Okay, I confess: I bought Wild For You because of the cover. Karrin Allyson looks like a deliciously sultry redhead ready to go wild. Wild For You is basically Allyson covering a collection of classics: “Don’t Let me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Wild World,” “Help Me,” “Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word,” “It’s Too Late,” “The Right Thing to Do,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” But, if you’re going to cover classics, you need to bring something new to the table. Allyson does this with her best song on the album: “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.” But Allyson can’t compete with Roberta Flack when she sings “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” So, Wild For You is a mixed bag. GRADE: B
I think Linda Ronstadt did “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” some years back.
I know I’m in a small minority here but I’ve never been a fan of Roberta Flack, especially “The First Time Ever I saw Your Face.”
Roberta Flack hit the jackpot when Clint Eastwood used “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in PLAY MISTY FOR ME, Jeff. None of her other songs were that successful.
I agree with Jeff, I’m not much on Flack. I do really like, however, the sets Ronstadt did of classics. Those albums, What’s New, Lush Life and For Sentimental Reasons (the 3 later compiled into the 1986 release Round Midnight), of Ronstadt singing standards, backed by Nelson Riddle, on the last three albums he arranged, are proof that she can stand up with any straight standards singer of her or any generation.
We’re in total agreement on Linda Ronstadt. One of my favorite CDs is The Best of Linda Ronstadt: The Capitol Years which is underrated in the Ronstadt oeuvre.
I generally don’t feel deprived by my total indifference to current pop, but I am curious about how a Heinlein title got turned into a song. Meanwhile, I’ll stick with Mose Allison, thanks.
I think Karrin Allyson is hotter than Mose Allison, Art. Plus, she’s a redhead. Jimmy Webb wrote “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” back in 1974 and it’s been recorded numerous times. I think Webb just liked the title and wrote a song around it.