Harry Connick Jr.: When Harry Met Sally Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack: Legacy's Disappointing Vinyl Reissue

The original motion picture soundtrack to "When Harry Met Sally," featuring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, showcases Harry Connick Jr.'s remarkable talent for performing big band and jazz standards. His interpretations earned him a well-deserved Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance, highlighting his clean vocals, tight instrumentation, and respectful approach to these timeless classics.

The Legacy Reissue
Sony's Legacy division specializes in reissuing archived music from the company's extensive catalog of labels, including Columbia, CBS, and Epic Records. With access to some of the most historically significant recordings ever made, Sony occasionally releases versions under their original labels using the Legacy brand.

Sound Quality Assessment
Unfortunately, this particular Legacy pressing falls short of expectations. The dynamic range appears notably compressed and lacks the expansiveness one would rightfully expect from jazz and big band recordings. The lively interplay between quiet passages and dramatic crescendos—a hallmark of this genre—feels flattened and lifeless in this presentation.

Several factors might explain this disappointing outcome. As a "limited edition" Barnes & Noble exclusive, it's possible that less attention was paid to audio quality than to meeting production deadlines or price points. Alternatively, the use of a digital master in the manufacturing process could have sacrificed some of the natural dynamics present in the original recordings.

The Vinyl Verdict
Whatever the specific cause, this Legacy reissue simply doesn't deliver the sonic experience that Connick's performances deserve. For collectors and soundtrack enthusiasts, this pressing cannot be recommended despite the appeal of its limited edition status.

A better strategy would be to seek out a quality copy of the original release, which better captures the dynamic range and tonal richness of these performances. Though it might require more effort to locate, the superior listening experience will justify the search.

This release serves as a reminder that not all reissues represent improvements over their original counterparts, even when they come from major labels with access to original master recordings. 💸

💰 Invest
💵 Consider
💸 Pass