Robert Kimball (1)

An anthology of a thousand or so song lyrics from some of the most celebrated American and English lyricists of their time. The songs, chosen from shows, movies, and the popular canon of the time and now considered classics, help to reveal the lyricist who penned each of them.

Presented chronologically, and including a brief biography of the lyricist, it’s a tribute to the lyricists and to their enduring words. Readers can research the work of a specific composer, or of a particular time, or of a particular genre. While some of the composers may not be household names, readers will discover that their songs are well-known and often performed.

Read for the poetry of the lyrics, read for the uniqueness of the art form. Read for the joy of discovering these familiar lyrics all over again.

Highly recommended.… (mais)

An anthology of lyrics from 1900 to 1975: with more than one thousand songs, it's still incomplete, especially for those who nostalgically long for the days when music meant poetry. How to choose from among all the wonderful songs? The authors admit it was difficult and add "We regret the absence of somebody else's favorites, and hope for a happy response to our own." Oh, but how could you omit almost the whole ouevres from Porgy and Bess, Sound of Music, The King and I? And it would have been nice to have a cross-reference with Broadway shows. There are small introductions before each lyricist (who are included in order of date of birth). Some of the lyrics in the anthology are unfamiliar to me; some of the lyricists I didn't know at all.

Nevertheless, it's great to have a reference book on love, for that's truly what it is: You Made Me Love You; Love Me or Leave Me; Fools Fall in Love; At Long Last Love; I Only Have Eyes for You; Let's Fall in Love; Falling In Love With Love; You Were Meant for Me; Maybe This is Love; It's Got to Be Love; Somebody Loves Me; People Will Say We're in Love; Let's Do It: Let's Fall In Love; Can This Be Love? Let's Not Talk About Love; The Man I Love; It's Love Again; I'm in the Mood for Love; Love Is Here to Stay; Love Is Sweeping the Country; Love is a Many-Splendored Thing; When I Fall In Love; Head Over Heels in Love....

Altogether, a book to love, in spite of shortcomings; the authors did their best, and I appreciate the resource.

(JAF)… (mais)