There is going to be some mixed reviews on this new CD/DVD disc set...
The negative reviews are going to probably focus on the fact that two of the CD's included feature Dean Martin's Capitol Records and Reprise Record Company songs - many of which were his largest sellers. Of course, all of these songs were released when Dean recorded them, and most have been re-released over the years on vinyl and CD... but the fact-of-the-matter is, Dean isn't recording new material anymore. So as far as a "Greatest Hits" or "reissue" package, I think this one stands among the best. Songs included are not just his best sellers, but time-line marks along his illustrious recorded career. "Powder Your Face With Sunshine" (1948) and "My One, My Only, My All" from 1949 (and the Martin & Lewis movie "My Friend Irma")and "If I Could Sing Like Bing"(1953), illustrate Dean's early vocals.
"Long, Long Ago" a duet with Nat King Cole from 1954, "Pardners" with Jerry Lewis (1956), "Sleep Warm" conducted by Frank Sinatra (1958) and "My First Country Song" another duet with Conway Twitty from as late as 1983, all showcase Dean's ability to blend his velvet voice with other various artists . Some lesser heard (but just as enjoyable) songs are also included... "Sophia", "Senza Fine", "Marina", "Who's Got The Action?", and his last "L.A. is My Home" (1985) from the TV series "Half Nelson", compliment Dean's "greatest hits" tunes that have also been included.
The third audio disc is a "live" recording of Dean in his Lake Tahoe nightclub act in 1962 (around the "Rat Pack" Years). Hardcore Dean collectors have heard many bootleg versions of Dean's act, but to the general public, Dean's live performances are extremely rare. Even this recording has not been heard in it's entirety - so it should be a welcomed treat for those who have just about everything.
The gem of course is the DVD of Dean "Live in London". A special originally aired by Showtime back in '83, and was a one-time-only broadcast. It was Dean in his later years, but fortunately, the folks that knew how to present at Dean his best were also there at the time... his television show team: Greg Garrison (Director), Lee Hale (Producer), Ken Lane (Conductor) and Mort Viner (Manager). They all traveled with Dean to London's Apollo Victoria Theatre to crowds of fans that even surprised them. Very little video exists of Dean on stage, so this recorded concert (even though it's Dean in his more mature years) holds a place in history, and frankly, is very entertaining for even the biggest fans. I should know... heading the Dean Martin Fan Center for nearly twenty years, one of the most asked questions is "when is Dean's London concert going to be shown again?".
This hardbound disc set includes a 64 page booklet with track annotations, photographs, and a wonderful foreword about Dean's mystique and aura, written by Bill Zehme, an expert on Dean himself, and one of the country's best visual writers.
James Ritz also delves into a historical biography focusing on the content of the disc set, as well as setting the mood for what the listener / viewer is about to hear in his wonderfully written piece that only enhances the beauty of this set.
Many hardcore Dean fans know that many years ago I had produced the four Dean Martin box set collections for The Bear Family label... to have my honest take on this new set by Universal Music Enterprises, I think it is magnificent. I often think that someone who might be thirteen or fourteen years old today, will be eighteen in just a few years. To be able to introduce Dean's body of work to a new, constantly evolving generation, and to bring a smile to the generations that grew up with Dean Martin and remember him well, is a gift in itself.