When I was in London watching the morning news as I was dressing up, the television presenter had a news bit about Doris Day, and of course, it made me stand still. Apparently, her "new" album was topping the charts over there. So later that day, when we went to check out HMV, I held the disc in my hand and looked it. And there, she was, smiling at me with her dog. Well, I think I heard that people were saying that this was an album of never-before-released tracks, and in one sense it's true, and in another, it's not. A good chunk of these songs were put on CD before, in a disc that was sold exclusively to members of her fan club. I have that disc, because, after all, I am a Doris Day completist. So essentially, this material isn't new to me. As reported, most of these recordings come from her television show. I would have been the first one to rejoice and say, "Hallelujah,' had it been true that these were all new recordings. But at 88, I hardly expect her to go back and record. There are priceless gems in here: clean renditions of classics like "Ohio," and "hurry It's Lovely Up Here," sung in that unmistakeable Doris Day style. But out of context from her series, some songs fall flat for me. "Disney Girls" and "You Are So Beautiful" have been serviced better by their original artists. I have tried hard, believe you me, to fall under Doris' spell, but I honestly think she had little understanding of these then-current songs when she was recording them. I felt like she was slumming, and didn't connect to the material. Maybe I compare it with the fluidity in her voice when she sings "My One And Only Love," also from this collection. In there, you sense her living and interpreting the lyrics in a deeply personal way. I know this could very well be just me, but after listening to this album, my mood just made me want to pull out her classic recordings, like "Day By Day," or "Love Him." That's my Doris before, now and forever. "My Heart" is just a reminder.
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