Hymn to Love
Frankly, it feels a bit weird to listen to Edith Piaf perform in English. There aren't many singers so associated with a country as Piaf is with France. And yet she did record some of her hits in English in an attempt to facilitate her career in the United States. While newcomers to the singer's oeuvre should start with her French albums, this CD is fascinating for advanced Piaf listeners. Most of the sides were cut 1950 and show Piaf in fine vocal form on tracks such as "La vie en rose" (she switched from English to French for the title) and "Autumn Leaves" ("Les feuilles mortes"), a strangely compelling hybrid that alternates between French and English. Piaf was certainly more at ease singing in French, but her charismatic sense of drama could break through in just about any language.--Elisabeth Vincentelli