ALBUM REVIEW: BETTE MIDLER – MEMORIES OF YOU (RHINO)


Bette Midler: Memories of You
Friday November 19,2010
By Simon Gage and Paul Callan

AFTER the surprise success of her Greatest Hits, which sold by the truckload, Bette Midler has come up with another compilation, this time little-known American songbook classics culled from her back catalogue.

Songs like Come Rain Or Shine, The Folks Who Live On The Hill and What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? are all given the Bette treatment, her voice brilliantly understated (for such a show-off!) and with orchestrations that are old-fashioned in the very best sense of the expression.

The stand-out track is probably Peggy Lee’s deliciously cynical Is That All There Is? but there’s nothing but quality here.

Verdict: 4/5

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9 thoughts on “ALBUM REVIEW: BETTE MIDLER – MEMORIES OF YOU (RHINO)

  1. Don..you the ONE who knows everything (lol)…tell me…do you know if the songs are going to be new versions…or just “copy and paste” from her olds cd´s?

  2. Just bought the new album of Bette, Memories of You. What a brilliant album it is. It is so nice these Bette’s well sung balllads from the past albums has finally culled together and put them all in on one elegant album of their own. This album is so great for a romantic evening. Or in a cold, winter nights. Or to be played to any dinner parties. It will certainly give yours a touch of class. It is a blast from the past kind of album. Worth having!

  3. A clever Christmas re-packaging of old stuff.
    Change the cover with an aibrushed pic of the ex Divina, make a new packaging and….
    Voila’, a new CD has come out from the wizardry of RHINO, a specialist ‘make-up music vaults’ re-user/recycler.
    Nothing new, and maybe nothing really too memorable here.
    It’s just old stuff from Mrs. Midler’s back catalogue. And the tracks included in this compilation are certainly not her best work….mostly B-side tracks.
    The songs are not popular and people seem to know very little about them…they sound like new…
    It’s Christmas time and they are looking for something just released and go for some cheap gifts to buy.
    In reality, it’s another compilation of pre-released, pre-used stuff from her previous albums, some of wich are out of stock.
    Actually, it’s like cheating on her unaware fans.
    Did they think we wouldn’t notice?
    Someone please make this ridiculously colorless repackaging of the past stop.
    It’s starting to get scary.
    It’s a festive season rip off. Do not buy.

    1. Then it’s not for you Franz, but their definitely is a market out there for this type of music that goes beyond the typical Bette fan which makes it an excellent gift. There may not be hits on here, but there are some very classic performances to say the least. And they know they weren’t fooling any Bette fan….what makes it interesting, maybe from a collector’s point of view IS the packaging and the comments written about each song by Ms. Midler. So, in that respect, I think it is worth buying….especially if it’s for a gift to a non Bettehead that may like those Great American Songbook Recordings….But yes, I am looking forward to a set of NEW Bette material and it will come….

  4. i’m 19 and i love Bette midler 🙂
    i must say i’m a true fan of her, i have every album of hers and thank you for the internet, i have the chance to download songs of Bette midler because they don’t sell her album here in my country (well, i haven’t seen one in the store).
    this album is great! most of the songs are my favorites like the songs from the movie for the boys and also the song she sung for mr. johnny carson

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