Ethel Merman

Mermania! Vol. 1 is a collection of several medleys performed by Broadway sensation Ethel Merman. Despite the poor sound quality at times, this is a good selection of songs that showcase Merman's dramatic singing talents. At times her voice can start to warble, which can definitely put off some listeners. Also, some of the songs appear more than once in the context of the medleys, which only counts against the album because of the varying quality of some of these repeats. But to hear Merman performing these American standards is really quite nice, as she had a voice that was stamped with her charismatic personality. Overall, this is a solid album of songs that are quite familiar, performed by one of the most unique voices in showbiz. It may not be great, but it at least does justice to Merman's legacy as a singer. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide