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Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain: The Best of Neil Sedaka, 1974-1980 Audio CD

A fair review of the Neil Sedaka "Laughter in the Rain: The Best of Neil Sedaka, 1974-1980" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Neil Sedaka reviews here, or go back to the Neil Sedaka tabs.

Neil Sedaka Band: Neil Sedaka
Title: Laughter in the Rain: The Best of Neil Sedaka, 1974-1980
Rating:
Release Date: 1994-09-27
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Laughter in the Rain 2: Love Will Keep Us Together 3: That's When the Music Takes Me 4: Immigrant 5: Hungry Years 6: Queen of 1964 7: Rock & Roll Wedding Day 8: Bad Blood 9: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do 10: #1 With a Heartache 11: Lonely Night (Angel Face) 12: Standing on the Inside 13: Love in the Shadows 14: Other Side of Me 15: Steppin' Out 16: You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine 17: Little Brother 18: Solitaire 19: Should've Never Let You Go - Dara Sedaka, Neil Sedaka 20: Our Last Song Together

fine music from an extraordinary talent
There are songs on this album which were also penned by Neil--what an artist! The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and I like the artwork. Neil Sedaka always sings beautifully and this album of his is certainly no exception! Although time has passed since he first became a star, Neil remains in excellent form both on this CD and today; he delivers the songs on this album with genuine feeling and great sensitivity.

"Laughter in the Rain" begins the set of songs with Neil singing faultlessly; he opens up and really puts a lot of himself into this number to make it special; he also handles complex tempo and key changes like the pro he was and still remains! The backup singers harmonize quite well--not that Neil needs backup but they do sound pretty good anyway. "Love Will Keep Us Together" is a Neil Sedaka song that I first heard performed by Captain and Tennille; Neil bats this straight out of the ballpark! It's amazing and I love every minute of it. "That's When the Music Takes Me" is catchy and easy on the ear; Neil delivers this without ever letting go of a single superfluous note and that's grand. The percussion and the piano are well used in the musical arrangement, too.

"Hungry Years" gets a most sensitive treatment from Neil Sedaka; the music fits perfectly with his singing but wisely it never drowns him out; you'll never have to strain just to hear the words that Neil is singing. "Queen of 1964" is also rather special; Neil performs this flawlessly. "Rock & Roll Wedding Day" has a terrific sound to it that's very sweet and pretty; and I like "Bad Blood" which Neil sings with Elton John. "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is easily a major highlight of this album; this version of "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" shines brighter than silver and gold in Neil's capable hands!

"Lonely Night (Angel Face)" features Neil squarely front and center; he makes this really special with his signature style and sophisticated phrasing. "Standing on the Inside" is very well done; and there's yet another gem in "The Other Side of Me" with its fine musical arrangement. "The Other Side of Me" is a big tune on this CD.

"Steppin' Out" rocks without being too hard; and "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine" is really awesome when Neil Sedaka delivers this to perfection--and beyond! "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine" charms me with its natural beauty. "Little Brother" has a fine beat to it; and the duet between Neil and his daughter Dara entitled "Should've Never Let You Go" really shines. The album ends with "Our Last Song Together" and this rounds out the album very nicely.

Neil Sedaka is a giant and one of the very best entertainers the world has ever seen; and we are all so much better off for his having shared his talent with us. As of the time I am writing this, Neil is still touring--catch him in concert if you can! I highly recommend this CD for his fans and even newcomers just discovering Neil's artistry would do well to get this CD. .


I Didn't Realize This Was A "Live" Recording
But after playing it, my opinion changed as I was quite pleased. I usually don't care for an artist's cover of his or her original song and I was upset when I discovered this was a live performance CD. I do like the original songs better but I still recommend this CD to anyone who likes Neil Sedaka.

There was one minor glitch that was easily fixed; on my computer the order of the songs was mixed up and I had to correct it. No Big Deal!.


Sedaka Sings Elevator Music
Aside from the few hits (Laughter in the Rain, Bad Blood, Lonely Nights, etc. Listening to this, I truly realized that Sedaka made his greatest contributions to pop music in the '50's and '60's. ) he produced in the '70's, Sedaka's M. O. R. "Second career" mainly produced songs for the Geritol set. Buy yourself a good early Sedaka compilation (Sings the Hits comes to mind) and give this one to your grandparents. .


Great Collection, Though I Have One Reason To Question Its The Best.
I can still picture when I saw him on a Midnight Special doing the song, smiling cheerfully, pointing his finger for the two quarter beats on the chorus. My favorite song of Neil Sedaka's is "Amarillo". How can I seriously consider this to be his greatest hits without "Amarillo"?

Aside from that, I enjoyed it. I either was unaware or had forgotten he wrote "Love Will Keep Us Together", "Lonely Night (Angel Face)", and "Solitaire", three songs I enjoyed when performed by the Captain and Tenille and the Carpenters. I remember one day I had the flu, and I was lying down, listening to Captain Tenille's "Lonely Night" and Sedaka's slow version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". (One problem I had with some of his hits was thinking it was a girl singing at first. )

It was a treat to hear my second favorite hit of Sedaka's, "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine. ".


This Truly is the Best of Neil Sedaka
I hadn't heard alot of these songs in so long, it is very nice to enjoy his music and remember years past. This truly is the best of Neil Sedaka. If you are a Neil Sedaka fan, this is a "must have".


You can see a complete list of all Neil Sedaka discography, or go back to the Neil Sedaka tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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