Love songs have lost their feeling as singers with limited talent attempt to convey the emotion necessary to make a real love song work. Bryan Ferry not only makes the love songs on this CD work, he wrings them for all their worth, without falling into over-sentimentalized or melodramatic phrasing. His voice is smooth and elegant, allowing the lyrics to speak for themselves. Unconcerned with his own style (or perfecting a different one), Ferry has unconsciously fashioned that rare commodity, seamless blending of the old and new. The orchestrations are heavily weighted with period sounds, yet Ferry's voice never falls into croonership, or overextends itself to imitate singers of the past. Ferry's audience is sophistcated and Ferry plays this card to its fullest. The songs are obviously chosen with care and even those we might think we're tired of hearing (most notably, the title track, As Time Goes By,) sound fresh and speak not only about the joy of love, but also the melnacholy of love as well, which may be Ferry's greatest asset, true melancholy without the angst that mars so many other love songs. Not simply willing to re-issue the quaint and nostalgic, Ferry seems to be reaching for something more and finds it in such numbers as Sweet And Lovely, Love Me Or Leave Me, and the poetic and usually over-wrought, September Song. With these songs, Ferry reaches into the past, to bring us up to date on the sorry state of modern love songs. The songs on this CD are prime examples of the (almost) lost art of lyric writing.

This is by far the best recording ever conceived by Bryan Ferry. His previous works like Boys and Girls will remain classics in the New Romantic style of music, but if you like his old stuff with Roxy Music such as Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and These Foolish Things, then you'll love As Time Goes By. Ferry's more matured voice is evident in these recordings and his choice of band members make for a flawless musical accompaniment. I love this album so much that I decided to give in to the price of purchasing the limited edition import version.

For those of you that are not familiar with Bryan Ferry or Roxy Music...Lately, most of my music interest lay in the range of the acid jazz and techno, but this album has no boundaries and is sure to be enjoyed by all ages, regardless of musical preconception. It's just a classic interpretation of music from a beautiful era.

This CD of classics from the 1930s is sultry and smoky, like a soundtrack for your most perfect romantic fantasy. The mellow tempo of the songs sound totally unlike anything on contemporary radio (to his credit). Ferry and his band Roxy Music have always been ones to try the untried, experiment, and break new ground. He has blazed a new trail with old material, as only he can this time. On this record, the lyrics have a rich, emotional quality, a credit to craftsman songwriters like Cole Porter. Bryan Ferry brings them all to new life in his signature classy, elegant style. Bravo to the _King of Cool_ for topping himself once again!

With this magical production, Ferry has obviously alienated those near hopeless naysayers reared on a monomaniac diet of "modern" music with all its catchy synth trappings and infinite levels of overproduction.

When the musical alchemist strips down those unnecessary layers, mines for the gold, and reveals the beauty and simplicity inherent in timeless structures, is it any wonder that some must flee? Beautiful, haunting, lush, moving, elegant, poignant, pleasantly addictive, are expressions and words that this creation objectively warrants.

One who can transform songs from the distant past into aural pearls that so easily eclipse contemporary options, is worthy of much praise. Bryan Ferry is a gift to the world of music.

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.