Peggy Lee: I Like Men! - Sugar'N'Spice (1998)

This brilliant two-fer combines two classic albums Peggy Lee recorded for Capitol Records in 1959 and 1962, respectively: I Like Men and Sugar 'N' Spice. Arranged and conducted by Jack Marshall, I Like Men was based around the theme of men. The title track, which Peggy Lee co-wrote, is a very upbeat, entertaining song in which Peggy expresses her enthusiasm for men - even when her personal life suggests that she never found the right one. Perhaps the most famous song here are 'I'm Just Wild About Harry' and 'Best is Yet to Come', though Andrews sisters fans will also recognize 'Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!' Both are great up-tempo songs, as are 'I Love to Love' and the opening 'Charley My Boy'. Among the slower cuts, 'So in Love', 'Jim' and 'When a Woman Loves a Man' are possibly the best known. Sugar 'N' Spice is similar in style, although there is no obvious theme except love. Despite the tacky cover photographs and that terrible wig, the contents are pure and fine Peggy Lee at her best. Where some of Peggy's albums in the ‘60s included much forgettable contemporary material that hasn't stood the test of time too well, this album features a program of songs that range from contemporary show tunes (‘I Believe in You’ and ‘The Sweetest Sounds’), an excursion into the blues (‘See See Rider) and the great American song book (‘When the Sun Comes Out’ and ‘I've Got the World on a String’) plus a few lesser known numbers for good measure. The backings are by Benny Carter and feature a compact orchestra with an emphasis on brass. On both albums Peggy is in fine voice and brings her sweet feminine tones to her ballads and her salty, seductive sounds to the more uptempo material. All in all, this compilation give ample evidence of the lady at her best and should delight Peggy Lee’s fans as well as those who admire this legend to a lesser degree. http://www.amazon.com/

ee

aa

A haunting rendition of 'See See Rider' from Peggy Lee's famous gig at Basin Street East: