Valley Of The Dolls – DIONNE WARWICK***

As Long As There’s An Apple Tree/Up Up & Away/You’re My World/Valley Of The Dolls/Silent Voices/Do You Know The Way To San Jose/For The Rest Of My Life/Let Me Be Lonely/Where Would I Go/Walking Backwards Down The Road

Valley Of The Dolls finds Dionne Warwick less dependent on Bacharach & David songs. This did not prevent it becoming her most commercially successful album. The title track was a US No. 2 hit single, and Do You Know The Way To San Jose was a US No. 10 and UK No. 8 hit. (US:6 UK:10)

"Some soft easy listening that is average or better, with some awesome orchestral explosion songs such as You're My World, For the Rest Of My Life and Let Me Be Lonely."

"Dramatic ballads here, but melodies are weaker than on past magic albums while the voice is systematically pushed."

"One of the most original voices and smartest phrasings I have ever heard on popular music. Surely the title song of Valley Of The Dolls pairs her best renditions, an impressive and strong performance I have never forgotten. Two interesting Bacharach-David originals also come from this album: As Long As There's An Apple Tree and Do You Know The Way To San José. Also features a version of Jimmy Webb's Up Up & Away. Finally, this album offers one interesting song which Ms. Warwick sang in the San Remo Festival - Silent Voices."

"They don't write them like Valley Of The Dolls anymore. Splendid composition, seamless time signatures, vocal finesse, uplifting with gentle breaks. Like a beautiful soft breeze. It gives me goose bumps when Dionne breaks into the heart of the song. Magical."

"Dionne's range of voice is superb, but what really sets her apart is her uncanny ability of mood projection. Dionne in this album, and in nearly every one she produced, highlights this ability. This is an outstanding example of Dionne's placing her listener inside the atmosphere of what the music is intending to transcend. Musically Dionne reaches her audience's heart, mind and soul as well as any actor/actress of the theatre. She is without question The Queen of Romantic Soul."