Peggy returns to form with her simply perfect harpsichord-laden version of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night." Her tone and tempo perfectly capture the emotion of the song. The Andrisi Brothers "Goodbye Again" is another standout track. Low-key and light, listeners will likely appreciate the song the more they play it. On "I Was Born In Love With You," — the theme song for the 1970 film Wuthering Heights (based on the novel by Emily Brontë) — Peggy's voice is simply wonderful. All three of these songs as sung by Peggy Lee should be considered classics.
I have read some criticism of Peggy Lee's version of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" that appears on Where Did They Go. While I admit that Lee's version doesn't hold a candle to Harrison's, her reading of the song is unique and deserves a place in the music collection of any Peggy Lee fan.
Make It With You/Where Did They Go presents some great work by a legend. At a time when many of her contemporaries were dismissing rock 'n roll, Peggy jumped in with both feet and added some more classic recordings to her already impressive resume. To me, one of the things that separates a singer from a legend is the willingness and talent to adapt to change. As Make It With You/Where Did They Go proves, Peggy Lee possessed both in abundance.
Article comments
1 - Holly A Hughes
I remember when these songs came out -- it seemed profoundly irritating that someone of Lee's generation would be trying to act hip by covering the "now" music. Now I realize she was a big enough star that she didn't need to piggyback on anybody else's art. I'm still not convinced she brought the right sensibility to the table for some of this material, but at least I admire her for wanting to explore new territory. You wouldn't have caught Sinatra, for example, stepping outside of his comfort zone like that.
2 - Leslie Bohn
Ms Hughes:
You would have caught him. Sinatra recorded songs by almost all of the songwriters mentioned: Kristofferson, Lennon/McCartney, Harrison, Gates, Sondheim, Bacahrach/David, Anka, off the top of my head. Not sure he ever recorded anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Can't think of any.