When I was in high school, I used to go to Doris Day movies. Then in the 70's I watched Doris Day on TV. I always thought, "How cute! What fluff!" Then I turned 50, and I discovered Doris Day the singer. I never knew she was so talented, so capable of taking a song and making it completely magical! I bought this CD on a lark. I thought maybe it would make me feel like I was in high school again. It did so much more. It touched my heart! Someone said that Doris Day is the only singer that can sound like your mother and your girlfiend at the same time. Well, in this CD, she is difintely your girlfriend. She sings every song with a passion and expression that makes it a personal experience between you, the listener, and her. And Paul Weston's orchestrations are superb, the voice and the instruments compliment each other completely. BUY this CD. If you like Doris Day the actress and don't know Doris Day the singer, you will be completely enthralled. If you know Doris Day, the Big Band Singer, this will introduce you to Doris Day the "seductress." If you don't know Doris Day at all, too bad for you. This CD is an incredible bargain. Two of Miss Day's best albums for the price of one. Get some wine, listen to "But Not For Me,""I Remember You," or "But Beautiful" and let the warmth of the music flow over you. And "Dream a Little Dream of Me"? You thought it was a Mama Cass song? Not true. It's a Doris Day song. I can't recommend this CD too highly. I'm considering buying it for all my friends for Christmas 2000.

Doris is my favorite singer of her generation and one of my all-time favorite singers. She has demonstrated an ability to do many different types of song, although this collection focuses exclusively on romantic love songs. Doris lives and breathes every song, convincing you that she means every word. The effect is heightened by the sympathetic backing from Paul Weston's orchestra. Paul had plenty of experience, especially on the recordings of his wife, Jo Stafford (another brilliant and versatile singer of the era).

The 24 songs that make up this twofer are among the best romantic songs from the era of the Great American Songbook, including songs written by Gershwin, Kern, Mercer, Van Heusen, Cahn and Porter. Some of the songs will be recognised even by people unfamiliar with the era, including I remember you (originally written in the forties, it was a British #1 hit for Australian singer Frank Ifield in the sixties) and Autumn leaves (originally a French song titled Les Feuilles Mortes), both of which have been covered by countless singers down the years.

Dream a little dream of me, originally from the thirties, only really started to pick up in popularity when Doris recorded her version in 1957. It was a hit for the Shirelles a couple of years or so later, but it is the Mama Cass hit version from the late sixties that is most famous today. Great though these versions are, I love the Doris version best of all.

When I bought the British version of this twofer some years ago (same tracks, same order, different packaging), it was easily the best album of slow, seductive love songs I had then come across. Since then, I have bought - and enjoyed - music by Peggy Lee, Polly Bergen, Julie London, June Christy and Gogi Grant among others, but this twofer is as good as any of their albums, many of which are outstanding. Only Jeri Southern (who specialised in this type of song and lacked Doris' versatility) at her very best could improve on this - and not by very much.

So, here are two of Doris Day's greatest albums on one CD, which make this (or it's equivalent British version) an essential purchase for any fan of the great ladies of the fifties, or of the Great American Songbook generally.

These two albums, recorded in 1956 and '57, feature Doris Day backed by Paul Weston and his orchestra and the result is sublime . Day in excellent voice records 24 classics without oversentimentalizing any of them. Her throaty vibrato enriches each tune and she provides sound interpretations of "You Do Something to Me," "Close Your Eyes," "The Lamp is Low," and "But Beautiful." Weston's arrangements are seductive and lush.

Day by Day/Day by Night is an excellent twofer CD by the great Doris Day. Doris remains an underrated singer from the twentieth century; but hopefully in time she will get more recognition. The sound quality is excellent on this CD; and the artwork is very nicely done. I love the miniature replicas of the record album cover art!

The CD begins with Doris singing "The Song Is You;" the horn solo is very romantic and Doris sounds as smooth as silk. Doris truly is in excellent form on this CD. "But Not For Me" gets the royal treatment from Doris who handles the tempo changes like the pro she always was! Doris delivers this song very beautifully; and the piano arrangement is extremely elegant. There's also Doris doing a sublime rendition of "I Remember You;" this gets a slightly slower tempo than I've heard before but it certainly holds its own very well. The music that accompanies Doris couldn't be better, either.

"I Hadn't Anyone Till You" features Doris singing her best--front and center! The brass and piano are used to great advantage; and I'm loving every minute of it! "Autumn Leaves," a song Edith Piaf loved to sing, shines like gold when Doris sings this with great sensitivity and panache. Great! Similarly, "The Gypsy In My Soul" gives us Doris again singing at her very best; she never misses a note and the brass again is used very well in the musical arrangement.

"Day By Day" is a gorgeous number that Doris delivers with heart and soul; the horn solo enhances the natural beauty of this timeless ballad. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" has a strong romantic flavor to it that Doris enhances with her voice--a finely tuned instrument indeed! Listen also for Doris to perform "Under A Blanket Of Blue;" this works so well with Doris' interpretation of it and you're bound to like "Under A Blanket Of Blue."

"Stars Fell On Alabama" sounds fresh and new when Doris sings this; and she gets to show off her entire vocal range on "Stars Fell On Alabama." "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)" places Doris squarely in the spotlight; I love to hear Doris sing this tune!

"Moonglow" is quite a stunning number; I love the melody and Doris does a great job on "Moonglow." The CD also ends very nicely with Doris performing "The Lamp Is Low." "The Lamp Is Low" has a distinctly romantic feel to it that makes it very pretty; this is a fine ending number for this album.

Doris Day fans will consider this CD to be a must have for their collections. People who enjoy classic pop vocals will cherish this album for years to come.

Seeing Doris in "Calamity Jane" recently led me to completely reexamine my old assumptions about her being a lightweight star who by happenstance sang. She's a highly gifted singer (and actress), with discriminating taste in her selection of material, undeniably impressive musicianship, and elocution so unforced, natural and sincere that you can't help but be a believer.

The problem with Doris's singing might be stated as the absence of "gravitas," which on a great many American standards (a poignant Lorenz Hart ballad, for example) is going to seem naive or reductive, especially after the cool, detached indifference of a June Christie, the autobiographical angst of a Billie Holiday, or the complex drama of a Frank Sinatra. She makes the tunes work in a Pollyannyish sort of way, though one can't help but get the feeling that she's entertaining a room of school children. I wish she'd kept singing after her movie career, especially after the problems she was to encounter with exploitive men, not to mention heartbreaks such as the loss of close friend Rock Hudson.

The gift of irony can neither be taught nor learned overnight. But these 24 tracks reveal an American original who, though denied realization of her potential, continues to represent an authentic voice in an age of artifice and simulation. For a better representation of Doris' potential as an artist, check out her album with Andre Previn, "Duet." Especially eye-opening is the alternate take of Rodgers and Hart's "Nobody's Heart," which demonstrates her capability of changing emotional and dramatic registers.