AMG Review of Greatest Hits

John Bush
All Music Guide

An excellent halfway step for fans who are unwilling to purchase the three-disc Perry Como box set but who still want more than the scant 12-track best-ofs, Greatest Hits includes over 50 of his best-loved songs, mostly arranged in chronological order from 1945's "Prisoner of Love" all the way to 1973's "For the Good Times." The focus is on his late-'40s ballad peak, courtesy of hits like "It's Impossible," "Temptation," "Prisoner of Love," and "Till the End of Time." Disc two includes many of his vocal-pop favorites ("Hoop-Dee-Doo," "Papa Loves Mambo," "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom),") but leaves off all of his '60s material -- assuredly not the best period of his career but still a time of beautiful MOR covers of "Yesterday" and "The Shadow of Your Smile," among others. Still, for those who need a bit more Perry Como than any single-disc collection can provide, Greatest Hits is a perfect addition.