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Dean Martin

72
Dean Martin

Dean Martin

You know how sometimes you hear music growing up that you didn't like then so you stay committed to saying, "I'm not a fan of [inset band name here]." I was like that with Frank Sinatra (who my grandparents always played) & Dave Mathews Band (who my sister listened to religiously). I am now proud to say I have come a long way, I now can stomach a handful of songs from both artists! I say all this to inform you that although I had a distaste for Frank, I've always fuckin' loved Dino. I don't know if it's the non-conformist (of my contentious side) in me, the same reason I prefer the writing of X over King, whatever it may be: Dean Martin is the real king of the Rat Pack. HE started off as part of the comedy duo Martin & Lewis before he went solo. Martin spent the majority of career with Capitol Records (from 1948-1961) before he joined Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records (from 1962-1974). I'm not gonna' go through his 33 studio albums (or 30 compilation albums [how in the hell does that math check out?!]) but I will recommend you go check out the one compilation I go back to, 2004's Dino: The Essential Dean Martin. Let's not forget that in the '50's & much of the '60's music was sold on a singles-based format. It wasn't until epic albums like Pet Sounds & Sgt. Peppers that society was sold on album formats. (Side note: isn't it an ironic-twist of fate that in the age of MP3s & streaming we've returned to the singles format?) Listen, to me, Dino is a voice of a generation, the Greatest Generation. Dino is perfect for cocktail parties... hell- Dino's perfect for anything. His voice is like butta'. Although he's known for tracks like "That's Amore" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," his recordings run deep and there are great hidden treasures in all of his releases. The orchestration is beautiful & could stand on its own. Dino brings back a certain era. That classic, pre-groovy late 50's/early 60's America-at-its-peak era. And for that- we thank you.
[Editor's Note: I think it would be suffice to say Dean Martin also had a very successful actin career staring in multiple movies and hosting his own late night variety show on NBC in the 60's and 70's.]
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Dean Martin

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