't give less than five stars and would like to give more.

Very Pleasantly Surprised, 13 Sep 2008
I bought this CD for only a couple of tracks on it, but having listened to it whilst I was busy doing other things, I was amazed to hear such beautiful songs, sung in such a wonderful voice. I own a couple of Frank Sinatra CDs and I think Matt Munro has a better voice than Frank (Matt's is smoother and holds the notes slightly better and is more pleasant to listen to for a pro-longed period of time, compared to Frank)

Some of the songs are sad-but beautiful, some very Sinatra-a-like, but still nice to listen to if you like this kind of style. Almost all the CD is good.

A pleasant surprise, considering I only wanted a couple of tracks on it!

Matt Monro - the best, 11 Jan 2008
I can't review this particular disc as I don't have it, but it has all his best tracks. Anyone who doubts Matt's ability should listen to the way he can hold a perfect note - sometimes, at the end of a song, for up to 10 seconds. If this doesn't sound like much, try it yourself! Apparently, when he was in the forces, Matt used to enter talent contests, and was eventually told to stop entering because he kept winning! Scandalously, his title song to 'From Russia with Love' was removed from later issues of that film. Why??

`MAT MONRO` THE MASTER,, 29 Jul 2007
WHAT CAN ANY ONE REALLY SAY ABOUT MAT MONRO,THAT HAS`NT BEEN SAID.HIS VOICE, HIS MUSICAL PHRASING, THE SMART WAY HE LOOKED.AN ALL ROUND MASTER. THATS WHY `SINATRA` WAS A FAN OF MAT MONRO.STARTING FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,DRIVING A LONDON BUS AND SINGING AT WORK SOCIAL EVENTS. TO MAKING IT BIG IN THE USA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.SINGING TO SELLOUT CONCERTS AND T.V SHOWS,BUT NEVER ONCE FORGETTING HIS ROOTS.ALLWAYS A SIMPLE MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY,HIS HOME AND HIS MUSIC,AND THAT SHOWS ON THIS C.D.EACH AND EVERY TRACK ON THIS ALBUM IS MONUMENTAL.HE HAND PICKED THE SONGS HE SUNG.A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY.ALL HIS HITS ARE HERE.SIT BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT.AND LISTEN TO A MASTER AT WORK.( A Five Star Rating is Not Enough For This Album )

This really is the best of, 29 Dec 2006
Matt Monro has a truly unique voice - trained, cultured, and above all, sublime. My favourite track has to be On Days Like These - I can quite happily just put that track on Repeat, and drift off to sleep. Brilliant.

THE VERY BEST OF MATT MONRO, 02 Mar 2006
I RATE THIS AS ONE OF THE BEST OF MY MANY MATT MONRO CDS,ITS A GREAT RANGE OF HIS POPULAR HITS,HIS PERFORMANCES OF ""ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" AND "WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD"ARE FIRST CLASS, NOT FORGETTING ON "DAYS LIKE THESE" AND"WHO CAN I TURN" IALSO HAVE ON DAYS LIKE THESE SUNG IN SPANISH ON ANOTHER CD HIS DICTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK IS INCREDIBLE I MAKE THIS A MUST FOR MATTS ARMY OF FANS AND RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY I THANK AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THIS TO ME IN AUSTRALIA.

INCREDIBLE SOUND!!, 02 Apr 2008
I love this cd; It remembers me my childhood and my teenager years!! I saw the movie at the cinema when I was 12 years old and I purchased it on vinyl; now, when I found it on the cd format, I bought it inmediately!! The songs are beautiful and in excellent condition, without scratch and in a very good restoration!! buy it!!

What a Sound of Music, 25 Aug 2004
As said in other reviews, this cd needs no praise. It contains all the songs from the musical which are great to listen to if you just want to sing your heart out.

5th Leigh Guides do The Sound of Music!, 11 Jun 2004
The Sound of Music has always been a favourite of mine, but I felt the need to bring it to a wider audience. For the past few years at Guide camp, I have abandoned the traditional whistle to wake the girls up, and instead, hold a stereo to the door of their tents and give them a blast of Lonely Goatherd, I Have Confidence and other classics from the CD! Can you think of anything better to wake up to?! This has inspired a whole new generation of fans! :o)

One of my favourite things..., 29 Feb 2004
Unlike some musical soundtracks, this really does justice to the film, the songs are fantastic and timeless, my personal favourites being 'I have confidence' and 'Do-Re-Mi' which is especially good as it keeps to exactly how it is in the film, starting with the scene on the hills, and finishing with the 'steps' finale. Julie Andrews is of course amazing and shows her versatility with the grand opening of 'the sound of music' and the tender 'something good.' The childrens voices are also great, especially Liesl's in 'sixteen going on seventeen.' The only song which is not in its entirety is 'Edelweiss' by Captain Von Trapp but Christopher Plummer was dubbed anyway so this is not a great loss! The audio restoration is faultless, and you need to play this loud and sing along, even if it annoys your 'the darkness' loving brother. The booklet is also well laid out and informative but does not include song lyrics.

This album needs no praise, 23 May 2003
You are already aware of the basics. Rodgers & Hammerstein only produce winners. Julie Andrews has exceptional range clarity and stamina. The Musical is a classic.

As with most sound tracks they threw everything in (well maybe not everything). And due to the wide audience every one will have a different favorite song. Personally having all the music helps me remember the movie. However for just listening I have no problem by-passing a few. Even watching the movie, I always considered "I Have Confidence" to not be quit up to standard. Of course "The Sound Of Music" is a given. Yet if I had to pick one my favorite is "Edelweiss" If the songs were cut short it may be due to logistics.

Collection, 20 Jul 2007
I think the last reviewer (Dr Powell) bought the wrong album (Il Divo are on the live album sir!.. ah bless)
A superb collection of her finest songs.

Warning: Il Divo is NOWHERE on this CD, 15 Jul 2007
For those of you who are thinking about buying this CD because of Barbara Streisand doing a duet with Il Divo....BEWARE: Il Divo is nowhere to be found on this double CD. This is false advertising by Amazon. This CD is a compilation of selected favorites from her earlier CDs, which still show off Barbara's fantastic voice. However, I think the public deserves to be warned about the misleading promotion of Il Divo in a double CD that doesn't include them.

Love Barbra!!!!, 23 May 2006
I have listened to these two CDs so many times! I love every song on this CD. Barbra Streisand is the best, she has an amamazing voice, and this is one cool album! If you don't have this CD you should get it! Barbra's amazing voice and talent will make you fall in love with her!!!

Total Quality, 04 Jan 2005
I wouldn't claim to be a particular fan of Barbra Streisand although I have always enjoyed her films and music. I think this collection is fantastic. Great songs sung by a diva. There are no 'make weight' tracks as you usually get with these collections. It is an excellent reminder of true star quality in every respect.

the 'longawaited' essential, 02 Nov 2004
It is hard to say who is the best female artist of all time,it would depend on musical preference or taste.But with this collection that spans over 40 years of recordings,it is safe to say that Barbra Streisand is perhaps THE best.Why?not only one of the longest and still successful careers of all time, selling more albums than any other female and a glowing film career,Barbra has one of the most remarkable voices ever heard.This 2 CD collection is just a hint of the sheer magnitude of her contribution to entertainment.

Tom at his best, 10 Sep 2004
I must admit, I'm not exactly a fan or Tom Jones, but my sister already has this album and when I listened to it I just had to buy it. The man has an awesome voice and every track on this album is totally different. A good one to add to your collection!

awesome, 18 Jan 2004
I got this as a gift for my girlfriend for Xmas and she listens to it over and over and over again.. the only annoying part is that I'm not the biggest Tom Jones fan... but even I have to admit that this grows on you...

OKay, 27 Jun 2003
This was okay but not as great as I had expected. Niavely thought that there would be most of Tom's biggest hits on here and be great & get up all the way through...alas not to be..

The epitome of the Big Ballad, 13 May 2003
After nearly four decades in the music business, Tom Jones is still popular due to his incredible voice and of course, a variety of intelligent collaborations with younger artists. This compilation traces his career from the sixties in classic songs like It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat, the country-tinged Green Green Grass of Home and the melodramatic Delilah, through the seventies in hits like She’s A Lady and Daughter Of Darkness, into the eighties with the brilliant Kiss and up to the present with Sex Bomb and the Full Monty Medley. There will always be a place for a big balladeer, and I’d rather have Tom Jones than most of the modern ones. Tom certainly outlived his 60s rival Engelbert Humperdinck! His choice of material has always been great and his voice is perfectly suited to a surprising variety of styles. Besides, there’s the nostalgia factor – I grew up to songs like Help Yourself and She’s A Lady. This wonderful anthology deserves five stars, through and through.

Excellent compilation, 14 Apr 2003
I thoroughly enjoyed this CD - I can't stop playing it! Its a great compilation of tracks from throughout Tom Jone's musical career. I would recommend it to anyone of any age.

Great Collection Of A Forgotten Era, 20 Sep 2008
The name Frank Sinatra is synonymous with with Jazz, Swing and Orchestral sound of music. He had an unmatched vocal talent and his music will always be viewed as legendary. It's hard to believe it's just over 10 years since we unfortunately lost this musical great. The Platinum collection compiles all of his classic greats that anyone and everyone would recognise instantly. His music wasn't made in the same way as todays standards. It wasn't released album by album, and you didn't need crazy looking music videos in order to get people to pay attention. It was music created solely to be performed in front of small audiences at such places like the legendary Copacabana night club. It wasn't music created with cheap gimmicks or a fancy look, it was music. Music from the heart and soul. This is what makes Sinatra the greatest vocalist in history.

Since the days of Sinatra and the Rat Pack, music has slowly gone down hill in regards to vocal ability. With the odd exceptions of course. We needn't fret though, as the Platinum collection gives us the opportunity to relive the Sinatra sound whenever we need to relax.

This is the definitive collection with the classics like "Come Fly With Me" "Love and Marriage" "You Make Me Feel So Young" and "Witchcraft." There's no denying the talent of Sinatra and there's no way you can dismiss this album. If you have even an ounce of respect for Sinatra or that generation of music you will all buy it.

The Voice, 09 Jul 2008
I have been listening to Sinatra for about 50 years and I still LISTEN to him and I still occasionally find something new in the way he treats a song. I saw him in concert four times! His phrasing and his ability to sing so much with a single breath ( he swam underwater to improve this )were tools that he used with such effect.There have been many people who emulated him but no-one who came anywhere near him, as this collection shows very plainly.

Masterly Compilation, 02 Jul 2006
A superb compilation. I have a good few Sinatra albums but none of the other compilations I have comes near this.
It has some of the finest records he ever made,across three, truly marvellous CDs. If you buy this, I cannot see how you could not love it.
Get this, then treat yourself to "Songs For Swinging Lovers " & "In The Wee Small Hours" (two superbly crafted records) & you'll be sorted.
A truly far reaching & expansive compilation. Excellent value, considering the quality of the music.
They really don't make them like this any more - let's face it, there was only one Frank Sinatra - buy this & you'll see why.

Definitive Frank, 25 Feb 2005
The best Frank collection ever. They're all here - "I've got you under my skin", "Chicago", "It was just one of those things".

How Capitol managed to get the best from Frank at a time when his career appeared to be over is one of popular musics great stories.

The absolute and essential definitve Frank Sinatra collection.

The Best Sinatra Album Ever, 21 Jan 2005
If you could collect sinatra's best works and put them in an album, you'd end up with the platinum collection. I can't stress enough how good this album is. Can't stop listening (and singing along) to it regardless of how many times I hear it. A must have for all sinatra fans.

DEFINATELY NO GUILTY PLEASURE, 20 Feb 2008
This is Streisand's masterpiece. No question. Written and produced by Barry Gibb this is a record full of beautifully crafted and arranged love songs and ballads. Babs penchant for big show tunes is kept in check and her pop vocal performances throughout are exceptional. Woman In Love was a UK number 1 but is in no way the strongest track here. Guilty, The Love Inside and My Life Story are gorgeous songs that sound as great today as they did nearly 30 years ago !
It's all about the voice and on Guilty she reached her zenith. The rest of the 80's and 90's would see Streisand record endless covers versions & show songs, perform the odd concert, take a few minor film roles and generally coast quietly into old age.
Watch out for Guilty Too though - its a poor and belated follow up - grab a copy of the 1980 original and enjoy.

cw


It's a classic!, 07 Nov 2007

Anyone who's read my other reviews may be surprised that I actually like this album a lot, but it's the subtle things beyond the artistes in the foreground that make this a classic and enduring collection of tracks, for me at any rate.

The BeeGees success at this time must have opened so many doors for the brothers Gibb and the opportunity to work with Barbra must have been one such chance for Barry, who's proved time and time again that he's an expert when it comes to compositions and production.

The songs are expertly composed and played and Barbra sings them with the ease and finesse only a truly great singer can, making it look very easy. The production is suitably sugary too, far nicer than real life, but perfect for the easy listening this record usually gets and emphasising the emotional way Barbra has with the songs, which is a shame in a way, because there's much to praise and enjoy behind the singing, in the arrangements, playing and the overall subtle mixing of the tracks.

I can't pick any particular track, just suggest that you put the CD or record on (doesn't matter which, they both sound the same) and kick back for three quarters of an hour or so and let the music wash over you. Listen to the backing band - how their input blends so well with the Barbra and Barry experience at the forefront.

I really do like and recommend this disc for the feel good tracks on the one hand and also the sad ones which are quite beautiful.

Go on, at this price everyone deserves to have this.....

A great collaboration, 12 Aug 2003
Put Barbra Streisand and the Gibb brothers together and what do you get, yes a number one album. What an album, from the cover to the music. Barbra looks just beautiful on the cover of this album. Lets go throught the songs, GUILTY (Duet with Barry Gibb) their voices combine really well together,(buy the ONE VOICE CONCERT and you will see them perform it live on stage together) WOMAN IN LOVE, Her last solo UK No'1 hit and what a beautiful song it was. RUN WILD was actually the B side to Woman in love and I thought it should have been an A side on it's own right.PROMISES great beat, Streisand sings I think with a very sexy voice on this song.THE LOVE INSIDE This will make you cry, lovely. LIFE STORY A belter, as Ethal Merman called her years ago, that means the song, the voice and of course Barbra, thats how I would describe this song. NEVER GIVE UP This I think sould have been on A Star is Born soundtrack album, it's got a very 70's feel. MAKE IT LIKE A MEMORY 7.30mins long, a big production number is what Barbra does best.

A very good album., 04 Jul 2003
In this album, Barbra surprises us with a fresh approach to the songs she sings. Woman in Love and Run Wild are simply marvellous. I warmly recommend this album.

Barbara & Barry And Streisand's Biggest Seller!, 22 May 2003
It is amazing that after over 20 years, "Guilty" is still Streisand's largest selling album. Barry Gibb and his brothers have worked wonders with many female artists, but this is probably their best writing and production work (Grammy winners). Garnering 5 singles with 2 going to #1, this is Barbra's essential "pop" album. From the R&B laden title track to the softly, sultry "Run Wild", Streisand's voice is relished. The Gibb's really know how to focus on Barbra's strengths. The two duets are some of Barry Gibb's strongest vocals to date and all the songs are bouncy, pop masterpieces. Finishing off nicely with the extravagant "Make It Like A Memory", you'll just hit the 'play' button again. Great album. Great songs. Great memories.