Perry Como returns to the homeland and the music of his ancestors via the sublime "Perry Como in Italy", recorded in Rome with arranger Nick Perito. Singing in both English and Italian, Como delivers some of the most poignant and thoughtful performances of his career, channeling a melancholy heartbreaking in both scope and depth. Perito's evocatively nocturnal arrangements further underscore the soul-searching drama of the vocals, and while retaining the subtlety and self-effacing honesty that are the signatures of Como's craft, the album borders on the operatic in terms of its emotional intensity.

One of the most popular vocalists between the end of World War II and the rise of rock & roll in the mid-'50s, Perry Como perfected the post-big band approach to pop music by lending his own irresistible laidback singing – influenced by Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo – to the popular hits of the day on radio, TV, and LP. Both his early traditional crooning style plus his later relaxed manner and focus on novelty material were heavily indebted to Bing Crosby, though Como's appeal during the early '50s was virtually unrivalled.