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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
At first glance, the approach picked for De-Lovely will be familiar to those who already own Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter. On both albums, contemporary pop stars cover classics by Porter. But many of the interpretations on Red Hot + Blue were modernised, whereas the approach on De-Lovely is more traditional---it's the soundtrack to a biopic about Porter, after all, so a classic (though not quite period) sound prevails. What's surprising is how well many of the singers deal with the songs without the crutch of a contemporary pop retooling. Who would have thought that Alanis Morissette had such a natural affinity for "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)," for instance? She fares equally well in her screen cameo, whereas Diana Krall sounds superb on "Just One of Those Things" but looks horribly uncomfortable in the movie. Other good surprises include Robbie Williams's "It's De-Lovely" and Kevin Kline as Porter, coming across as a more-tuneful Rex Harrison. Elvis Costello, meanwhile, confirms he's a better songwriter than singer, and as Linda Porter, Ashley Judd is hesitant at best. In a nice touch, a recording of Cole Porter himself performing "You're the Top" provides the album's coda. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
Product Description
Cd > Popular Music > Rock CD > POPULAR MUSIC > ROCK
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's the top!,
By
This review is from: De-Lovely (Audio CD)
This is the soundtrack to the excellent film of the same name, and is pretty much the same thing as the film - a big homage to Cole Porter by today's artists. Essentially a tribute album, but with some rather unexpected stars appearing. Robbie Williams (no stranger to this style of song) clearly loves every moment of singing the title track, and does do it justice. However, the appearance of Alanis Morisette and Mick Hucknall took me more by surprise, but still their performances are superb. Morisette particuarly benefits from showing a sweeter, more quiet side of herself. Elvis Costello's performance is visually hilarious (consummate showman that he is) so it's worth seeeing the film as well.However, it's also a good collection of songs, because it tries to encompass the very best of Porter's songs in one album (which you'd never get in one show, for instance). I think the quality of the lyrics really sells this album though, cos Porter's song-writing is timeless - clever and sweet, and delightfully funny. This is the only man in the world who could have written a seduction song and got away with a line about educated fleas... Genius.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new generation of singers gets to tackle Cole Porter,
By Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)
This review is from: De-Lovely (Audio CD)
One of the more interesting aspects of the "De-Lovely," the musical biography of Cole Porter, is that despite the appearance of major recording stars such as Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette to sing the songs it is the songs that you remember much more than the singers. This soundtrack collection does a nice job of presenting pretty much everything we heard in Irwin Winkler's 2004 film and if nothing here is a definitive version of a classic Cole Porter tune, then that is okay because the idea here is to introduce a new generation of fans to those songs while the rest of us take a nice musical walk down memory lane. My favorite track is when Kline's Porter instructs John Barrowman's character on how to sing "Night and Day." My only serious complaint about the movie is that Kline really has to restrain his performances so that they are more in keeping with Porter's own singing abilities (which are amply demonstrated on the final track, "You're the Top"). If somebody wanted to let Kline record a collection of Cole Porter songs that would sound good to me; with Porter's witty lyrics having a performer who brings the sensibilities of an actor more than those of a singer, that would make sense to me. In a similar vein, I like Ashley Judd's sweet little duet with Tayler Hamilton on "True Love," so do not be surprised if you like the actors more than the singers on this one. The spirited renditions of "Anyting Goes," "Be a Clown" and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" by the cast lose a little something reduced to just the audio dimension, but that is standard with any good production number from a movie. Elvis Costello's "Let's Misbehave" is okay, and the same is true for Crow's "Begin the Beguine" and Morissette's "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)." I kept waiting for one of the big names on the album to really blow me away with one of these songs, and it just never happened. Robbie Williams doing the title track is pretty good, as is Natalie Cole on "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," and I like Diana Krall's "It Was Just One of Those Things" more each time I hear it. But if after listening to the soundtrack for "De-Lovely" I am compelled to check out more recordings of Cole Porter tunes, I know I am not going to be alone. Fortunately, I know of a couple of definite directions in which to go (think Bobby Short).
26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new look at some classic set-pieces,
By
This review is from: De-Lovely (Audio CD)
OK, Ella it ain't, but then maybe it's about time someone breathed a new life into these tracks. This album may disappoint some traditionalists (and some illiterate children!) but its fresh approach brings a smile to the face and highlights how well-penned the originals were. All in all an intelligent and pleasurable expreience, recommended to everyone who's lived, laughed or loved.
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