Peggy Lee Albums (35)
'Christmas with Peggy Lee'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 16
Label Capitol
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What The Critics Say
Christmas with Peggy Lee is a fine collection of laid-back jazzy holiday favorites performed by the sultry vocalist. The majority of this material was taken from her 1960 Capitol release Christmas Carousel, excluding three tracks: "The Christmas List," "Christmas Riddle," and "Deck the Halls." Traditional tunes like "Winter Wonderland," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "The Christmas Song," and "I Like a Sleighride (Jingle Bells)" get the relaxing and warm treatment provided by the vocalist in her prime. Also of interest are the four tracks penned by Lee, "Christmas Carousel," "Don't Forget to Feed the Reindeer," "The Tree," and "My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)." This is perfect background music for any Christmas get-together. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
By 1988, 68-year-old Peggy Lee did not have much of a voice left. Although she was still determined, physical problems had weakened her, and despite Gene Lees' absurd raving in the liner notes ("Her work has never flagged, the quality of it has never faltered"), this set finds her way past her prime. Actually, the material (only half of which is actually blues) is pretty strong -- mostly standards from the 1920s and '30s -- and the backup group (a quintet with pianist Mike Renzi and guitarist John Chiodini) does a good job of supporting Lee's quiet and often weak voice. This is one of the better releases from Peggy Lee's later years, but it still pales next to her 1950s recordings. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Peggy Lee's 1979 album Close Enough for Love is a disco-themed take on her classic themes of love and romance. "You" is a light, mellow funk ballad, while the standard "Just One of Those Things" becomes a propulsive dance anthem. Those looking for songs similar to Lee's trademark "Fever" will want to add the smoldering, sexy "Easy Does It" to their collection. Peggy Lee's voice sounds a bit depressed on this album, indicating, perhaps, an unfamiliarity with the new musical trappings. But that quality also gives the album's more straightforward numbers, like "Rain Sometimes" and "Come in From the Rain" (sounding like Wings), a moving, somber tone. An example of a dated album, but one that is a ripe for a rediscovery. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Intelligent, evocative, understated, and mature are words that come to mind when describing this 1975 recording. The album is the reflection of a middle-aged woman pondering her present life while romanticizing the past, knowing full well that, in the words of the last song, "We're longing for a simpler time that never was." Written and produced by Leiber & Stoller, and sung in the soft, breathy style of Peggy Lee, the listener is taken through a journey of songs that often evoke a sense of melancholy, even when the lyrical content seems upbeat, such as on "I've Got Them Feelin' Too Good Today Blues." Thoughtful and understated arrangements by Johnny Mandel do a superb job of supporting but never overpowering the lyrics or the vocal style of Lee. Several songs musically evoke what is implied in the title. "Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs," for instance, brings to mind sounds reminiscent of the circus. In less skilled hands, musically representing what is lyrically conveyed might not work, but in the talented hands of Leiber, Stoller, and Mandel, it works wonderfully. This is an album where it is apparent the singer, songwriters, and arranger all worked together to make an album worthy of the talents of everyone involved -- they certainly succeeded in that goal. ~ Michael Ofjord, All Music Guide
'Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota'
Release Date 1/1/1972
Tracks 10
Label Capitol
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What The Critics Say
A dry run for her commercial success later in 1969 with Is That All There Is?, A Natural Woman also concentrates on contemporary hits by composers from the burgeoning worlds of soul music and singer/songwriters. Beginning in the mid-'60s, Lee had begun flirting with pop/rock material and arrangements, though her solid performances were usually marred by ill-fitting charts written by unfeeling arrangers. A Natural Woman was her most successful fusion yet, thanks to the work of arrangers/conductors/upstarts Mike Melvoin and Bobby Bryant (neither of whom were true youngsters, though Melvoin had apparently gleaned much from session work with the Beach Boys, Curt Boettcher, and Judy Collins). Here, though, Lee's voice unfortunately became the element lacking consistency. She unwisely attempts to duplicate the crooning slide of Tyrone Davis and Otis Redding for her versions of their hits "Can I Change My Mind?" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," then sounds a little embarrassed repeating the shoobie-doobies of Sly & the Family Stone's "Everyday People." Lee does perform a superb version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (Newman actually arranged "Is That All There Is?"), and utterly transforms the one standard from an earlier era, Billie Holiday's classic "Don't Explain." As is true for every trad pop artist that crossed over during the late '60s, A Natural Woman includes three or four songs that qualify for the Golden Throats treatment, but most are solid. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Is That All There Is?'
Release Date 1/1/1969
Tracks 10
Label Capitol
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What The Critics Say
When Peggy Lee became well-known in the 1940s, swing and jazz-influenced pop dominated the musical landscape. In the 1960s, however, it was a whole new world in popular music. The British Invasion and Motown -- not big bands -- were mainstream, and to the Baby Boomer youths of the 1960s, Lee was part of "our parents' music." But the singer had a major hit with 1969's Is That All There Is?, one of the best-selling albums of her career. While this isn't a rock album per se -- Lee's foundation was still jazz-influenced pop -- it acknowledges pop-rock tastes of the 1960s without being unfaithful to her history. Everything on this LP is a gem, and that includes a moody remake of Lee's 1940s hit "Don't Smoke in Bed" as well as classic arrangements of George Harrison's "Something," Neil Diamond's "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," Leiber & Stoller's "I'm a Woman," and Randy Newman's "Love Story." The LP's centerpiece, however, is Newman's hit arrangement of Leiber & Stoller's title song, which was covered by P.J. Harvey in the 1990s. Influenced by German cabaret, this half-spoken, half-sung treasure is as hauntingly soulful as it is maudlin. The song's outlook is far from optimistic; essentially, it's saying that we might as well grab our moments of pleasure and enjoyment where we can find them because ultimately, life is nothing more than a meaningless series of disappointments. But there's nothing disappointing about Is That All There Is?, an LP that is most certainly among Lee's finest accomplishments. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
