Anne Murray Album: “All of Me”

This collection of Tin Pan alley favourites is a beautiful tribute from Anne to one of her late friends that recently passed away from cancer. Her vocals are very strong, the arrangements magical and her version of "Over the Rainbow" would rival any other out there. "All of Me" is a great upbeat number, as is the brilliant "After You've Gone". Anne particularly shines on "My Buddy" which is the emotional climax of the album, as well as poignant moments in "What'll I Do" , "Smile" and the tearjerker "I'll be Seeing You Again" . The album ends in great Patsy Cline-type fashion with "We'll meet Again". Any critic who pans this album has got to be deaf. You need to give this album time to realize how great it is. It is the beauty of simplicity. And of course, Anne's greatest hits on disc 2 are still as fresh as the day they were released. Great job, Anne !

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!

Straight Way and EMI Music present "All Of Me", featuring the latest release from Anne Murray on a deluxe two CD set for fans and music lovers alike...this is a compilation of extremely high quality concentrating on some of the very best from her repertoire and early music of the decades.

Let's take a look at disc one..."AFTER YOU'VE GONE", "ALL OF ME", "AS TIME GOES BY", "DON'T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE", "DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME", "I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HIM NOW", "I'LL BE SEEING YOU", "I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER", "MY BUDDY", "OVER THE RAINBOW", "SMILE", "TWILIGHT TIME", "WE'LL MEET AGAIN", "WHAT'LL I DO", "YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU"...this is an overall blanket to any serious music collection...one gem after another with top notch arrangements, much more than just a toe tapper...each track represents Murray's incredible success in this business of entertainment through song.

Murray's career travels back to the early '70s and continues right up to the present...she has covered every genre from Country, Easy Listening, Contemporary Christian, Folk and Pop Rock...with one of the most recognizable voices and styles in music today...her records and albums have hit the Billboard Charts and sold millions from the very beginning "A LOVE SONG" (1973), "YOU WON'T SEE ME" (1974), "I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN" (1979), "DAYDREAM BELIEVER" (1979), "BROKEN HEARTED ME" (1979), "SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT" (1979), "COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE" (1980), "ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT" (1981), "A LITTLE GOOD NEWS" (1983), "JUST ANOTHER WOMAN IN LOVE" (1983), "TIME DON'T RUN OUT ON ME" (1984), "NOBODY LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO" (1984), "NOW AND FOREVER (YOU AND ME)" (1986), "SNOWBIRD" (1994), "DANNY'S SONG" (1994), "YOU NEEDED ME" (1994)...and that my friend is the second disc of 16 tracks that distinguished Anne Murray from the rest of the pack...brought her to the forefront and in the stream of the international scene.

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Straight Way 63231 ~ (1/25/2005)

I Love the Ol' Standards and Anne puts her stamp on TWILIGHT TIME

and MY BUDDY (the latter dedicated to the memory of one of her dear friends). On the second disc are all the greatest hits and then some, some popular concert favorites, and award winners which ever continent or country you're in. ALL OF ME is a wonderfull get if this is the only Anne Murray CD you'll ever own! Well, maybe CROONIN' too...Neither lets me down!!

Dan in San Diego

As a jazz pianist, and player of the original "All of Me" song, I am more acquainted with the albums by Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Bill Evans, George Shearing, etc...

I didnt know Anne Murray. In fact I discovered her CD seeking for the "All of Me" song.

My opinion: This album has beautiful music, very well arranged. Listen some tracks to verify.