The CD
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:28 pm
This is a very nice collection of the hits, classic ballads, and rare gems. And the CD feels so good with the shiny paper. I wish slim-packs were the industry standard rather than jewel boxes. I like everything but that S'Wonderful/Kick Out of You medley. It's so nice that the WH Smith market gets to hear his beautiful version of The Shadow of Your Smile.
I thought I wouldn't like The Last Farewell, as I love the Roger Whitaker version and have very vivid memories of listening to it on Canadian radio station CKLW in my bed on cold rainy nights. So I always dig it out and play it on stormy days.
But listening to Matt Monro is the first time I understood the lyrics. At one point I thought the lyrics were about lager (in beer). But it's really about a foreign flag a-razing. I also never understood the guns on fire part.
But the MM version has the sound of fake drums or a synthesizer (like on the two Christmas songs and With These Hands). It worked well on these three songs, but doesn't sound good on The Last Farewell.
I'm also enjoying Nice and Easy and May Each Day. I may have heard those before, but I don't think so. Hits collections often omit If I Never Sing Another Song and We're Gonna Change the World, but it's nice to have it here. It's kind of neat that This Is The Life has a new life and will likely be included on all future hit collections (where it never was in the past). Now an advertiser needs to use another fabulous rarely heard song (like Here's To My Lady) and it will get a new life as well.
It's also good to have another clean version of The Impossible Dream. I love how he changed the melody for the first note. But the strings start bothering me at around 1:40. I find it almost impossible to just listen to his vocals as they are so loud and distracting. I wish Richard could lower the volume or remove them completely, but I know that's not possible.
I thought I wouldn't like The Last Farewell, as I love the Roger Whitaker version and have very vivid memories of listening to it on Canadian radio station CKLW in my bed on cold rainy nights. So I always dig it out and play it on stormy days.
But listening to Matt Monro is the first time I understood the lyrics. At one point I thought the lyrics were about lager (in beer). But it's really about a foreign flag a-razing. I also never understood the guns on fire part.
But the MM version has the sound of fake drums or a synthesizer (like on the two Christmas songs and With These Hands). It worked well on these three songs, but doesn't sound good on The Last Farewell.
I'm also enjoying Nice and Easy and May Each Day. I may have heard those before, but I don't think so. Hits collections often omit If I Never Sing Another Song and We're Gonna Change the World, but it's nice to have it here. It's kind of neat that This Is The Life has a new life and will likely be included on all future hit collections (where it never was in the past). Now an advertiser needs to use another fabulous rarely heard song (like Here's To My Lady) and it will get a new life as well.
It's also good to have another clean version of The Impossible Dream. I love how he changed the melody for the first note. But the strings start bothering me at around 1:40. I find it almost impossible to just listen to his vocals as they are so loud and distracting. I wish Richard could lower the volume or remove them completely, but I know that's not possible.