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| |  | CDs | Home » » Duets: An American Classic | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Perfecting the art of excellence for over six decades, with 105 albums selling over 50 million copies, Tony Bennett has come to represent the essence of elegance, tradition and artistic accomplishments. Tony celebrates his 80th birthday recording Duets of his greatest hits with today's greatest artists: Bono, Michael BublĂ©, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Elton John, Juanes, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, George Michael, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder. More from Tony Bennett 
The Art of Romance | 
A Wonderful World (with k. d. lang) | 
Perfectly Frank: An American Classic Celebrates 80 | 
Basie Swings, Bennett Sings (DVD) | 
The Movie Song Album | 
The Classic Collection (Box Set) |
| | | Features: | |
• BENNETT TONY DUETS AN AMERICAN CLASSIC
| | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| September 26, 2006 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 277 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | LULLABY OF BROADWAY – duet with Dixie Chicks | | 2. | SMILE – duet with Barbra Streisand | | 3. | PUT ON A HAPPY FACE – duet with James Taylor | | 4. | THE GOOD LIFE – duet with Billy Joel | | 5. | THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE – duet with Juanes | | 6. | RAGS TO RICHES – duet with Elton John | | 7. | THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU – duet with Paul McCartney | | 8. | COLD, COLD HEART – duet with Tim McGraw | | 9. | IF I RULED THE WORLD –duet with Celine Dion | | 10. | THE BEST IS YET TO COME – duet with Diana Krall | | 11. | FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE – duet with Stevie Wonder | | 12. | ARE YOU HAVIN’ ANY FUN? – duet with Elvis Costello | | 13. | BECAUSE OF YOU – duet with k.d. lang | | 14. | JUST IN TIME – duet with Michael Bublé | | 15. | THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS – duet with Sting | | 16. | I WANNA BE AROUND - duet with Bono | | 17. | SING, YOU SINNERS – duet with John Legend | | 18. | I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO | | 19. | HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING? – duet with George Michael | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 277 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 55 found the following review helpful:
 I expected moreOct 01, 2006
By S. Costantino
"Uncle Scooter"
To me, a duet album should technically, at least some of the time, consist of the singers singing together, not just exchanging verses. That is technically all this cd is. The cd as a whole is somewhat of a disappoint ment. In my opinion, it is so mediocre, that it also seems too long. I won't say which songs I think it could do without, but at 18 songs, and nothing truly breathtaking, it really could have been made into a 12 to 14 song disc, and possibly not seemed so....tedious for lack of a better word.
There are some highlights, and to me, some embarassing moments. The first 4 tracks are a trainwreck in my opinion. The James Taylor track, seems so forced, its almost comical. The 5th track, with Juanes, was an improvement. I was going to actually turn the cd off. SHADOW, to me is not a stellar song, but for some reason, this relative newbie, with Bennett, worked really well. So I was expecting more good things to come. Sir Elton. What can one say. He is an icon. I didn't expect alot from this, so I wasn't disappointed. Its not awful, its not great, it just is. Billy Joel. Let me state, I am NOT a Joel fan, at all. I was extremely surprised to find myself actually like this one. They seemed to have a bit more stylishness going on. This was the first track I didn't find forced , at all. McGraw. This to me was an odd one. I am a fan of his, so expected to like it. To me, it almost sounded like they were singing 2 different arrangements. Celine. I expected Grandstanding,
and I got it. It explains why after her debut cd, I lost interest. Krall. Not a fan, but this arrangement, and their deliveries worked rather well together. This one could really grow on me, im sure. Stevie W. I always like Tony singing this song. I expected a different arrangement, and was initially disappointed. I was floored at the end Stevie still has amazing range. This is the 2nd highpoint to the cd, Elvis C. Why is he even here? I mean, vocally, he is not a great singer. I almost felt like this was karaoke. KD. The Duet CD was far superior to this track. Buble. Vocally, these 2 match better than any of the other
teamings. I am not too thrilled with the song choice, almost wish they did a smokier ballad. Sting can sing, really well. Its just not apparent here. This song is really messy sounding. The arrangement is kind of muddy, and slow. Bono. Its amazing to me how well Bono can actually sing. I mean, he spends alot of u2 time yelling lyrics, allbeit well. Here he actually croons. Another high point for me. Legend. I went into this one not wanting to like it. I never cared for the song. the arrangement ws ok, but vocally, unspectacular. A missmatch really. San Francisco. Its a great song. Bennetts own, and a different interpretation, by the man himself, was welcomed. Not as good as the original, but still incredible. George M. First of all, I have always thought this song was boring, and overrated. George Michael to me, di his best work, when he still called himself Wham. I didn't expect to like it.
I did, alot. Vocally, they are on different keys, but together, they work so well. GM still has a really rich voice, which surprised me. This may actually be my favorite.
My suggestion is listen to the clips, and buy the individual tracks that interest you. To be honest, I will probably sell, or give mine away, once I put them in my system. Not enough here for me, to listen to the whole cd repeatedly.
31 of 38 found the following review helpful:
DisappointingOct 02, 2006
By Edwin Mahler
"Edwin"
As a confirmed Tony Bennett fan one cannot help but be pained and disappointed by the quality of many of the cuts on this latest album. Bennett and some of his collaborators have shamelessly promoted this album as something special and unique. Instead one hears an aging Bennett who tries to keep the magic going with younger artists. Bennett's vocal range is much diminshed, and no audio tricks can disguise the sad fading of a great vocal instrument. Many of the songs offered are rendered by Bennett in almost a speaking voice, virtually "scat" style. Indeed, except for the duet with Stevie Wonder, one can hear only faint traces of the penetrating room filling voice that Bennett once had. Furthermore, the other artists are unable to raise the general level of this recording, and the arrangements-in general-are formulaic and trite. To hear the current album is to hear the latest attempt of an artist to capture one more "pay day". There comes a time for even the great ones to "call it a day". For Tony Bennett the music has ended, but the memory truly lives on.
Edwin Mahler
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
TONY-YES / GUEST STARS-NOMar 10, 2007
By S. D.
There's no doubt that Tony knows his business and the types of songs that fit him best. And while this CD is filled with many "superstar" guests singing duets with him, it just seemed lackluster overall.
Practically every song had Tony singing the first verse with the guest artist coming in on the second verse. Both usually wrapped up the song together; but not before verbal praise was dished out from Tony to his co-artist (come on...Stevie Wonder...full???) or vice-versa SOMEplace in the song. Come on...cut the yapping and sing the song already!
This SHOULD have been a much more entertaining CD. Unfortunately, it drags along from start to finish.
37 of 46 found the following review helpful:
 Stellar Duet Partners Offer Vocal Diversity As Bennett Stays True to His Classic Erudite SelfSep 26, 2006
By Ed Uyeshima
There are several top-selling singers who mine the Great American Songbook without having an innate understanding of its musical context. The results can consequently amount to contrived posturing as much as singing. Tony Bennett is not one of them as he so completely understands what music works with his sturdy, mellifluous voice that he makes almost everyone else featured on this disc sound vocally compatible even if several are out of their comfort zones. What makes this a better listen than Frank Sinatra's similar efforts in the early nineties is that Bennett recorded all the duets in person with his partners and has figured out how to retro-fit their musical sensibilities with his own. Intriguingly, industry veteran Phil Ramone produced both the Sinatra and Bennett projects.
Things start energetically with a big-band arrangement of "Lullaby of Broadway". The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines sings with surprising aplomb but only on the first verse, and as a group, they spend the rest of the track mimicking the Andrews Sisters with their WWII-era girl-group background vocals. The cheery "Put on a Happy Face" from "Bye, Bye Birdie" has the normally taciturn James Taylor sounding very Gene Kelly-like and bantering quite easily with Bennett. A melancholy tone seeps into "Because of You", Bennett's first major hit in 1951, with Chris Botti's sad-eyed trumpet and a sonorous K.D. Lang sounding most assured given her previous experience as his partner.
A surprisingly confident Bono extracts the usual gruffness from his arena-rock voice and dexterously matches with Bennett on a sauntering version of "I Wanna Be Around". Elton John provides an unforced swing on the brief "Rags to Riches", while Elvis Costello loosens up considerably with the jazzy arrangement and Hope-Crosby-style bantering of "Are You Havin' Fun Yet?". A smoky-voiced Billy Joel is the ideal partner for the reflective "The Good Life" which soars with their intertwining voices, just as Sting is for a highly dramatic, Weill-style rendition of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" featuring some nice guitar work. As Bennett's youngest partner, John Legend provides energy to spare on an Ella-style "Sing You Sinners", though I wish there was more scatting during the interlude.
The comparatively weaker tracks just miss the mark by mere inches, not miles. As expected, Celine Dion overdoes her part on "If I Ruled the World", and a slightly Latin-tinged "The Shadow of Your Smile" has a lush sound save for Columbian rock singer Juanes' somewhat tinny tone. Stevie Wonder sounds a tad resistant to Bennett's nightclub-style arrangement of his own composition, "For Once In My Life" since he still applies his familiar melisma. Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" looks to drop its country roots for a more generic treatment until Tim McGraw starts to dip his notes like Williams. And one of the most beautiful love songs on the disc, Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You", has Bennett sounding velvety smooth in a swooning arrangement but Paul McCartney comparatively stiff with his phrasing a bit off.
The best tracks produce the magic you expect from Bennett when coupled with partners with perfectly complementary styles. Crooner Michael Bublé shows a great affinity for "Just in Time", while the jazzy sass of "The Best Is Yet to Come" benefits considerably from Diana Krall's dusky voice. George Michael makes a welcome return to the pop mainstream on the silky smooth "How Do You Keep the Music From Playing?". Not too surprisingly, the best duet is the lushly orchestrated "Smile" with Bennett and Barbra Streisand alternating verses as if on gossamer wings. Along with Pinchas Zukerman's masterful violin, they make stunning magic together, and the praise they sing to each other at the end seems most justified. Bennett includes a valedictory "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" by himself, beautiful as always and a subtly ironic choice for a duets album.
40 of 50 found the following review helpful:
 I'm sure it looked good on paperOct 02, 2006
By Rich Given
"richgiven"
Tony Bennett's 80th birthday deserves commemoration by something better than this collection of his signature tunes recorded with duet partners obviously chosen more for their value as marketing hooks than than their interpretive skills with the great american songbook.
The pairing of Bennett with Barbra Streiand on Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" yields a surprisingly uninspired collaboration. James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and The Dixie Chicks are so far out of their depths with this material and in Bennett's company that the results are borderline painful.
You have to get half way through the collection before one of these recordings truly hits the bullseye, with Diana Krall joining Bennett brilliantly on Cy Coleman's classic "The Best is Yet to Come." Along the way, Tim McGraw is a worthy complement to Hank William's "Cold, Cold Heart" and k.d. Lang and Michael Buble provide competent support on "Because of You" and "Just in Time" respectively.
But the majority of this album's 19 tracks constitute little more than a poorly executed marketing gimmick with artists who do not belong on the same record as Mr. Bennett, or for that matter anywhere in the vicinity of these great songs.
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