Relaxin'

Dean Martin was one of the most laid-back men in show business history — at least in the recording studio, where his easygoing vocal style demonstrated he could communicate volumes without breaking a sweat — and the vast majority of his albums could have been given the title Relaxin’ and it would have fit like a glove. This LP, released in 1966 and compiled from singles and unreleased takes Martin recorded between 1951 and 1961 during his tenure with Capitol Records, actually boasts a few relatively upbeat numbers, including “Cheatin’ on Me” (which features a swingin’ rock & roll-flavored arrangement) and the peppy novelty tune “Chee-Chee O Chee (Sang the Little Bird).” But most of the time Relaxin’ lives up to its billing, and numbers like the Italian-influenced “In Napoli,” the smoothly romantic “I Want You,” and the pleading “Let Me Know” find Martin delivering the good with a smooth fire that warms like a glass of 20-year-old Scotch. Relaxin’ may have been taken from a batch of material that never made it to one of Dino’s “real” albums, but his performances are uniformly strong and the arrangements support his vocals with style and class — it was one of the best of the four budget-priced albums Capitol released through its Tower imprint of Martin rarities. – Mark Deming