This and That may not be the most intriguing album title around, but despite its lackluster appellation, it does a good job of defining the complete singer that
Pat Boone was in 1960. And if, for the moment, its last three tracks are discounted, it comes close to being one of his first-rate LPs. But what seems probable is that Boone ran short of quality material and had to include three lesser tunes at the end in order to reach the customary 12 tracks. "Happiness," "Spo-dee-o-dee," and "Jimmy Brown" obviate any chance of
This and That being one of
Boone's best undertakings. But the rest of the album, with its tempting variety of musical styles in which
Boone had found his groove, makes this work amply worthwhile. He's in fine voice and excellent form throughout the first nine tracks and there's one musical delight after another. "Wait for Me Mary" is the album's lead-off track. Interestingly,
Boone recorded four different versions of this song on both mono and stereo. The mono version here is easily the best of those. "Many Dreams Ago" is a
Boone classic. Sung from the heart in his multi-faceted inflective style, this is the kind of pop ballad that must have been composed with
Boone in mind. It's hard to imagine it being sung better by anybody else. "Remember Me" is of the same ilk and equally superb. The album also offers a rousing spiritual ("Didn't It Rain"), a teenage lament ("Blue Bobby Socks"), a classic blues number ("Stormy Monday"), and much more. All in all, a musical testimonial to
Pat Boone's versatility.