Santo & Johnny

by Lisa M. Smith Seeming more like a retrospective collection, Santo & Johnny is nearly true to its original form on LP, including cover design. Of the Santo & Johnny titles available on digital format, this one is most comprehensive, and the higher price is justified by more material, including a couple of strong demo cuts. Their classic, self-penned "Sleepwalk" opens the album, a collection of doo wop standards and sultry renditions of the era's favorites, such as "Venus," "Crying in the Chapel," and a mesmerizing, austere version of Gershwin 's "Summertime" -- highlighting Santo Farina 's articulate ease and responsive command over the steel slide guitar. Though not specially remastered, sound quality is very good for material of this era -- a strong signal-to-noise ratio, with a residual warmth that is desirable for music of this style. All of their most popular tunes are included on this album.