Irving Berlin Favorites

Albumbeschreibung

Unlike Elvis Presley later in the 1950s, Eddie Fisher was not constrained from record-making during his stint in the army. In fact, while spending the entire year in uniform, he managed to be the top pop singles artist of 1952, placing 14 recordings in the charts. He was still a couple of months away from discharge in February 1953 when he cut the eight songs for this 10" album devoted to Irving Berlin. In addition to his singles success, Fisher had placed three LPs in the Top Five during 1952 by recognizing that he was addressing a different, more mature audience. Irving Berlin Favorites did not replicate that success (perhaps because he was actually recording a bit too much), but it was a good collection sung in typical manner by Fisher with accompaniment, as usual, by Hugo Winterhalter. Fisher managed to combine the sonority of Perry Como with the soaring quality of Tony Bennett, especially on "When I Leave the World Behind," a performance that also recalled a much earlier Victor singer, Henry Burr, who had hit with it in 1915. Fisher turned much more conversational and playful on "Cheek to Cheek," trying to get some of the buoyancy of Fred Astaire into this voice. His renditions of the vintage songs were not likely to make you forget other interpretations from years past, but Berlin's simple, direct lyrics and catchy melodies remained as foolproof as ever, and for music lovers looking for an excuse to accept the most popular singles artist of the day, this album answered their needs.

© William Ruhlmann /TiVo