No One Ever Tells You

Have a broken heart? Pining for someone who may not even know you exist? Or are you simply in the mood for a soothing album of jazz gems? Regardless of your needs, this album is where it's at. Don't be fooled by MacFarlane's career of making people laugh, because he can make people cry, too. Ladies, prepare the chocolate, ice cream, or whatever your comfort food is.Not only is his voice beautiful, controlled, and capable of invoking many emotions within the same song, he also convinces you that these songs reflect his emotions at that moment. The album cover channels Sinatra's Wee Small Hours, and the tone of each song is different than his previous two. There are no duets, no upbeat, feel-good swingin' tunes, just the honesty of love. Sometimes the one we love doesn't love us, or we think they feel one way only to discover their hearts are someplace else. These are experiences we all have, and it is nice to have beautiful music to commiserate from time to time.For the arrangements, Joel McNeely really knows what he is doing. McNeely and MacFarlane really know what they are doing, and as long as you aren't expecting Family Guy voices, you won't be disappointed. There's depth here, honest emotions, and raw talent. They even recorded it the old-fashioned way which is almost unheard of these days. Five stars isn't enough for this album, and if you want great jazz music that isn't the same dozen songs that everybody else is singing (because honestly who hasn't heard Witchcraft by every singer on the planet?), you need this. Unique, beautiful, worth every penny.

I waxed on about Seth in another review. I'm not usually a fanboy, but I do admire the commitment to the song that Seth brings and THIS is the guy I want to meet. He's literally using money from his business to do pet projects that we get to enjoy.I like that Seth (or those around him) are finding new songs as well as classics to blow up with a big band or a combo. He has mastered his product and this earlier LP wasn't just a fluke.It makes me want to send him old sheet music (and boy do I have lots of that) in the hopes of a new rendition. If you enjoy the likes of classic crooners (Sinatra, LaRosa, Martino), swingers (Darin, Davis,Jr., Sinatra again) or moderns (Matt Dusk, Tony DeSare, M Buble, early Connick Jr), Ya gotta try not one, but a few of Seth's efforts.

I am amazed at his prodigious talent(s). His silky-smooth voice is capable of belting it out or whispering while still maintaining perfect pitch, the mark of real quality. An analogy: a cheap pair of headphones might squawk out some fair sound at high volume, but it's how they perform at low levels that really sets them apart from quality. Likewise, Seth powers through the 'triple fff' parts and yet nails it during the quiet sensitive phrases which are even more difficult, yet still has power in reserve. Seemingly effortless (which means it was a LOT of work) the whole album is sheer perfection from McNeely's arrangements to the musician's super chops and high-end production values.Alhough before my time, this genre draws me to it because I just marvel at the beautiful poetic melodies, polished poignant lyrics and rich instrumentation. Seth does (by far) the best job of interpreting all this for me.I bought all three of his albums and they are each a modern masterpiece.

No one will ever beat Sinatra or Nat King Cole but Macfarlane is an enjoyable crooner. He has a nice rich depth to his voice. If you like this kind of music then you will like this CD. I only wish some new songs in this style that are as good as the old ones would be written. Is the golden age of songwriters completely over? Seth, you need a signature song.

The creator of "The Family Guy" and "American Dad" once again proves that he is a worthy successor to the vocal legacy of Frank Sinatra, this time celebrating Sinatra's classic 1950's LP's "No One Cares" and "Only the Lonely". In his third CD release, MacFarlane emphasizes the ballad side of the Great American Songbook, and his smooth, sensuous baritone fits all of the songs like the proverbial glove. The composers and lyricists represented include Richard Rodgers (with both Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II), Alan Jay Lerner and Fritz Loewe, Sammy Cahn (with Jule Styne and Jimmy Van Heusen), Cole Porter, and Frank Loesser. Unlike the previous two albums, MacFarlane sings completely solo here, accompanied by the expert arrangements and orchestrations of Joel McNeely, who has obviously absorbed the scoring genius of such legends as Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Don Costa. A voice such as MacFarlane's is extremely rare in today's music world, and "No One Ever Tells is certain to garner a Grammy nomination in the Traditional Pop category.

When several of his albums appeared as an "other people looked at this" item I was somewhat apprehensive. After I listened to one of his Christmas songs I decided to give them a chance. I was NOT disappointed! Seth McFarlane has an incredible voice regardless of the genre to which he is applying it. I would recommend these albums, and have, to my friends and family.