SINGS ITALIAN FAVORITES / MORE ITALIAN FAVORITES

2 LPs on 1 CD: SINGS ITALIAN FAVORITES (1959) / MORE ITALIAN FAVORITES (1959). It's doubtful that anyone born after the '60s remembers Connie Francis well, despite the fact that she was a mega pop star during the late '50s and throughout the '60s. Albums like Sings Italian Favorites and More Italian Favorites sold faster than hotcakes at the local fire department fundraiser, making Concetta Rosemarie Franconero the forerunner to female performers like Madonna (though Francis' wardrobes tended to be more conservative). The 2004 release of these two albums will most strongly appeal to those who remember Francis from her heyday, and have been waiting for her many, many albums to be reissued. The songs, sung in English and Italian, and backed by a full orchestra, don't hold up in the way an Ella Fitzgerald recording does, but Francis is a good singer with a soft, romantic lilt to her voice. And while one wouldn't call the production masterful, the MGM crew keeps a fairly even hand on things for Sings Italian Favorites. The second album, More Italian Favorites, is a bit more bombastic, and more echo -- which isn't needed -- is added to Francis' voice. For old fans, or anyone curious about the types of songs that made mom and dad fall in love, Sings Italian Favorites/More Italian Favorites will be a blast from pop history's past. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.