Your favorite vocals album

Anything by Eva Cassidy .

 

Abbey Road - can't beat the three part harmonies

 

Tony Bennett's "Who Can I Turn To?" LP is has as good a vocal performance as I've ever heard. It also helps that the backing pefectly matches the vocals.

The King's recording of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is also full of that rare magic we all crave (well I do anyway ). I just got my baby daughter (6 months) to sleep listening to that track which made it an even better experience than usual for me. I'd better stop there before I start weeping into the keyboard .

 

a few off the top o' my head...

Ella sings the Gershwin Songbook
Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me"
Jennifer Warnes "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Johnny Hartman & Coltrane

 

A Tribute To Ethel Waters by Diahann Carroll is a favorite of mine. I have it both on CD and Vinyl, a Great Album. There is a copy of the CD on ebay for $7.00.

Scott

 

Transformed Man--William Shatner. A stone classic! Why he never recorded a follow-up is beyond me!

Although Shatner did contribute a nice vocal cameo on the track "In Love" by Fear of Pop, a side project of Ben Folds.

 

Donovan. Wasn't quite the writer Dylan was, but he could/can sing circles around the Bobster! (please, no letters)

 

My favorite vocals album....

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

The Moody Blues - from Days of Future Passed up to Seventh Sojourn

Brian

 

ANYTHING by Mickey Newbury!!!!! If you haven't heard him, you SHOULD. Great songwriting, incredible vocals.

(And place my name on the preorder list for Songs of Leonard Cohen.)

 

Marvin Gaye-What's Going On (the Detroit Mix)

 

Rickie Lee Jones - First album. Expressive vocals and great arrangements.

An addition: Peggy Lee singing "Fever"

 

Roy Orbison - B&W sessions

Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Emmyloy Harris - Wrecking Ball & most anything else

 

Fave Vocals

Seconds for Ella doing Porter and Gershwin.
Also second on Mickey Newbury; especially "Frisco Mabel Joy"
"Pet Sounds", "Abbey Road", "What's Goin On/Let's Get It On" of course..
"Moondance", "Tupelo Honey" are automatic
Conway Twitty and Al Green doin' "Rainy Night in Georgia" from the Country Rhythm and Blues album is unreal
Son Volt "Trace"
"Compact Jazz" by Nina Simone
k.d. lang doing Roy's "Crying"
Aretha live at Fillmore West
and finally:

If you have never heard Jeff Buckley sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"
you should run out right this very minute and find it. My absolute favorite version is on his DVD which also features a killer version of "Kick out the Jams" (MC5). "Hallelujah" is the encore on that disc; just Buckley and guitar. I swear to God you must hear this. Trust me...


Peace,
Norm

 

Doh! That was my pick! You beat me to it!

 

Re: Fave Vocals

Yea "Feelin Good" is high (no pun intended) on my list of all time smack-dab-in-the-middles!

 

Julia Fordham - PORCELAIN
In another time Fordham would have been in front of a big band or jazz combo, and shown quite a few legends off the stage. This album, generally considered her best, shows off the low end of her range, with arrangements sparer than her usual lush pop.

Sarah Vaughan - LIVE IN JAPAN
Vaughan sings likes Miles play trumpet. Compare her "My Funny Valentine" to Miles on the PLUGGED NICKEL box.

Suzanne Vega - SOLITUDE STANDING
Vega's near vibrato-less delivery is fairly unique in contemporary pop. This also has the incidental benefit of making her records real tests for stereo equipment, since there's nowhere for vocal grit to hide. I believe this particular album was mastered for headphone playback, although it's not binaural.

 

I love Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays. Save of course for those drippy, "shimmering" strings echoed to the ninth degree. It must be hell for Steve to listen to a tape of that, versus say, Love Is The Thing. But Nat's version of September Song gives me chills and makes me warm at the same time.

OK, I'm really leaving now. Taking the Magic Hat porter downstairs to spin a Nat LP or two. Should make for a lovely nightcap!

 

Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours
Lee Wiley - West Of The Moon

 

Nat King Cole--Love is the Thing (Steve's DCC)
Ella and Louis
Linda Ronstadt (Blue Bayou comes to mind)
Bonnie Raitt

.......

 

Vocals eh?

Two obvious favorites with the emphasis on vocals would be...
Simon and Garfunkel, Parsley, Sage , Rosemary and Thyme
Crosby Stills and Nash first album

Since Yes is my favorite group and Jon Anderson my favorite singer I'll list Going for the One as one of their best albums with Jon Anderson in his top form. (Some one please remaster this on vinyl!!!!!)

Jenifer Ferguson, Hand around the Heart.
This is an obscure one from South Africa. She is one of the most amazing singers to ever walk the face of this earth. Imagine Joni Mitchell, Grace Slick and Janis Joplin rolled into one singer. Good sound to boot.

I'm also a major Annie Haslam/ Renaissance fan so I will end with Their first two albums, Ashes are Burning and Prologue. Annie had a certain innocence in her voice on these not that I don't love her voice on every album.

 

Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart
Steve's Dreamboat Annie.

 

Hey Scott,
I have those 2 Renaissance LPs-Ashes Are Burning and Prologue on One Way CDs. Decent sound considering they came from One Way. What a range Annie has. Love her! I also enjoyed her Columbia Self Titled CD. Didn't she do a great job on Michael Oldfields "Moonlight Shadow"?

 

Darn, forgot Mel Torme earlier. I like almost anything but my current fave is Top Drawer with George Shearing.