Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 fine collection--of just some of Nancy's best April 9, 2008
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Spotlight on Nancy Wilson is a wonderful CD tribute to the great Nancy Wilson. I'm not sure that Nancy gets all the recognition that she still deserves today; just one listen to this CD proves that she was a very special songbird! The sound quality is excellent and the artwork is lovely.
The track set begins with Nancy singing her heart out on "What A Little Moonlight Can Do." This jazzy pop vocal really shine when Nancy hits this straight out of the ballpark! The brass helps the melody considerably and Nancy's voice never sounded better! "My One And Only Love" sparkles like silver and gold when Nancy sings it; she delivers this with great sensitivity and the ballad really works well when Nancy sings it. Moreover, there's also "The Best Is Yet To Come." This really shows how Nancy could handle complicated tempo changes effortlessly and this really amazes me.
"The Good Life" is perfect for romantic slow dancing with your sweetheart all alone in your living room late at night; the piano arrangement is very elegant. "Time After Time" is a charming love song that Nancy aces effortlessly; and I love it whenever I hear Nancy sing this tune to perfection--and beyond!
"When The Sun Comes Out" also has Nancy handles tempo and key changes like the pro she always was; and the horn solo adds a lot to the natural beauty of this ballad. "You've Changed" is yet another highlight of this fantastic album; I really like "You've Changed."
"Someone To Watch Over Me" features Nancy front and center; and the percussion enhances the melody along with the strings; this all makes for a very pretty number. "Angel Eyes" is beautifully interpreted by Nancy who sings this love song as if it were meant for her and only her. Excellent!
The CD close very nicely with Nancy Wilson performing "Miss Otis Regrets (She's Unable To Lunch Today;" I have heard Ella Fitzgerald sing this and yet Nancy Wilson's rendition is also very good.
Nancy Wilson fans will want this for their collections; and this also makes a great starter CD for newcomers to Nancy's artistry. Nancy sounds great and this CD showcases her vocal talents brilliantly.
 Excellent compilation. . . . April 10, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Like a lot of aging divas, Nancy Wilson is not the same singer today that she was in the 1960's (see also Aretha Franklin and Barbara Striesand), but this spotlight compilation of Nancy Wilson in her prime is an excellent showcase of a singular jazz interpreter. Wilson's voice was at once glamorous and muscular: she could be as slinky as Diana Ross; as playful and saucy as Dinah Washington (a major influence on the young Wilson's vocal style) or Eartha Kitt; or nearly as brilliant a belter as Striesand. As with the young Striesand and the young Aretha, Wilson's emotional connection to the songs keeps the listener hanging onto every word. Indeed, the singer's economy of style never once short-changes her considerable interpretive abilities. There are over-the-top big band numbers here, like the superlative "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to" and "What a little Moonlight will do." Wilson also handles the mesmerizing ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Here's that Rainy Day" with such care and finesse that these versions rank among the best EVER recorded. No elaborate vocal runs here, just straight-forward, brisk and on-point singing of classics that will forever stand the test of time. In short, those who are just discovering Ms. Wilson are in for a rare treat, those who have never heard of her are missing out on something profound.
great singer August 12, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I would put Nancy Wilson in the top five of lady singers.
This album has great audio quality and shows her great singing talent.
Spotlight on Nancy Wilson: A Rich Treat June 7, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I bought this CD on the recommendation of all the enthusiastic Amazon reviewers, and I am adding myself to their ranks. I didn't know the music of Nancy Wilson, prior to buying this, and was basically looking to add some sophistication and depth to my music collection, which, up until recently, consisted primarily of classic rock, Goth, and world dance.
To fully appreciate the romance, the emotion, and the shine of this incredible collection of songs, I recommend you listen to it 1. with your one and only love, or 2. listen to it while in the company of your most affectionate feline, or 3. listen to it while eating your favorite chocolate...ignoring all guilt, of course. I was, if you'll pardon the expression, triply blessed, to be doing all three, when this arrived late on a Friday afternoon. You want sweet? Add all those elements to this music, these lyrics, performed by this woman, and the result was almost like being high on something that seemed it would never ever drop me off. It was so sweet, that it created a moment like those that many of these songs are about. That is the wonderful thing about this CD; listened to under the ideal circumstances, it will create such moments, while NW sings about them.
Every time I think I have picked out the songs that are my absolute favorites, I listen to the CD again, and another song expands in my mind, to fit whatever happens to be going on with me, at the moment...but without a doubt, the Mercer/Hampton song, "Midnight Sun," which I had never heard before, always stops me in my tracks, and stops the clock, with its dreamy descriptions, adding both shadows and gold leaf, like mixing an old Joseph Von Sternberg film,with Maxfield Parrish's golden brush. Such lines as, , Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than the summer night
The clouds were like an alabaster palace rising to a snowy height," and, Was there such a night, it's a thrill I still don't quite believe,
But after you were gone, there was still some stardust on my sleeve," complimented by the most subtle, minimalist and dreamy music, cannot, in my mind, be topped, as far as romantic songs are concerned.
The quality of the transference to CD is seamless, unlike a lot of CDs of older songs, like "I Want To Be Evil," by Eartha Kitt, or "The Very Best of Fairuz," by Fairuz, both of which I rate a 5, due to the flawless performances of the artists, and the strength of the songs they contain....but what a treat it is to listen to such rich, subtle, delicious music, and not be reminded, at any point, that it is not being sung to me directly. Most of the songs on this collection I have heard bits of, over the years, but never actually sat and listened to them, and now I am not at all sure of who I heard them sung by...but I can say with certainty that now that I have heard Nancy Wilson singing them, they belong to her. Her voice is rich, yet cool,but never cold, emotional, yet restrained. I now understand what it means to perform a song, not just sing it, as every song seems to come from her alone, not a lyricist and composer, and so it just connects with the listener, this one, anyway; I even feel that way about, "The Best Is Yet To Come," when in reality, things look pretty rough ahead, for the time being. She sings it with an excitement, sultriness and confidence, that is so contagious, I just wish the song was longer.Less ebullient songs, like "Little Girl Blue," are crystallizations of the low moments I can slide into with astounding ease...and she just nails it on the head. All the songs are rich and true and wonderful, and NW makes them all the more so. If you don't have this one, you should get it...and don't forget the chocolate!
Great Starter CD to the Genius of Nancy Wilson October 6, 2004
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
Of the glut of Nancy Wilson Capitol CD's out there, this is a very nice one to start with. Part of the "Spotlight Series" that Capitol Records issues of their top-selling artists, this is indeed one of the best "Spotlight" CDs. First of all, sound quality is terrific. This may come as a shock, but I've discovered that Capitol doesn't always have the strictest sound quality control for their reissued discs, but this one is fantastic. The songs are culled from Nancy's Sixties stuff -- definitely her very best. This also shows that Ms. Wilson was comfortable with whatever music accompaniment thrown at her -- orchestras, strings, jazz trios, piano solo -- you name it and she excels in every musical setting. Definitely a very "Show-Off" CD to demonstrate the mastery and genius of Nancy Wilson when she was at her peak. Give her a great song and she'll do wonders with it. Get this one ! You won't regret it.
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