"Andy Williams Can't Get Used To Losing You" "60s music hits"

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"Why should you give an Andy Williams song a listen? Isn't he one of those singers your parents, or grandparents used to listen to? Middle-Of-The-Road stuff? No beat, no drive....

Recall a quote from one of Shakespeare's works: "To Thine Own Self Be True." I may be stretching the intent of this quote, but consider: MOR singers often get a rep for singing those songs that are so smooth, you feel the urge to sleep instantly. Yet, the irony here is that Andy Williams is so true to himself, that he actually has a way of making his songs "rock" in unexpected ways.

Andy Williams never, ever tried to be cool. He just wanted to sing. That sincerity is just about the best way to "rock." "Can't Get Used To Losing You" grabbed me unexpectedly. It's just such a paradox in itself. Ultra-Smooth strings, paced at the speed of a lullaby, very low-key and yet, there is something rather forceful in it all. The way the strings PLUCK at hypnotic intervals, the way the song starts out in a lull but then brilliantly surges into a nearby pop backbeat you could almost dance to. Then it all goes quiet again...and surges again. I've heard that sort of technique in rock, pop, soul and hip hop. And here it is in an Andy Williams song!

Most importantly, Mr. Williams matches the intensity (and lack thereof during the quiet times) with such surprising ease and elegance, it's really an amazing performance if you consider it. Check out how, while retaining full control, when the song reaches its climaxes, Andy will sing in full throat, raising his volume so subtly so as to keep that elegance and sophistication. It's really mesmerizing.

It would appear that many people took to this song in a big way- even Martha Reeves and the Vandellas recorded a version at Motown!"