Dino: The Essential Dean Martin

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
The revisionist take on the Rat Pack's razor-witted King of Cool reveals a Dean Martin who was considerably more complex than the Titan of Tipplers legend; a man who would just as soon retire to his room with a tumbler of milk to watch a TV Western than prowl the Strip with his famous cohorts. That sublime, preternatural indifference is both underscored and belied with dizzying regularity on this good 30-track overview of Martin's singing career. The breezy hits "That's Amore" and "Volare" underscored his public staying power when many counted him out in the face of a surging 1950s youth market. He repeated the feat again with trademark effortlessness a decade later to knock no less than the Beatles off the top of the charts with the unlikely, if inviting schmaltz of "Everybody Loves Somebody." Ever informed by his warm, deceptive vocal ease, Martin's rich signature tunes are well-represented here. But the collection also spans enough lovable kitsch ("Mambo Italiano," "Little Old Wine Drinker Me") and unabashed romantic yearning ("Innamorata," "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On") to deepen the compelling mystery of one of pop music's most enduring ciphers. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews: Read 53 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

the ultimate definition of "easy listening" August 24, 2004
54 out of 55 found this review helpful

The unique interpretations of a master song stylist, Dean Martin shines in this collection of recordings which were released from 1949 (''Powder Your Face With Sunshine'') to ''Gentle on My Mind'' in 1968. His smooth, gorgeous voice never loses a twist of humor, and you'll find yourself smiling and sometimes singing along with these uplifting tunes, which are the ultimate in ''easy listening''.
The later songs, from the mid '60s on, tend to have a hint of country flavor, and the early ones in the '50s have an Italian feel to them, and some of them of course, like ''Volare'', were originally Italian songs.

It's these early gems that are my favorites, like ''Love Me, Love Me'' from '53, ''Sway'' from '54, a marvelous melody that was also a hit for Bobby Rydell in '61, and Dean's fabulous rendition of ''Mambo Italiano'' from '55, which a few months earlier had been a top hit for Rosemary Clooney, and then there's ''Volare'', which I identify even more with Dean Martin than its singer/songwriter Domenico Modugno.
The booklet insert is excellent, with liner notes by Stevie Van Zandt and two of Dean's children, Deanna and Gail, and most of all, I appreciate its detailed list of each song, with release date, highest chart position, and more, and some nice b&w photos of the very cool Mr. Martin.
The sound overall is quite good, and total running time is 77'59.

5 out of 5 stars

The Tan Man In The Tuxedo September 23, 2004
43 out of 43 found this review helpful

More than half of one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, more than a Rat Packer, and more than the host of a highly rated variety show, the man who made a tuxedo look as comfortable as a t-shirt: Dean Martin was the substance of cool. The Essential Dean Martin (Capitol) stands out among other greatest hits collections, in that it combines the Capitol and Reprise hit singles into one stunning package of memorable excellence. The liner notes and accompanying booklet studied alone are a treasure, with words from Stevie Van Zandt and Dean's children Deanna and Gail, the release dates for each song and its peak chart position, and the obligatory black & white photos of the master song stylist himself.

It's safe to say that it's all here, from the recognizable standard to some of the most sought after ballads. From the beautiful and hard to find waltz "Under the Bridges of Paris" to the quintessential rumba "Sway," listening to Dean's velvety, smooth vocals is only pure joy. At a time when rock n' roll ruled the charts, Dean was slipping through gems like "That's Amore," and attaching his name forever to Italian themed hits like "Volare" and "Inamorata." Dean was charming and swinging with "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" and "You're nobody `Til Somebody Loves You." He knocked the Beatles off of #1 with "Everybody Loves Somebody," and swept the girls away with love songs like "Return to Me" and "I'll Always Love You." Western styled selections from the 60's are here as well, like "Houston," and "Gentle on My Mind." Truly, from "Powder Your Face With Sunshine" to "Just In Time," this is a wonderful starting place for a new fan of Dean, or a great summation of his career for a loyal follower. There's a comforting spirit of truth and optimism in the relaxed styling of a man who was the world's coolest crooner. This is the Dean Martin collection to own, for its diversity, its history, and its warm and tipsy dedication to the handsome tan man in the tuxedo.

5 out of 5 stars

The best single CD of Dean's music September 21, 2004
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Dean Martin had two separate hit-making periods - in the fifties with Capitol and in the sixties with Reprise. The early sixties were not successful in the charts, although Dean continued to record albums and was also kept busy in other ways. You would normally have to buy one album to get his Capitol music and another to get his Reprise music. This collection spans both periods.

This collection contains most of the songs that are associated with Dean, including Memories are made of this, That's amore, Volare, You're nobody till somebody loves you, In the chapel in the moonlight, Standing on the corner, Send me the pillow that you dream on, Houston and Everybody loves somebody.

Dean's first solo hit, Powder your face with sunshine, is also included. It was no match for Evelyn Knight's version, which was number one in America for many weeks, but it was a start. Evelyn was at the peak of her career while Dean was just beginning. You belong to me (Jo Stafford) and Mambo Italiano (Rosemary Clooney) were other songs that other singers had bigger hits with than Dean.

Dean is often compared to Frank Sinatra, but their music was quite different. I enjoy both of them in different ways. While Frank's music was rooted in the big band sound of the late thirties, Dean's was altogether more relaxed - Dean was the classic crooner. In the sixties, his music took on a country flavor. It was never country enough for him to establish credibility amongst diehard country music fans, but for those who enjoy both pop and country music, Dean's sixties music is particularly appealing. Dean does not twang, so a lot of people who don't like country music can still enjoy his music.

If you only ever buy one Dean Martin album, this is the one to buy.

5 out of 5 stars

Truly Essential February 15, 2005
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

The king of relaxed singing Dean Martin has always been under-appreciated as a vocalist. It probably didn't help that his recording tenures at Capitol and Reprise coincided almost exactly with that of buddy Frank Sinatra (Sinatra starting/joining Reprise a year before Martin made the switch in 1962). This is the first domestic set to combine the cream of Dean's Capitol recordings in the '50s with his best Reprise recordings from the '60s. There is an import Very Best Of from 2000 that combines hits from both labels, but it only included 21 tracks (as compared to this set's 30 tracks that total over 78 minutes) and it cost over $30.

Dean's Capitol hits feature tributes to his Italian heritage (That's Amore, Mambo Italiano, Volare, Innamorata), romantic shufflers (the Ricky Ricardo sounding Sway, Memories Are Made Of This) and amorous ballads (I'd Cry Like A Baby, You Belong To Me, If). This set also includes the non-hit, uptempo nightclub extravaganzas Just In Time (from Bells Are Ringing), Ain't That A Kick In The Head (from Ocean's 11), and You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You (his Reprise re-record from 1964, not the Capitol single version from 1960).

At Reprise, Dean reinvented himself, going from smooth romantic idol to ultra hip cat with the rockin' triplet rhythms of Everybody Loves Somebody, Send Me The Pillow You Dream On, and The Door Is Still Open To My Heart, and later, as a country crooner (my favorite Dean period) with Houston, Little Ole Wine Drinker Me, and Gentle On My Mind (the latter a huge hit in England).

The compilers have astutely sequenced this collection so that you never get too many recordings from the same Dean phase (Italian Dean, shufflin' Dean, country Dean, etc.) in a row. As the title states, everything included here is essential, and it is hard to imagine a stronger single Dean disc being compiled. Enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars

Great collection - essentials minus one October 21, 2005
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This CD lives up to its title, being a generous (close to 80 minutes) collection of Dean's more famous solo recordings. It's a nice mix of timeless classics (Just in Time, Ain't That a Kick in the Head,...) and the deliciously kitschy. It omits the delightful 'Baby, It's Cold Outside', which showcases more of Dean's signature wit, but otherwise you needn't hide this set from the Dean Martin Fan Club members you hang out with. Whatever the playlist, the voice is amazing, as always. The remastering and recordings are clean, so that you don't feel like you're listening to old recordings.

The packaging is worth a mention - very elegant, although it looks like someone either airbrushed out Dean's cigarette on the back photo or else he was really letting them burn short. Because this will be the only Dean album for many buyers, there could have been more of a writeup about his career. The comments from his daughters Deanna and Gail are nice, but for a generation that regards the '50s as ancient history it would have helped to have more context.

But those are minor quibbles. Slip this CD into the player in your 1960's convertible and cruise.

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