Tony Bennett- I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(Numbered 180G Vinyl LP)
Track List
1. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (George Cory, Douglass Cross) – 2:54
2. "Once Upon a Time" (Charles Strouse, Lee Adams) – 3:02
3. "Tender Isthe Night" (Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:41
4. "Smile" (Charles Chaplin, Geoffrey Claremont Parsons, John Turner) – 2:51
5. "Love for Sale" (Cole Porter) – 3:10
6. "Taking a Chance on Love" (Vernon Duke, Ted Fetter, John Latouche) – 1:56
7. "Candy Kisses" (George Morgan) – 2:28
8. "Have I Told You Lately?" (Harold Rome) – 2:41
9. "Rules of the Road" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) – 2:37
10. "Marry Young" (Coleman, Leigh) – 2:22
11. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy) – 2:43
12. "The Best Is Yet to Come" (Coleman, Leigh) – 2:29
Tony BennettI Left My Heart in San Franciscoon Numbered-Edition 180g LP from Mobile Fidelity
A Performance for the Ages: Landmark 1962 Vocal Pop Set Established Bennett’s Career
Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Sonic Clarity and Presence Will Blow Your Mind
Bennett Has Never Sounded Better on Any Record
Can there really be a definitive album from a singer whose voice is one of the most immediately recognized and internationally cherished, and whose command of songs is akin to the manner in which an able-bodied masseuse handles delicate muscle tissues? If so, thenI Left My Heart in San Franciscois that record, the 1962 effort a turning point for the greatTony Bennettand an all-time pop standard. Winner of two Grammy Awards, the record containsBennett’ssignature track as well as eleven other indelible classics.
Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity’snumbered-edition 180g LP presentsBennettin the finest sound he’s ever enjoyed. Amazingly, this landmark recording has lavished in the vaults over the years and longed for the restoration that meticulous engineering can bring. Gone is the veiled haze that hung over the orchestrations, artificial ceiling that held back the highs, and cloudiness that obscured the entire range ofBennett’svocals.Previously unheard levels of warmth, expressiveness, and detailing are just some of the hallmarks of this terrific audiophile delight.
At the time of the album’s sessions,Bennettfound himself caught between the need to sing thin uptempo numbers in order to appease the marketplace and the desire to move beyond the jazzier material he tackled in the late 50s. Unwilling to compromise his will to sing ballads and swing,Bennett, along with producerErnest Altschulerand arranger/pianistRalph Sharon, found the perfect combination onI Left My Heart in San Francisco,replete with expansive orchestration, period echo, anthemic ballads, and lush pop arrangements that still leave plenty of room for intimacy and delicacy.
There’s little left to say about the timeless title track, amidst the most definitive songs ever recorded. Similarly, the closing “The Best Is Yet to Come” ranks equally high, withBennett’srendition coming a full two years beforeFrank Sinatra’sversion.It’s no wonder why The Voice deemed Bennett his favorite singer. The proof is everywhere, whether on the brassy “Rules of the Road,” big-band bossa nova send-up of Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale,” tender “Have I Told You Lately?,” or the white-gloves treatment of the Broadway tune “Once Upon a Time.”Bennett’scharismatic personality and refined singing ring true throughout, his burnished baritone as clear as spring water.
Now, hear this triumphant performance as ifBennettis singing to you on a private stage. Witness every breath, and experience the thrill of the singer holding a note for what seems like eternity on “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” without flinching. Seldom, if ever, has a vocalist’s singing sounded so effortlessly natural and innate.Mobile Fidelity’s 180g LP is unmatched in terms of sonics, spaciousness, and sensation.
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"In addition to Bennett's own hits are songs from stage and screen, delivered with a 'cool' that swings with the ease of Dino and the assurance of Frank. Here, though, we must also address the sound. Trust me, it's to-die-for, a perfect example of the 1960s 'Columbia Sound.'"
--Ken Kessler,Hi-Fi News, September 2012, 92% Sound Quality rating