For The Present Other Side Of

When people typically think of Matt Monro's "classic years", they think of the early-1960s Sinatra-esque albums and hits. Here, we venture into the 1970s with two outstanding British releases. "For The Present" stands out for the George Martin production, plus his arranging and conducting of more than half of the album. Monro's take on the Beatles' "Michelle" is a standout, as is "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)". Monro does not take chances, but Martin and company give him space for his personality and warmth to shine, even in modern material like "Bridge Over Troubled Water". He also tackles two songs from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" written by John Berry and Don Black. The second album included here is 1975's "The Other Side Of The Stars". The production, by John Burgess, is more modern, almost slick at times, especially on the hit "You're Sensational." Yet, the arrangements by Colin Keyes retain their timeless feel, especially on "Let There Be Love" and "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy", a standout cover of the Al Jolson standard. This album has less contemporary songs -- in fact none of these could be considered originating from the rock generation, with his cover of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" probably the newest song included here. These two albums stand as fine, even classic, examples of 1970s 'easy listening' recordings, on par with Perry Como and Andy Williams. If you own his boxed set, "The Singer's Singer", you have sampled several of these tracks. If you are interested in expanding your Matt Monro collection, this is a fine place to go.