It should come as no surprise to fans of
Captain & Tennille that
Toni tackled an album of standards. The duo always threw a nod to yesteryear into the mix, having been influenced so heavily by
Tennille's father Frank having recorded with the
Bob Crosby Orchestra, and husband,
Daryl Dragon being the son of arranger
Carmen Dragon.
Carly Simon had already released 1981's
Torch, while
Linda Ronstadt presented her first
Nelson Riddle collaboration in 1983, so the way had been paved for the voice that was so successful on Top 40 to do a full album of standards. The captivating sound behind the singer on
Gershwin's "Do It Again" is certainly a different setting from when
Captain & Tennille dabbled with the format, the "
Captain" is missing in action on this original ten-song release recorded live to two-track in Hollywood, in January of 1984. Though the singer tends to overdo it on the title track, "More Than You Know," she gets into a groove on "I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good,"
Jeffrey Weber's elegant and understated production.
Sammy Nestico's arrangements are gorgeous, especially on "Our Love Is Here to Stay," and after a few spins, one gets used to the singer in this environment. "Let's Do It" could have fit nicely on
Toni's pop recordings with her significant other, though the real orchestration is a much-needed change of pace from the synths and self-generated work that dominated the charts from 1975-1979. "But Not for Me" has charm and identity, as do most of the ten tracks, and the verdict on this project is a thumbs-up for the concept and execution.