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As Time Goes By

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As Time Goes By: Complete Original Series (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - You Must Remember This $2.01 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Reunion Specials (check at Amazon)4.7
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 8 & 9 $3.79 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 6 $15.77 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 1 & 2 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 7 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 5 $9.99 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 3 $15.54 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Complete Series 4 $15.12 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Series 5-9 [Import anglais] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By Series 3 $9.41 (check at Amazon)0.0
AS TIME GOES BY-COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES (DVD/11 DISC/S 1-9) AS TIME GOES BY-COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERI (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: The Complete Series, Vol. 1 & 2 $22.36 (check at Amazon)4.4
As Time Goes By 4 [VHS] $5.94 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - You Must Remember This [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 10 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 5 [VHS] $5.88 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 12 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 11 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 3 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By Vol. 2 [VHS] $8.47 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By, Vol. 1 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Volume 8 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Series 4 [VHS] $94.72 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By, Vol. 9 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 7 [VHS] $12.99 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By 6 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Volume 1 [VHS] $7.99 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - Vol. 2 [VHS] (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Best of Andrea Marcovicci (check at Amazon)0.0
World War II Songs: As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Best Of Little Feat (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: The Best of Jimmy Durante $20.5 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II $10.53 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Silver Screen Classics From The Golden Age Of Cinema (check at Amazon)5.0
The Movie Album: As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0
AS TIME GOES BY: STANDARD COLLECTION VOL.2 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Great American Songbook Classics (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By and Other Classic Love Songs $11.28 (check at Amazon)0.0
Guitar By Moonlight: As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By: Film Music (check at Amazon)0.0
As Times Goes By: The Best of Sentimental Favorite $7.97 (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - The Carpenters (check at Amazon)0.0
.As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0
Little Feat/As Time Goes By: Best Of (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By (Mini Lp Sleeve) (check at Amazon)0.0
As Time Goes By - 80 Sentimental Favorites (check at Amazon)0.0
Casablanca: As Time Goes By (check at Amazon)0.0

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Comments

  1. Let’s take a little quiz. Here we go:

    1) What rockers from the 1970s/80s are still around to sing about their exploits from past glory days?

    2) What rockers from the 1970s/80s are flexible enough to rehash some old gems of songs from the 1920/30s?

    3) What rockers from the 1970s/80s are even still around, that is, still alive, to sing at all?

    The answer to all three questions is Bryan Ferry. I don’t know of anyone else who could fill the bill, and able to answer these questions with any type of credulity. So glad that Bryan Ferry has decided to pick up some of these songs from the grand old days of ballroom/cheek-to-cheek dancing, and introduce civility and what once was to a new generation. Yes, even our generation, just in case we were too "hip" in younger days to have never learned to have loved these endearing songs. Cole Porter, anyone? Let Bryan Ferry introduce you to why the Cole Porter songbook was all the rage way back when.

    If your brain has changed somewhere along the line, and you no longer listen to Ozzie, Steve Tyler, Foghat, or any of those groups that engaged our minds with outstretched decibels when we were all younger, then I really suggest that you purchase this CD for some (Shall I use our parents’ term?) "easy listening." No, this isn’t "easy listening," either. The songs are intelligent, the lyrics wonderful, the jazz and musicianship enlivening. And, would some of you like to know what romance once was, or rather, should be all about?

    Bryan Ferry was knighted a while back by the Queen. I kind of wondered why – you know, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and all that. And then, Bryan Ferry was knighted? Although Roxy Music was a very good, "progressive," "glam," British rock band a while back (leading to the likes of Duran Duran, spawning the productive career of Brian Eno, hence the Talking Heads, U2, and such), with this album alone, I can begin to understand why Bryan Ferry is now called "Sir." He’s taken these grand old tunes, and has breathed new life into them. Would they have disappeared into a moribund stockpile of old song discards to a new generation who would have never recognized them, had he not made an album like this? Listen for yourself!

    I would like to entitle this review "Long Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away," because that is what one is reminded of when one hears these tunes, without invoking the cult status and reference to Star Wars. My gosh, was that when the world changed? These songs are evocative of romance, relationship, love – not date rapes, divorce, and anger – so much of what we see and hear (and fear?) today – even in our music! Give your ears a spin and some pleasure with this disc!

    Yes, "I’m a friend of Bryan Ferry," as Adam Ant used to scream. "Who’s Bryan Ferry?", I used to wonder in younger days. If you still do not know who Bryan Ferry is, thirty years after this Adam Ant tune was blasted into our psyche, then let this disc introduce you to him. Bryan’s no Pavarotti or Sinatra, and even Michael Buble would never sing these tunes. But, with this disc and these fine selections, come enter a past, more artistic, and a more civilised and elegant world with Bryan Ferry.

    Looks like that English art school education finally did pay off, didn’t it, Bryan?!begin to understand why Bryan Ferry is now called "Sir." He’s taken these grand old tunes, and has breathed new life into them. Would they have disappeared into a moribund stockpile of old song discards to a new generation who would have never recognized them, had he not made an album like this? Listen for yourself!

    I would like to entitle this review "Long Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away," because that is what one is reminded of when one hears these tunes, without invoking the cult status and reference to Star Wars. My gosh, was that when the world changed? These songs are evocative of romance, relationship, love – not date rapes, divorce, and anger – so much of what we see and hear (and fear?) today – even in our music! Give your ears a spin and some pleasure with this disc!

    Yes, "I’m a friend of Bryan Ferry," as Adam Ant used to scream. "Who’s Bryan Ferry?", I used to wonder in younger days. If you still do not know who Bryan Ferry is, thirty years after this Adam Ant tune was blasted into our psyche, then let this disc introduce you to him. Bryan’s no Pavarotti or Sinatra, and even Michael Buble would never sing these tunes. But, with this disc and these fine selections, come enter a past, more artistic, and a more civilised and elegant world with Bryan Ferry.

    Looks like that English art school education finally did pay off, didn’t it, Bryan?!

  3. That voice is something you just cannot get over. I’ve always loved Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music but if you want a romantic evening by the fire – put this one on. Not a bad song in the bunch. Fantastic!

  6. Classic songs in a variety of interesting and unusual renditions and well performed in very good sound. For classical fans, like myself, a real sleeper. In short, difficult to believe anyone would not greatly enjoy this disc from start to finish..

  7. I am a big Bryan Ferry fan from his days with Roxy Music. Now my wife is a fan with this beautiful ensemble of romantic songs from the past.

  8. This album has a lovely authentic sound including both vocals and orchestration. I favor several of the up-tempo tracks. Extremely pleasant listening.

  9. Several years ago I heard him sing, "You Do Something to Me," on one of the satellite radio stations. I did a search and found it here at Amazon. I bought the album. It’s was remarkable.The accompaniment of the orchestra really makes all the music great. This is a unique genre of singing and music that I find captivating to listen to.

  10. Had never heard of Bryan Ferry before. Bought the CD because we needed the song "As Time Goes By" for a clubhouse dinner with the theme "Casablanca". We listened to the rest of the CD and realized that we had found a musical jewel. Ferry has a very special style of singing and makes some old American favorites from the 1940s sound brand-new.

  11. Dissapointing, his voice is not what it once was! Selections could have been more inspiring and pace seemed to be off at times.

  12. Along with Rod Stewart, I love the arrangements and vocals of Ferry.
    The renditions are a little edgier than most in this genre, but like Rod’s do great credit to the originals
    I don’t give it 5 stars because Rod’s are more evenly excellent, whereas a few of these aren’t as well done as others.
    And Rod put out 6 cds of songs in a similar vein, all uniformly great.
    Amazon’s descriptions say misleadingly that two of the songs here are Nina Simone’s, who may have sung them but they are from the same 30s era of the rest of the songs, not written by Nina Simone.
    Nostalgia is part of the appeal to those who enjoy this cd.
    I think in retrospect, with the advent of Rock and Roll, which was fresh and energising at the time, our commercial, celebrity-obsessed corporate music has killed off a certain quality that music before it had, as corny as most of it was.
    Ferry says what draws him most to the old standards is the sadness it conveys. Music was truly a way to sooth the feelings, and the miracle and novelty of listening to it on a phonograph or radio was enchanting in of itself.
    Now we are engulfed by a certain stridency that permeates every aspect of our media and is undifferentiated from the blaring, mind-numbing commercials we are continually assaulted with.

  13. Since most of the local stores have stopped stocking CDs and on-line downloads of music directly to digital devices seems to be the norm these days for hard to find music CDs, it’s great that Amazon offers an alternative method to find out of print CDs. The music is great. Bryan Ferry has a great voice that most of us non-singers can sing along to. this CD has a small liner sized booklet that has the lyrics to all of the songs.

  14. Bryan Ferry is a great entertainer – perhaps not the best voice, but always interesting and this is an interesting and well produced album. He never disappoints.

  15. This is a CD on which Brian Ferry sings many old songs, such as "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Falling in Love Again." I love it, but people’s taste in music is very individual, so I think I’d recommend it only to people who like Brian Ferry or people who like old songs. While I give it a 5-star rating, others might give it only 1 star.

  16. A brilliant CD, what a versatile musician Bryan Ferry is. Compared to his strange warbling with Roxy Music this CD really works.
    A Gem.

  17. Great CD! It’s.one of Ferry’s best of the songs from the greatest generation. The CD was shipped tp me much quicker than I could have hoped for. It was a gift for a friend in the UK, and I had plenty of time to post it for his birthday. Very pleased!

  18. I first heard cuts from this album at the Ginter Gardens tea house in Richmond, VA and tracked (no pun intended) it down through Amazon. While perhaps better known for rock music, Ferry delivers a masterful performance of old standards tailoring his sound to fit each selection. A must buy for those such as myself who love the old standards and a really fine voice.

  19. As Time Goes By being a cover album Ferry that covers classics such as \\”As Times Goes By\\”, \\”The Way You Look Tonight\\” and \\”Easy Living\\” to mention a few. Compared to Ferry’s These Foolish Things the covers are not quite as strong. Even so Ferry is an accomplish crooner and his vocals are impeccable. All the lyrics are included which is quite unusual. For each track we also get a list of whom plays what. The drawings are amazing and fit the songs very well. 4/5.

  20. It is completely beyond me why Rod Stewart or Linda Ronstadt had such huge sucess with their \\”Songbook\\” albums and nobody except you and me has ever heard of Bryan Ferry similar project – his \\”As time goes by\\” is stylish,classy and elegant affair with carefully reconstructed 1930s atmosphere,stunning piano in the background (I could swear that’s Teddy Wilson playing and Billie Holiday will enter the door any moment,wearing gardenia in her hair),nothing cluthering in the way of music and Ferry clearly loved his role of suave gigolo singing in night club,slick hair and all. Every single song is wonderful old standard – hard to highlight anything,how to take a pick when facing Dorothy Fields,Cole Porter,Kurt Weill or Marlene’s famous \\”Falling in love again\\” – if you are familiar with old classic \\”Columbia\\” recordings of young Billie Holiday,you would love this.

  21. This is just a great rendition of a collection of classic songs. Just wonderful listening. I highly recommend it.

  22. Bryan Ferry has definitely been eclectic in his cover songs, covering everyone from Nat King Cole to The Rolling Stones. But I have to say that he has definitely outdone himself with these tracks. Friends of mine who would never have given Ferry a second listen otherwise have frequently borrowed this album because it is so different and appealing. For me, songs like \\”Falling In Love Again\\”, the title track, and \\”Where or When\\” just make Ferry the reigning king of the hopeless romantic.

  23. It was only a matter of time before the Great One produced an album of all old standards and torch songs. Bryan was born to sing these songs, and it ain’t no stillbirth. Nice light touch, beautiful interpretations, excellent selections. They used to say it was Sinatra’s world and we only lived in it, but Ferry’s world is where we go to play.

  24. I bought this album for three reasons:
    1. These old classic songs are great. After hearing them many times for many years I never tire of them
    and I always find them romantic and moving; and as with a previous reviewer, they transport me to
    another time and place.
    2. The band on this CD is absolutely first-rate and the musical arrangements are perfectly matched to the
    time period and lyrics of each song.
    3. I love Bryan Ferry’s unique, not-to-be-mistaken-for-anyone-else’s voice. It really goes great with this
    music.
    As a bonus, Amazon.com’s low price for this album was way below what I expected to pay.

  25. Bryan Ferry to me always symbolized the lone romantic, the crooner who wished he was living in the 20’s and 30’s in the days of early Jazz.. and I say this as a die hard Roxy fan since their 1st LP came out.Ferry’s obsession as a time traveller was always something that drew me to Roxy which were truly in an unclassifiable class all of their own as giants of their day whose music will always hold up even in a hundred years from now.
    Fusing the right sonic contemporary details to his solo studio recordings adding a continental feel and ambiance to his amazing output of covers and styles Ferry deals with throughout his solo career all smack of \\”great\\” taste and added elegance, no doubt I would say that all future rock historians would add this in describing his music which was always Royal and lush.
    Roxy’s then use of sax and oboe were pretty amazing stuff adding tremendously to their sonic impact and Ferry is able to add interesting twists even when redoing his homage to his choice of covers.
    On this CD covering the likes of Cole Porter,[email protected],using jazz and violin,cello arrangements, all convey a limited appeal to the usual rock fan but for those who also listen to Satchmo and Holiday, will all understand the nod to bygone eras and it’s greatness.

  26. Make no mistake; I love Bryan Ferry. I got this album after hearing \\”Falling in Love Again\\” (which granted is one of the rare winners on this crooner’s CD) at a restaurant. The rest of the CD is so-so, and Ferry’s voice wavers surprisingly over some of the note arrangements. Instead of the robust voice that melts thorugh songs like \\”Limbo\\” and \\”More than This,\\” his performance is oddly tinny. Stick to his Roxy Music catalog.

  27. I’ve just read every single review that appears before mine, and I’m amazed to see so many comparisons of Mr. Ferry’s renditions to \\”the originals\\”. WHAT originals? Most of these songs were written for Broadway, and all of them were written before the first ever cast album, \\”Oklahoma!\\”, was released. The term \\”cover\\”, by the way, doesn’t mean what a lot of people seem to think it means. Once singer X pays a songwriter a chunk of money for a song and records it, singer Y can then record the song virtually for free (not counting royalties, of course) and release his recording concurrently so as to cut into singer X’s sales. Such a recording, and only such a recording, is properly called a cover. A recording of the song made after singer X’s recording has had its run is not a cover. Chubby Checker’s rendition of \\”The Twist\\” is an example of a cover because it was released very shortly after Hank Ballard’s rendition, and with a big push from Dick Clark (who’d masterminded the operation) it quickly swamped Ballard’s. \\”The Twist\\” became a hit again in 1989, but the 1989 version was not a cover because it did not cut substantially into the sales of Hank Ballard’s record, which had eclipsed decades before (nor did it cut into Chubby Checker’s, for that matter).

  28. Note please that this is NOT a \\”cover\\” album; you cannot possibly \\”cover\\” a standard, thank you very much. Ad rem: One way to appreciate the quality of this record is to compare it to the Rod Stewart release of the same title. Whereas the Stewart recording ranges seemingly randomly over the years, this one focuses much more coherently on a single decade. It is stylistically consistent, with just a few fairly subtle anachronisms, delicately chosen. A great deal of care, including authorative historical research, obviously went into the arrangements (the ondes martinot on several songs is an inspired touch), but they are nevertheless always lively and never stiff. Stewart’s arrangements, in contradistinction, are schmaltzy, gooey, and otherwise haphazard. (He even resorts to \\”synth strings\\” on several songs.) It’s true that Ferry is not in posssession of a powerful singing voice, but, in my opinion, the panache, wit, and intelligence in his delivery more than make up for any vocal deficiencies.

  29. Absolutely fabulous! A must for every Bryan Ferry fan. While a far cry from the typical Roxy Music fare, this album is incredible. Ferry was made to sing ballads like this. The arrangements are great, the singing superb. Some songs move me to tears!

  30. Cover albums are nothing new to Bryan Ferry; he’s been releasing them for almost as long as he’s been with Roxy Music. But on 1999’s \\”As Time Goes By,\\” he gives unexpectedly fresh renditions of standards from the 20’s and 30’s. If you sense a mismatch, you obviously haven’t listened to this CD. Ferry’s voice, a rare instrument of grace, flawlessly compliments smart versions of the title track, Cole Porter’s \\”You Do Something to Me,\\” \\”Sweet and Lovely,\\” and \\”I’m in the Mood for Love.\\” And if you don’t get a bit misty in the eyes after hearing \\”Where or When,\\” chances are you haven’t got a pulse. This record could have been a total campfest, but Bryan plays these songs straight and with sincerity. The production makes these songs sound as if they were recorded in the eras in which they became famous; you’d never think this CD was recorded a day past 1939. There are other such records that sell more copies (Rod Stewart’s come to mind), but you won’t find many that are better than \\”As Time Goes By.\\”

  31. This album is a collection of old, classic love songs sung in a contemporary way without losing any of the magic of the originals. It is a masterpiece.

    I had never heard of Bryan Terry. That mistake has been rectified now. Each selection on this album is a gem able to set the mood, bring back memories and just make you feel good.

    We need more like this one!

  32. This is an incredible album of 1940’s music. A lot of familiar tunes and some not so familiar. This version of ‘I’m In The Mood For love’ is the best I’ve ever heard. Bryon sings a straight version of ‘Miss Otis Regrets’ as opposed to the dark comedy upbeat version by Bette Midler – both versions are worth a listen. The orchestration is top rate as are the arrangements. Most songs are reasonably short so they don’t stand the chance of becoming boring and beat to death. Great buy.

  33. I think I’ve bought this CD four or five times by now. I only have one myself, obviously, but it’s such a great gift. Love Rod Stewart’s recent \\”Rod sings the classics\\” albums? This is better. Even people who aren’t usually jazz fans can enjoy this charming, highly professional and thoroughly elegant record. The always suave Bryan Ferry has been known to radically reinvent the songs that he chooses to cover, but \\”As Time Goes By\\” is nothing like that. If anything, this is Ferry’s first classicist album, containing faithful renditions of this familiar material which still manage to sound personal and intimate, partly thanks to the wonderfully warm production and the lack of overblown string arrangements. Okay, so some people may be turned off a little bit by Bryan Ferry’s tremulous croon, but his style is actually very well suited to the material, and if he sounds a little too much like a lubricious vampire who’s had too much to drink on one or two songs, well, that’s about the only remotely negative thing that I can say about this album. Rather than just mindlessly recreating the sound of the 30s, Bryan Ferry has made a supremely evocative pastiche. This music didn’t originally sound quite like this, but when you listen to \\”As Time Goes By\\”, you won’t notice one bit, because the way \\”Time\\” makes them sound feels just right. And Ferry performs Coel Porter’s (utterly absurd) \\”Miss Otis Regrets\\” with dignity and seriousness, swings his way through a delightful \\”Time On My Hands\\”, and rivals Billie Holiday on Jerome Kern’s classic \\”The Way You Look Tonight\\”. Lovely piano playing by Colin Good, by the way, and if you play the clarinet, well pick up this album and listen to Alan Barnes. 4 1/2 stars. A charming, highly accessible neo-classicist jazz record. And as I said…a great gift for those of your friends who have taste 😉

  34. I was very disappointed in this CD – I didn’t hear the distinctive Bryan Ferry voice I love. I played it once, not even to the end & haven’t played it since.

  35. Bryan Ferry certainly has had an interesting music career.
    I imagine that when Bryan Ferry thought of making a cover album of music from the 30’s and 40’s he may have felt some trepidation about remaking songs like "As Time Goes By," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Falling in Love Again," et. al. In my opinion, Ferry handles the daunting task admirably tackling the most evocative song, As Time Goes By" head on – placing it first on the album.
    Ferry’s vocals are understated and he does an incredible job placing himself within the music but not obstrusively above it as many who undertake remakes are prone to do. His band on this effort is stylishly upbeat and complement his vocal quality well. Many times during the album I felt like I was in a time warp.
    Many who undertake remakes wish to bring the music "forward" to the present day and that certainly has value. Ferry chooses a different approach to this album and admirably demonstrates that "as time goes by" great music, like a fine wine, only gets better with age.

  36. We all knew that eventually, our "sultan of suave" would have to do a full album of old standards. We just didn’t know it’d be THIS faithful.
    I have to say, I’d bought this album to cheer myself up, after some romantic letdowns. Boy was this the perfect antidote! Sat down, felt all the problems drift away, and started to think I was either in Casablanca, or at a hip club in the ’30s.
    From the classic in the forementioned film, to many songs previously only bested by Sinatra, Bryan Ferry certainly works to make this a smooth seduction. We all age, but it seems that Ferry has aged very gracefully, his voice becoming more intimate than usual. Personally, my fave track on this album is the cover of Cole Porter’s "You Do Something to Me"…seeming to sound vaguely vampirish ("do do that voodoo that you do so well…"), he adds much sensuality that Sinatra didn’t. "As Time Goes By" always makes me smile, knowing I’m probably the only teenager in my high school wearing a Beatles tee, AND listening to 20s and 30s songs on my headphones instead of rap/heavy metal/any-other-commercially-produced junk…as well as just making me swoon.

  37. Some renditions are pleasant, but some are just irritating. In particular, "The Way You Look Tonight" sounds like a march for tin soldiers. Although nothing can compare with Ferry’s "Slave to Love," lovers of standards might be disappointed with this album.

  38. When I first listened to this CD I felt like having a bath in Magnum Champagne, but all we had in the house was Asti Spumante. It’s a very sensual album and Ferry accomplishes some excellent covers. Whilst staying true instrumentally he stamps his own authority in particular on ‘Where or When’ and ‘I’m in the mood for love’. Ferry has aged like a good whisky , this CD reminded me of earlier works like ‘Avalon’. He experiments musically on this album reverting to percussion and woodwind instruments reminiscent of the 1930s -1940s and subsequently recreates the retro genre of music with salacious vocals from his backing singers he sucessfully achieves what he set out to do: SEDUCE YOU, only ferry can add the sort of class he has done on this album.
    Soon after he released this George Michael released a similar cover version of 30s music ,( SONGS FROM THE LAST CENTURY) some of which features the same songs ,I advise you to go for the Croonmeister Ferry as it’s a lasciviously seducing album so phone your girlfriend ( or your best mates one ) and get Bed Dancin.

  40. After 5 years of waiting after Mamouna this was all that Bryan Could come up with? Don’t get me wrong Bryan Ferry is a great singer with a lot of talent but unfortunately this album doesn’t show much of it. What we get here is something that reminds me of leftover musical table scraps. Bryan’s voice sounds terrible and the music itself is boring, dry and devoid of any life. It seems like no effort put at all into the songs and the result was not very good. I,m sure that some fans may criticize my review but I stand my case. This is like the equivelent of eating paper when listening to this. I became a big fan of him especially after first hearing Bete Noire but I am sorely dissapoited with this one. On the positive side the CD itself is pretty well colored and makes a good coaster. It’s also good to listen to while reading. It’s not a total loss.

  41. Regular readers of my reviews will be well aware of my admiration for Bryan Ferry, both as a solo artist and with Roxy Music. This album is Ferry’s latest venture into his periodic "cover" albums – focusing on ’30’s dancehall jazz standards. Ferry’s ability as a crooner is unparalleled, and is shown off to tremendous advantage in such selections as "Miss Otis Regrets" and the title cut. Lush orchestral arrangements provide a perfect counterpoint to Ferry’s gentle baritone voice and suave style. Not to be missed!

  42. Yikes, this is one of the WORST albums I’ve ever heard of the standards. Bryan Ferry has recorded some of the most beautiful songs of our time, but he hasn’t the voice, interpretive skills or finesse to do them justice. His instrument is shot; that’s not singing, that’s croaking, that’s rasping. What a waste of vintage arrangements when you’ve got no tonal beauty for this material. That’s a shame because these tunes are timeless. You don’t have to be Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra to sing them; I can think of glorious-sounding young pop voices like Tom Andersen, Jack Donahue or Brian Lane Green who can perform the classic songs with such feeling and fun. Believe or not, I’ve actually enjoyed some Roxy Music in the past, but I’m sorry: Ferry doesn’t meet the high standards he’s set forth.

  43. This is one of my favourite albums. I have always loved these songs and have them on other albums, sung by other artists, but having them all on one album and sung by the incomparable voice of Bryan Ferry, is wonderful. And that isn’t to say that his versions are any better than the others, including the originals. In fact there are some songs on here, which are not a touch on the originals. For example, I still prefer Nina Simone’s version of "Love me or leave me", and Chet Baker’s version of "Easy Living". But it’s not his intention to be better. He has succeeded in making a wonderful album of wonderful covers, given them a modern sound while still retaining their old style romance. The 20 page booklet is also cool. Includes all the lyrics and loads of old style drawings. This is truly a great album and highly recommended for music lovers.

  44. the opening track is splendid, but don’t be taken in – listen to a few more before you buy. the problem with this collection of covers from the 30s and 40s is that ferry just can’t live up to the great singing legends who did them first time around. bryan ferry has always been seen as a bit of a crooner, but that’s because he looks the part, and all of his songs were carefully crafted (or in the case of earlier cover albums completely reworked) to accommodate his rather strange and limited vocal range.

  45. OK, I’ve read the reviews and clearly many of you enjoyed the album – so I admit I’m Robinson Crusoe here. I’m not a big fan of 40’s tunes and therefore didn’t hold much hope for liking Bryan’s latest, despite being a huge fan of Roxy Music. But I didn’t think I’d find it soooooo mind numbingly dull – worse, even, than Taxi which had one great song and nine fillers.
    Couldn’t any Vegas has-been polish this off? It’s no better then Robert Palmer’s similar effort a few years ago. Bryan’s got a great voice but even covers should be a little more original than this. He’s clearly lost the ability to write songs, and that’s sad, but he should be out to pasture rather than lolling round the track at half pace.

  46. Ok, so I am a total Bryan Ferry fanatic and I bought two of this CD "As Time Goes By" – one for me and one for my best friend. I also went to two concerts which Bryan gave featuring the songs from this album. I’m hooked. There is no one who can sing like Ferry. He still has it and both on this CD and live, he makes these songs sound as if he wrote them. An absolutely fabulous album and I look forward to the next, dear Bryan.

  47. If you love the old standards, this is a must have. The selections, accompayments… you won’t be able to keep your feet still. I listen to it over and over. What a departure from Roxy!

  48. This is an absoltely fantastic CD. I can listen to it over and over again for hours on end. No one should be without one!

  49. Bryan, thankyou so very much. Having always been a fan of yours I pounced on As Time Goes By the moment it hit the shops, but nothing prepared me for the pleasures that awaited me upon loading the CD into my stereo. It took a few plays, but as time went by I grew to love this album more and more. My only memories of any of these songs come from scratchy old 78rpm or movie soundtracks, settings in which they sound quaint and old fashioned. However you, Bryan, have succeeded in breathing new life into them with your sympathetic and stylish renditions, turning them into utterly ageless compositions, and exposing for the musical gems they truly are. I have not tired of this album yet, and my one complaint is that this is the only time you have managed to put sound to tape in five years. Please treat us to more of the same, just as soon as you are able. Long may you continue in your chosen career Bryan, because there is nobody amongst the endless ranks of pop pap today that even remotely looks like being capable or worthy of carrying your torch when the tragic day you retire finally arrives.

  50. Every artist should be entitled to do an album that THEY want to do… and this is Bryan’s. Those who have followed and enjoyed Ferry’s work over the decades from Roxy Music through his solo efforts know he has a soft spot for the "classic oldies" and this collection of 20s and 30s "hits" is a wonderful addition to his musical resume. The musicians shine brightly and provide an authentic "sound" of the era from which these songs were written. I wouldn’t recommend this as a "first" Bryan Ferry CD, but it proves his versatility and is a very enjoyable and relaxing collection of songs. I agree with some of the previous reviewers that I hope we have yet to hear more "original" material from him because that is what most of us crave musically from him. But this is a very pleasant interim album that I recommend to any true fan of Mr. Ferry.

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