This is one of my favorite Rosie albums, which gained her a lot of credibility at a time when she needed it to shake off the image of novelty pop singer. The title may suggest a set of high-energy uptempo songs and the first song, a foot-stomping version of Get me to the church on time, fits that bill exactly. However, what you actually get is a nice mix of tempos, with plenty of ballads, although even they swing. You would certainly be able to dance to this album if you wish.
The songs are well-chosen and suit Rosie well. Some of them are reasonably well known, but none of them have been over-recorded. It is incredible to think that Shine on harvest moon was written in 1909, and was therefore half a century old even when Rosie recorded this album. It stands the test of time well, and still sounds great now.Perhaps the best known songs here are I get along without you very well and April in Paris, but every song here is a real gem. Rosie and Nelson were both in top form when they recorded this album. This is a very different album from Love, a very smoochy colloection of torch songs recorded at around the same time, but released a couple of years later (also available from Amazon.com). Between them, they show just how versatile Rosemary was. My copy of this album is the original CD release. This new edition has been re-mastered so it should sound even better. Furthermore, two extra tracks have been added. This is a brilliant collection by a lady who continued to make great music until the end of her life. She will be sadly missed, but her music will live forever. |
