One of the most underrated pop vocalists of the '60s, Matt Monro possessed the easiest, most perfect baritone in the business. Though the man known best for "Born Free" and "From Russia With Love" didn't benefit much from the incessant reissue culture of the '90s, EMI's This Is Matt Monro is the most thorough yet, a double-disc collection of mostly '60s recordings for subsidiary labels Parlophone, Capitol, and Liberty. It doubles the length of EMI's earlier The Very Best of Matt Monro, including all of his biggest hits and overlooked gems (like the summery "On Days Like These," from Michael Caine's The Italian Job) with some serious rarities never before heard on CD before. It also ranges into the '70s with half-a-dozen recordings, including "Michelle," "Happy," and "Speak Softly Love." Yes, two discs is a lot for someone seen as a second-rank performer, but Matt Monro remains a captivating voice even years after his emergence.
© John Bush /TiVo