Crazy English Reader May 2014

2014 collection from the veteran French singer, songwriter and performer. This set of songs are sung in English and include appearances from Celine Dion, Elton John, Sting, Josh Groban, Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra and others. Includes classics like 'She', 'Yesterday When I Was Young', 'You've Let Yourself Go' and more. Aznavour was known for his distinctive tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. In a career as a composer, singer and songwriter, spanning over 70 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs interpreted in 9 languages. Moreover, he wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and others. One of France's most popular and enduring singers, Aznavour sold between 180 and 200 million records during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was dubbed France's Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden described Aznavour as a "French pop deity".

Dutch rock band the Cats were popular during the late '60s and early '70s, releasing a bunch of English-language hits and full-length albums during this peak period. Founded in the mid-'60s in Volendam, the Netherlands, the band was comprised of Cees Veerman (vocals, guitar; born October 6, 1943), Piet Veerman (vocals, guitar; born March 1, 1943), Jaap Schilder (guitar, piano; born January 9, 1943), Arnold Muhren (bass; born January 28, 1944), and Theo Klouwer (drums; born June 30, 1947). the Cats made their album debut in 1967 with Cats as Cats Can, and at least one new album followed each year until the swan song release The End of the Show (1980).

Stocked with all of the hits, as well as a few more deep cuts than 2009's like-minded yet far more ornate and lengthy Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates, this 2014 four-disc box set may not have all of the bells and whistles of its predecessor, but it's got a better price point and would serve most casual fans (and some hardcore ones) well, especially those looking for something a little more substantial than the standard single-disc career overview and a little less expansive than the 74-track Do What You Want, Be What You Are.