We don’t have a thread for this man and I’m ashamed. Putting aside his catalog of classic crooner cuts, ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ is simply one of the best late night albums ever. Please grab a glass of wine and give it a chance if you haven’t.
frankly the best 420 music ever made, you can get lost in those string arrangements like an endless series of rooms
I’ve spent the last month or so going through his catalog and I’m amazed at how timeless it feels. Every song has this effortless charm. It’s incredible how well his work still resonates today.
desert island album for me, though I love all his classic ballad albums. the two part biography that came out not long ago is a must read/listen, though it goes into more detail on some aspects than I really needed. talk about a wild life.
Would you recommend reading or listening? I’ve never really done an audiobook but this seems like it could be a good one.
I’ve never even considered doing a catalog run, he’s got so many records and there doesn’t seem to be an “official” list. Are you just going chronologically on Spotify?
More or less ya. I’ve been doing one or two records a day, though I skip around a bit. You really can’t go wrong. It’s interesting to hear how the arrangements have changed over the decades. The only material I haven’t enjoyed is from the 80s onward.
Whatever medium works better for you, just be prepared for a LONG sit either way, I think the two books combined are over 1800 pages. I definitely recommend having some way to listen to the discography along with the book(s) because it goes into detail on every major (and minor) recording, his relationships with his arrangers, etc.
If you don’t already own it on vinyl, seems like now is the time. I can’t pull the trigger myself on purchasing — my copy that I found in a bargain bin over a decade ago that has too many memories associated with it.