Whoever at Columbia Records had the idea of matching
Rosemary Clooney and
the Hi-Lo's, the idea was a sound one, as is demonstrated on the opening track, "Don'cha Go 'Way Mad," as well as "Together," which starts the second side of the LP, "What Is There to Say?," and especially the closing song, "How About You?" (with its playful name-dropping of Columbia president
Goddard Lieberson). On these numbers, the vocal group sparks
Clooney to some spirited performances, and she grounds them somewhat, with the combination producing a buoyant, even giddy mood. That, of course, only represents four of the 12 selections on the disc. Elsewhere,
Clooney gets four songs to herself ("Love Letters," "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Everything Happens to Me," and "I'm Glad There Is You"), as do
the Hi-Lo's ("Moonlight Becomes You," "I Could Write a Book," "Coquette," and "Solitude"). On this two-thirds of the album, each act reverts to type,
Clooney turning in some effectively smoldering ballad renditions of standards, and
the Hi-Lo's bordering on vocalese in their efforts to jazz up some others. There's nothing wrong with either approach, of course. But the four songs that really contain collaborations by
Clooney and
the Hi-Lo's, justifying the joint billing on this LP, indicate that a full-length matchup would have been far superior.