This Is The Life – MATT MONRO****

I’m Glad There Is You/This Is The Life/You’re Gonna Hear From Me/I’ll Take Romance/Strangers In The Night/ On A Clear Day(You Can See Forever)/Sweet Lorraine/My Best Girl/On A Wonderful Day Like Today/Merci Cherie/Honey On The Vine

Matt Monro was the most successful British MOR male vocalist during the first half of the sixties, his singing style inviting comparisons with Frank Sinatra. This Is The Life is a collection of standards and ballads. (UK:25)

"This Is The Life pairs crooner Matt Monro with arranger Sid Feller for a collection of standards and ballads that incorporate elements of contemporary pop and jazz, but never does so at the expense of its sophistication or hard-fought maturity. The cover - with Monro sandwiched between a pair of fabulous babes - sets the tone for the music inside: this is effervescent, celebratory pop for and by adults. Feller's ripe arrangements beautifully complement the restrained drama of Monro's vocals, and the songs are perfectly calibrated to his almost effortless interpretive brilliance."

"Matt Monro, Brit's answer to Frank Sinatra is often overlooked when it comes to male singers. But Monro, had a supple, endearing and rich voice and in this album he uses it with force and sparingly to swing with some wonderful numbers. Sid Feller offers some lush arrangements."

"Matt Monro was Britain's best balladeer of his generation. Comparisons with other singers, particularly Frank Sinatra, are inevitable, but Matt carved out his own niche and his music remains popular today. This is the first album that he recorded after switching labels to Capitol, and contains a selection of love songs, mainly slow ballads, but with the occasional uptempo song to provide variety."

"This Is The Life, features several songs that were oldies even in the sixties. One of the most famous songs here is Strangers In The Night, a cover of one of Frank Sinatra's classic songs. In some ways, it was brave of Matt to record it, because there were those who accused him of being a Sinatra copyist. He wasn't. Yes, there are similarities, but Matt was not Frank's clone. There are plenty of great songs here, some famous, some obscure, but if you like Matt's music and you've already got a hits compilation, you'll love this."

"Some of the lyrics may seem a bit lame in today's eyes, but that does not detract from the wonderfully rich tones of Matt Monro." Vox Pop Album Review 1966 Wade In The Water – RAMSEY LEWIS**** US: Cadet