Very Best Of Music To Watch Girls By,The (60 Trks) [Box set, Import]

This is some three CD set! Although at first I didn't see the connection to this genre of music (Music to Watch Girls By?) with a third CD of Christmas tunes, many of the vocalists on the first two CDs have songs on the third, holiday music CD. Moreover, the three CD set holds its own very well and the high quality control of this music throughout all three discs impresses me a lot. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is good even if it is somewhat standard for this small CD series.

The first CD gives us real treats including a sublime treatment of "The Good Life" by the great Tony Bennett; he sings this like the crooner he truly is! Dean Martin's "That's Amore" always charms me with its natural beauty; Dean gets help from background vocalists but he didn't really need it--he could easily do songs like this by himself although the backup singers do sound pretty good. Perez Prado does an electric "Guaglione;" how's about that organ? I love it! Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'" is very easy on the ear as well as poignant; and there's yet another gem in Matt Monro's "Born Free." Matt was born to sing songs like this and just one listen proves it! Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" made the airwaves sizzle when it was released; and Louis Armstrong's gorgeous "What a Wonderful World" is a tune I could never tire of hearing. Listen for Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again;" "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J. Thomas and Andy William's "The Impossible Dream."

The second CD is loaded with gems, too. Andy Williams sings a beautiful "Music to Watch Girls By;" and Petula Clark's "Down Town" is nothing short of perfect. The percussion enhances the musical arrangement for "Down Town" and this is still a powerful number! Listen for Frank Sinatra's duet with his daughter Nancy; their "Something Stupid" always charms me. Rosemary Clooney does her fantastic "Mambo Italiano" with a lush, romantic musical arrangement. Rosemary never sounded better, either! Her excellent diction makes her performance even stronger. Anthony Newley ranks high in my book with his treatment of "What Kind Of Fool Am I;" and Henry Mancini's "Moon River" will bring back fond memories of romance for so many of us!
Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" is a classic and probably one of Doris' best songs ever, too. "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como is amazing and Tony Bennett does his memorable "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." The second CD ends with Johnny Mathis performing "Wonderful Wonderful;" what a fine ending song for this disc!

The third CD has some of the best vocalists ever performing ageless holiday music; and there isn't a dud in the bunch! Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" opens the track set with a huge burst of joy; and Perry Como's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is another highlight of the third CD. Bobby Vinton does "White Christmas" with all his heart and soul--and he never lets go of a single superfluous note, either! I love the way Bobby sings this song. Frank Sinatra does "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" with panache; that big band style arrangement works wonders for this ballad. Jerry Vale's "Silver Bells" is very sweet and pretty; the strings are used to great advantage, too. Listen also for Aretha Franklin's "Winter Wonderland;" she makes this shine real bright! Elvis' "Blue Christmas" just couldn't be better; his sophisticated phrasing makes this number special. "Santa Baby" gets the royal treatment from Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra--how I love it when Eartha does this! "Silent Night, Holy Night" by Ray Conniff and His Singers ends the third CD very nicely; I could easily listen to three more CDs of this music!

The three CD set entitled "The Very Best of Music to Watch Girls By" will not disappoint anyone who loves the timeless beauty of classic pop vocals and holiday songs performed by some of the greatest vocalists ever. This is a wonderful collection of music.