- Cinema Paradiso (Remember)
- A Day in the Life of a Fool
- The Summer Knows
- A Love Before Time (from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")
- Soldier in the Rain
- Alfie (for the film score "Alfie")
- Too Late Now
- The Shadow of Your Smile
- Baby Mine (for Disney's "Dumbo")
- Senza Fine
- I'll Never Say Goodbye
- Over the Rainbow
Cinema Paradiso
4.6
3
5
1
CD
USD
10.07
$10.07
Product Details
| Release Date: | 11/05/2002 |
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| Label: | Concord Records |
| UPC: | 0013431498827 |
| catalogNumber: | 4988 |
| Rank: | 8242 |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Cinema Paradiso
4.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
3 reviews.
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One of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. Everything about her delivery is perfect, and so is the orchestra accompanying her. It is so gratifying to know that there is still at least one female vocalist who sings in the classic pop style, as compared to the current generation, who distort the words and music so badly.
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If you like this style of music, then this CD is the one for you. Monica Mancini has a fantastic voice. My favorite song is the title song, Cinema Paradiso.
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People who fear that classic pop singers are going the way of the VHS tape should rejoice with the release of Monica Mancini's Cinema Paradiso. It's simply a gem of an album, a dreamy affair in which the vocalist, the arrangements and the songs are all of the highest caliber. Mancini, as her name suggests, has a great musical pedigree. Her dad was the legendary composer Henry Mancini; her mom, Ginny O'Connor, was a member of Mel Torme's Mel- Tones. Monica's not coasting on the family name, though: This is her third album, and easily the finest showcase she has had to date. As the title implies, Cinema Paradiso is devoted to songs that originated in films. Mancini has come up with a beguiling mixture of tunes, gathering both familiar standards and little-known beauties. The title tune, for example, comes from the acclaimed 1988 Italian film of the same name. Producer Gregg Field (Mancini's husband) added lyrics, and the result is a sublime song that sounds like an instant classic. Mancini's dark, shimmering vocals caress the melody, blending with the string-heavy orchestration. She's not prone to vain melodrama, instead using her gorgeous voice like an instrument that is part of the ensemble. That track sets a consistent mood for the album, one of hushed, haunting beauty. In that sense, the disc recalls the classic theme albums of Frank Sinatra in creating and sustaining a tone throughout. The songs span the years. There is a shaded Over the Rainbow that replaces Judy Garland's youthful insecurity with a sense of quiet optimism. At the other end of the musical generation gap comes A Love Before Time, the theme from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The song's subject matter is one of eternal love, a topic that suits the disc perfectly. Mancini also treats her listeners to such classics as The Summer Knows, A Day in the Life of a Fool and The Shadow of Your Smile. All are superb. Baby Mine from Dumbo is sweetly rendered as a warm nighttime lullaby. Burt Bacharach's Alfie is altered from the familiar Dionne Warwick version, with Mancini taking the song at a languid pace that allows her to fully explore Hal David's wistful lyric. She approaches only one of her father's songs, the little-heard Soldier in the Rain. Judging from her lovely interpretation, it's a puzzle why the song never became a standard. The album has a connection to one film currently in theaters. Mancini's recording of the song Senza Fine, originally featured in 1965's The Flight of the Phoenix, can be heard in Ghost Ship. Sung in Italian, it easily outclasses the flick. For fans of film songs, Cinema Paradiso will be a delight. It's even better for lovers of sophisticated pop singing, who will want to present Mancini with bouquets of praise after hearing this wonderful album. Randy Cordova. Reach Cordova at Email | Bio
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