The Best of Peggy Lee - The Capitol Years is a single CD with some mighty fine songs by the great Peggy Lee. Peggy Lee could sing better than most any chanteuse ever could with maybe a few exceptions at the most; and this CD proves it! The artwork is very lovely and the quality of the sound is excellent. Great!

"Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)" features a young Peggy Lee singing her heart out; she never sings a superfluous note and the big band arrangement stuns me with its beauty. The music that accompanies Peggy as she sings is just right to go along with her vocals. "For Every Man There's A Woman" also comes from Peggy's years with Benny Goodman & His Band; Peggy clearly was a natural talent and her voice is rich, warm and very vibrant. I love it! Listen also for "Fever." "Fever," in case you don't know, was one of Peggy Lee's greatest hits ever--it's a terrific song and Peggy delivers it flawlessly. This song about romance always pleased Peggy's adoring audiences. The finger snapping is a very creative type of percussion, too.

There's also a live track of Peggy singing "Alright, Okay, You Win." This showcases Peggy's vocals and the men who harmonize with her do an excellent job! "Hallelujah, I Love Him So" is another classic Peggy Lee hit; and boy, oh, boy, does this sound great when Peggy Lee belts this out! "I'm A Woman" is another song that celebrates her womanhood; and the percussion marks the beat very well. "I'm A Woman" is a very strong number that Peggy sings with passion; you can tell she really enjoyed singing this number--it's all THAT good.

"Call Me" shines like silver and gold when Peggy Lee delivers this so professionally; she never misses a beat and the brass is used very well in the musical arrangement. In addition, "The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)" is a strong tune that Peggy makes all her own as she plays just a wee bit with the tempo and adds a few subtle key changes. "The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)" is clearly a major highlight of this album.

"Please Send Me Someone To Love" is yet another romantic ballad that features Peggy's character dreaming of the joys of being with her one true love. Peggy sings this without a flaw and "Please Send Me Someone To Love" is a number I really like a lot. "Mama's Gone, Goodbye" has an elegant musical arrangement to help Peggy perform this like the great chanteuse she always was--how's about that piano? It's grand.

The CD ends with Peggy Lee performing "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'." "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" makes a strong, jazzy ending for this album; Peggy sings this so well that you're hungry for more the moment the CD ends. Don't be surprised if you find yourself pushing the "play" button on your CD player the instant this album ends!

Peggy Lee was--and remains--one of the very, very best female vocalists of the entire twentieth century. Peggy is one of the very few women who could really take a song and embellish it beautifully with fantastic interpretations of those numbers. I highly recommend this for fans of the great Peggy Lee.

Get this CD and put on "Fever" and "See See Rider". Those two songs alone will school you. Peggy Lee can smolder! I got this CD even though I had most of the songs on it from other compilations. The one song that I wanted was "See See Rider". Peggy Lee can be sexy without being tawdry, and she can maintain the mood throughout the entire arrangement. You just don't listen, you get drawn into the selection. How does she do it, and why can't so many other singers even come close to her restrained emotion and passion? I don't know. She is one of a kind and if you like singers with class and raw talent, with a generous helping of technique and magic, then this is the lady for you. Give "Fever" and "See See Rider" a whirl and see if you don't agree.

I'd recommend this CD to anyone who is a fan of Peggy Lee, the quality is good and the song choices are great.

This album contains most everything you need to know and hear about Peggy Lee. It's a worthy addition for your collection if you like Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Tierney Sutton, or Diane Schuur. All of these singers have their roots in and owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Lee, Frank Sinatra's favorite singer, as she was the pioneer of the cool, sultry, effortless sound. "All right, okay, you win" shows as well that she was respected by the instrumentalists she worked with. Recommended.

Although nothing short of a comprehensive box set can do full justice to Peggy Lee, this collection will be a welcome addition to any collection, for it includes a number of essential tracks as well several less often heard but equally impressive recordings.

In general, the collection focuses on recordings that have a distinctly bluesy undercurrent, such as "Why Don't You Do Right" and "Fever." At the same time, the collection also manages to find room for such light pop recordings as "Call Me," a killer live recording of "Well Alright, Okay, You Win," and a surprisingly effective cover of River's "Seventh Son."

Regardless of the specific track, Lee's vocals are superior on every recording and her interpretations--here ranging from the drop-dead restrait of "For Every Man There's a Woman" to the sassy "I'm A Woman"--are Peggy Lee at her finest, irreproachable throughout. Strongly recommended.