JBS was critical of some aspects of this record when he discussed the LP version in October 1979. He recalled some earlier tenors who had sung the same or similar ditties in the past in a style better suited to the material, notably Gigli and Schipa. I too cannot help but look back, perhaps even a bit further than JBS. To put it bluntly, many of the arrangements and much of both the singing and playing are such as to suggest using a steam hammer to crack a walnut. Here Pavarotti does not use his magnificent voice to its best advantage, and there are records on which he displays it with more sensitive judgement. On the other hand, the recording is, surely, of demonstration class. Having said all this I feel sure that there are many who will revel in the realism of the sound, and possibly ignore the insensitivity of the performances.'