Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today!

Disaster strikes. Accompanied by a sleeve note from company president Clive Davis, who forced this record down his throat, Tony Bennett is presented on the album cover in a garish illustration, wearing bellbottoms and a psychedelic tie. On the record, he sings "MacArthur Park" (well, some of it, anyway), "Eleanor Rigby" (most of which he recites instead of singing), "Something," and other "great hits of today." You'd think he might make peace at least with numbers like "The Look Of Love," but the only song he shows any real enthusiasm for is "Is That All There Is?," and even that is too cynical for his style. ~ William Ruhlmann