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Anne Murray - All of Me
CD DetailsArtist: Anne Murray Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2005-01-25 Music Label: Straight Way Soundtracks: Music CD 1- All Of Me
- As Time Goes By
- Dream A Little Dream Of Me
- I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
- I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
- Over The Rainbow
- Twilight Time
- My Buddy
- After You've Gone
- What'll I Do
- Don't Get Around Much Anymore
- Smile
- You Made Me Love You
- I'll Be Seeing You
- We'll Meet Again
Music CD 2- Snowbird
- Danny's Song
- A Love Song
- You Won't See Me
- You Needed Me
- I Just Fall In Love Again
- Daydream Believer
- Broken Hearted Me
- Could I Have This Dance
- Shadows In The Moonlight
- A Little Good News
- Just Another Woman In Love
- Another Sleepless Night
- Time Don't Run Out On Me
- Now And Forever (You And Me)
- Nobody Love Me Like You Do
Music reviews of All of MeMusic Review: the best yet Rating: 5 Stars
Most vocalists treat pop classics with such deference and reverence that they end up sounding self-conscious, but not Anne Murray. This is no ordinary tribute to the chestnuts of the early 20th century, but an update by a confident recording artist who somehow takes risks while sticking to the basics.
The fiddle introduction and swaying rhythm of the opening track signal that this is a western swing album, reminiscent of Bob Wills' heyday. The band is a curious blend of piano-centered rhythms with clarinet, flugelhorn, and accordian flourishes that evoke a cabaret setting while staying grounded in the western idiom. This is dance hall music at its best. She and Tommy West are savvy producers.
Anne's reading of All of Me is simple and melodious - as if she'd just discovered the original sheet music. After that, Anne and the band settle in to swing gently in As Time Goes By and Dream a Little Dream.
The ballads linger in your memory like an aural addiction. What'll I Do is framed in a lovely music box arrangement. I'll Be Seeing You, the title track of the Canadian release, is one of this songbook's highlights - every syllable exquisitely phrased. And if you thought that Over the Rainbow is a Judy Garland song, you're in for a very pleasant surprise.
But the showstoppers are the uptempo numbers. Murray delivers an inspired vocal on the honky tonk, Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter. Her perfect pitch and clarity on Twilight Time elevate this minor classic to a higher level. After You've Gone, drenched in New Orleans jubilation, is possibly the best track of all. And Duke Ellington would be proud to hear how comfortably Anne transcends musical genres with Don't Get Around Much Anymore.
Anne shrugs off previous covers of You Made Me Love You with a mid-tempo version that is as good as it gets. Finally, there's the perfect closing number, We'll Meet Again, with a shuffling rhythm that recalls Owen Bradley's best work with Patsy Cline.
Anne Murray is at the peak of her interpretive ability. I don't think it's a stretch to say that she is the Sinatra of her generation. She respects the integrity of a song and eschews vocal excess, thereby re-affirming what is classic in classic pop. You will always be able to listen to these songs without tiring of them. Her phrasing is peerless: the vibrato sustains the melody, her perfect pitch nails each note, and her vocal punctuation pushes the rhythm forward.
This is a well-crafted album, from start to finish. Though fans will find the second disc of hits superfluous, others will surely find it interesting to compare the progression from Nashville packaging to self-directed artistry. Buy it and enjoy!
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Description of All of MeAll products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Anne Murray, whose singular voice made her a country-pop icon in the 1970s and '80s, returns with a dual-disc set of 16 of her greatest hits, paired with 15 Tin Pan Alley pop standards. While her own signature tunes ("Snowbird," "Danny's Song") withstand time's brutal test in artistry and currency, Murray doesn't fare nearly as well with the pre-World War II tunes. She finds the modern blues heart of "What'll I Do," but she's often sidetracked by cheesy arrangements (the Dixieland treatment of "After You've Gone" is particularly onerous), and ultimately the collection fails to engage. Such hoary songs as "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "You Made Me Love You" are too quaint and schmaltzy for a woman who came of age in the 1970s. Unlike the great Rosemary Clooney, who could infuse the most shopworn classic with new meaning, overall, Murray lacks the emotional resonance or experience in her voice to convey authenticity. Her corduroy alto remains a thing of wonder, however, and may make even her most casual fans yearn to hear it employed on a stellar album of contemporary material. --Alanna Nash More Anne Murray  The Best...So Far |  What a Wonderful World |  Country Croonin' |  What a Wonderful Christmas |  I'll Always Love You |  Let's Keep It That Way |
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