From a British perspective, this collection is truly definitive. Perry had 26 UK hits between November 1952 (when UK charts began) and 1973. All of them appear in chronological order on the first CD here. Of course, Perry would have had many more UK hits had there been charts prior to 1952. (Yes, there were sheet music charts, but we'll ignore them.)Perry had many hits in America that didn't make the UK charts, even after 1952, but most of the big ones are here. His many classics include Don't let the stars get in your eyes, Magic moments, Catch a falling star, Delaware, It's impossible, And I love you so, For the good times and Walk right back, all huge UK hits. They are all on the first CD here together with many other great songs.
The second CD contains 23 tracks that were chosen by the compiler and he seems to have done a good job, attempting to cover as wide a range of his other songs as possible. This CD includes No other love, a major American hit which was not released in Britain. Instead, Ronnie Hilton (a British singer) covered the song and had a UK number one hit with it. In the fifties and sixties, it was common practice for British singers to have UK hits with covers of American songs. Two of Perry's American hits from the 1940's are featured, but only as re-recordings. Temptation is from a 1974 album while Prisoner of love is a live version, recorded in Las Vegas. This CD also includes brilliant covers of Wind beneath my wings, Can't help falling in love, You light up my life, Some enchanted evening, Close to you, My cup runneth over, In the still of the night, I've got you under my skin and two Beatles songs, Yesterday and Here there and everywhere. The CD closes, appropriately, with You are never far away from me - the song that Perry often closed his shows with.
Perry Como does not get as much attention these days as Dean Martin and Andy Williams but his music is every bit as good as theirs. This collection proves it.
"Love Don't Care (Where It Grows)" - CD Debut