The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection
| The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection | ||||
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| Box set by Johnny Mathis | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1956–1992 | |||
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| Length | 5:01:53 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Johnny Mathis chronology | ||||
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| Alternate cover | ||||
2001 reissue cover
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| People | positive |
The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection is a box set by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in 1993 by Columbia Records and gave an overview of his career with four CDs containing 86 tracks that he selected himself. In the liner notes he wrote that his "undying gratitude is really to the lyricists and composers of all these memorable songs. Without the words and music I have sung over the years, my career as a singer would not have existed. My thanks is always to these special and gifted people."
The collection included three tracks that were previously unreleased: "Baía (Na Baixa do Sapateiro)", which was recorded for but not included on his 1986 Henry Mancini collaboration The Hollywood Musicals, and two songs from an unreleased album by Sergio Mendes, "Photograph" and "The Island". The two other rarities here are "Evie", a 1971 single that was not included on any of his studio albums, and "El Amar y el Querer", a track from his 1983 CBS Discos album Cuando Vuelvas A Casa.
The original release came in an oblong box, while the 2001 reissue was repackaged with a cardboard slipcase to fit the original 96-page booklet alongside a 4-CD jewel case.
AllMusic's Greg Adams noted the difference between this Mathis compilation and any of his greatest hits collections: "These melodically and lyrically sophisticated songs better demonstrate Mathis's superlative vocal abilities than many of the chart-bound pop songs the box set omits."
The review in People magazine discussed his place in popular culture: "This 86-song lovefest suggests why Mathis has often been blamed for the last 10 years of the baby boom. If you aren't a fan, this set will make clear why he and his songs are survivors."
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