If You Could Only Own One Dean Martin Album...

...My recommendation would be Dream with Dean, a little known and rarely remembered 1964 Dean Martin release on Reprise Records. Unlike most of Dino's better known albums, there is no orchestral bombast, no large chorus, no heavy production; instead, this is Dean Martin singing, accompanied by the subdued accompaniment of guitarist Barney Kessel, pianist Ken Lane, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Irv Cottler.

 I ran across this album quite by accident; until I heard it, I really didn't know there was another Dean Martin album I needed other than his Capitol and Reprise Greatest Hits packages. This is a soulful, subdued, and at times melancholy Dean Martin album, which is quite a change for the crooner best known for more upbeat numbers. He touches on a few standards, such as "Blue Moon" and "Smile," but the most memorable cut on this album is "Everybody Loves Somebody." No, it's not the hit version that everyone remembers; this is a very personal, almost intimate take of the song, and it became my "go-to" version as soon as I heard it.

Dean Martin may be an acquired taste, but I consider him one of the best male vocalists in mainstream pop music. If you've ever liked his voice, you're going to be glad you tried Dream With Dean.