The Quintessential Peggy Lee
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: D Concert: B-
One of the great voices in 1950s American music was the
late vocalist Peggy Lee. From many hit
records like Mr. Wonderful, Is That All There Is?, and the classic Fever,
to feature film appearances (Mister Music, Pete Kelly’s Blues),
the female “lead’ singing voice in the Disney animated classic Lady and the
Tramp (1955, which she repeatedly and successfully sued the company over in
later years for unpaid royalties), and theme songs to films she was not in like
Nicolas Ray’s brilliant Johnny Guitar (1954), she was a force to be
reckoned with.
The Quintessential Peggy Lee is a
later concert performance from 1984 that offers 27 songs that mostly come from
her peak years. The voice is still
there, but it is starting to go. We
hear Is That All There Is?, S’Wonderful, As Time Goes By, Heart, Fly Me To
The Moon, and Make Believe.
She also is thrilled to push a song she likes called Wind Beneath My
Wings, five years before Bette Midler of all people, made it a huge
hit. Many artists tried and failed on
that one, but Lee could still pick a hit.
Fever offers an odd moment.
It is her song, but her age is a bit in conflict with the song’s
premise. Her voice is more of a problem
there, but is at its poorest on Johnny Guitar, where the empathy and
vocal range required to pull it off simply fails her. Otherwise, she is a good host and it is something fans will want
to see and hear.
The full-screen, videotaped image is transferred about as
well as tape of this age will hold up, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo plays
back well enough, even in Pro Logic surround.
The DVD is void of extras, however, missing a great opportunity to learn
more about her career. She had hit
albums well in to the early 1960s, for instance.
Whatever else can be said about this lady and her music,
this was obviously one of her last stands, and even when all does not work out,
she does it with class.
- Nicholas Sheffo
