This album requires patience and attentiveness. At first exposure, it seems smooth and melodic, though somewhat staid. Since the album is at least pleasant and non-offensive -- but not too much more -- it should get a rating somewhere in the range of "OK," right? Wrong!
Pat Boone Sings Irving Berlin is unquestionably one of
Boone's two top albums in terms of durability. However, you have to stay with it a while before its special qualities begin to reveal themselves; once this process is underway, it continues on and on and the album does not diminish in quality or become stale, no matter how much exposure it receives. The sweet musical and lyrical simplicity of these
Irving Berlin compositions and the dignified but entirely unpretentious arrangements are two indispensable ingredients here -- but most important are the voice and masterful interpretation of these beautiful songs by
Pat Boone. "Interpretation," perhaps, is not quite the right word. Intuiting the intent of the great composer evidently came quite naturally to
Boone, or the album never would have earned the high praise of Berlin himself, who is quoted as saying, "
Pat Boone sings these ballads the way I like to hear them sung." Enough said? ~ Arthur Rowe