5 Original Albums

this is a really good collection of her work during the 1060's. these are great albums and the record quality is excellent. if you like Astrud, then buy this collection

They are in 5 paper sleeves (which look like mini records), housed in a paper box. If you are ok with it, go for it. Check the list of songs, so there won't be any unpleasant surprises. Girl from Ipanema is not included, since it was on Getz/Gilberto album.

It all started with “tall and tanned and young and lovely,” and the girl from Ipanema went walking into America’s heart. It was the summer of ’64. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law, the Beatles held the top five slots on the Billboard Top 40 chart, the Ford Mustang debuted, the U.S. Surgeon General reported smoking may lead to lung cancer – and America fell in love with Astrud and the breezy bossanova beat. Verve’s remastered set of five of Gilberto’s ‘60s albums is a beautiful retrospective of bossa’s sultry innocence. The music has aged very well; the moods range from intimate to celebratory, from romantic to melancholic. And Astrud is a master at sliding her whispered vocals in, around, and through the subtle rhythmic layerings of Brasilia. No one did it – or does it -- like she does. Gilberto’s 1965 debut, The Astrud Gilberto Album, opens the set. No, “The Girl from Ipanema” is not found here, as that was a ’63 collaboration with Stan Getz. But many of these tracks became bossa standards: “Aqua de Beber,” “Meditation,” “How Insensitive,” “Dindi,” and “Dreamer.” Marty Paich’s stellar arrangements and Creed Taylor’s skilled production serve Astrud well. Look to the Rainbow, the first of two Gilberto albums from 1966, wanders into a bit more jazz, as the esteemed arranger / conductor Gil Evans adds more mystery and seduction. “Once Upon a Summertime,” “I Will Wait for You,” and “Felicidade” are the haunting standouts. The second ’66 release, A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness, a collaboration with the Walter Wanderley Trio, is perhaps the more dated of the five releases here. Wanderley’s Hammond organ chitters, chatters, and chugs through the likes of “So Nice (Summer Samba)” and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Considering this was the year in which The Beatles fired off Revolver, which aimed toward their psychedelic Sgt. Pepper’s masterpiece, Gilberto’s work with Wanderley does seem a little quaint by comparison. Windy, from 1968, is a mischievous cat stalking through arrangements by either Don Sebesky (“Never My Love,” “In My Life”) or a then-24-year-old Deodato (“Windy,” and a kid-friendly duet with Gilberto’s 7-year-old son Marcelo on “The Bare Necessities”). The closing “Where Are They Now?” will evoke every one of your own long-lost loves. The set’s masterpiece is 1969’s I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do, long out-of-print and commanding outrageous used-market prices. Gilberto called this her “fireplace album” of “mature” songs by established writers including Jimmy Webb, Harry Nilsson, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. “Didn’t We,” “Without Him,” and “Wee Small Hours,” all classics on their own, become even more yearning with Gilberto’s touch. And the closer of the box set, “If (The Biggest Little Word),” puts a poignant smile on this entire enticing collection. The five albums store neatly in a CD-sized slipcase. Each album sleeve is a mini-reproduction of its original LP cover (you might want to keep a magnifying glass handy). Then get under your headphones and imagine … each day, when she walks to the sea, she looks straight ahead, not at me … but, perhaps, at you.

I wish more artists work was released in box sets like this! Each album has a miniature recreation of the original album sleeve and it makes it fun to compare and contrast each album: The style, the mood, the artwork, etc. Since I didn't grow up with these albums it's like digging through someones record collection. All the packaging and the albums included are great; however, this set is by no means conclusive. Although chronological, there are albums missing with some of her more well known songs. If only there was a second box set!

Astrud Gilberto is such a unique talent, with such a lyrical voice. This is some of the most beautiful music of the 20th century. It was a total bargain to have this in my collection! 5 STARS *****

Although the packaging was economical so was the price but the sound quality and collection are fantastic.

There isn't anything special here, but if you enjoy bosa nova or samba music in the background, this is a good choice for you. These CDs are mediocre - not great, not terrible. I'm referencing everything here, the quality of the recording, the sound of the band, and the choice of songs. It's a very good buy for the money, but don't expect too much.

LOOK TO THE RAINBOW LIKE YOU WOULD EACH AND EVERYDAY, WATER AND CULTIVATE YOUR DREAMS AND ALL THE HOPES AND WISHES EVERYONE AROUND YOU, AND THE RAINBOW WILL RETURN, OUR CIRCLE OF CONTENT.