Of Flesh and Soul

AMG Review of Of Flesh and Soul

Jim Esch
All Music Guide

In the wake of his popular American performances of the mid-'60s, which introduced his talents to an English-speaking audience, Charles Aznavour recorded this English-language LP for the monumental label in 1969. His French songs have been translated into English here with uneven results. Aznavour sometimes struggles with the phrasing of lines awkwardly rendered into the English idiom; however, he is capable of overpowering the stray clunker lines and ultimately applies his unique Maurice Chevalier-meets-Sinatra cabaret finish to the affair, most evident on the spacious allad "We'll Drift Away," the forceful "I'll Go on Loving Her," the delicate sincerity of "Love Is New Every Day," and the gut-busting wail of "Somewhere." This is a guy who sings it like he means it. Musically the tunes range from ig band broilers to tender allads and European cabaret pop. While the phrasing isn't as mellifluous as Aznavour's French and Spanish lyrics, the material is solid and the album amply serves English-speaking audiences who want an introduction to this singular European talent.