Customer Reviews

57 In Concert

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1950s produced some of the best Sinatra albums, the best popular music ever. Songs for Swinging Lovers, A Swingin' Affair and the other classic Nelson Riddle-arranged albums are classics, and this 1957 concert captures FS performing the best of the best material.

The first half is a vocal tour de force, the second suffers from FS' fatigued voice, but Sinatra at half-voice is still a good listen. "Hey Jealous Lover" is a riot, but only if you already own the real studio version without the interspersed bits of monologue!

If you own the classic Capitol concept albums, this is a great addition. Otherwise, I would recommend the studio albums first. Either way, the '57 concert is a lot of fun to listen to.

I am not the world's foremost expert on Frank Sinatra's music, nor do I pretend to know the ins and outs of his career. I have, however, heard a lot of his music, and feel I can safely say this CD is one of his best recordings.

I had heard from people that are bigger Sinatra fans than I am that this was one recording they longed to own on CD. Well, for those people, their wishes have come true. Sinatra was truly in his prime on this night in Seattle. His voice is in fine form, his rapport with the audience is magic...it's as if everything was aligned perfectly for this one concert. It would be hard to improve upon his performance, but it was in the form of arrangements by the legendary Nelson Riddle. The two forces of music combine to make a musical delight that very few performers can harness live - much less in studio.

The songs performed here are an excellent mix. More than a few are Sinatra's most well-known hits, but even the lesser-known tracks are welcome and enjoyable.

For the die-hard Sinatra fan, this is a must for the collection; it no doubt already is for most. For people just discovering Sinatra, this is an excellent starter to introduce yourself to the legend. If there was a ranking of Sinatra's recordings, this would surely have to be near the top. It should also rate near the top of the list of greatest live performances ever recorded.

You may well agree that Sinatra has better live recordings. But " '57 in Concert" is a prime example of Sinatra's comeback of the Capitol Years. The arrangements with Nelson Riddle are fresh, new, and inviting to a Northwest audience. The sound quality of the performance is far SUPERIOR to the bootleg CD that floated around a few years ago!

This CD is well worth your investment if you are a true Sinatraphile. You may find Amazon.com is indeed a few cents cheaper than other online resources! Listen to samples here online and YOU DECIDE!

You cannot beat any quality LIVE recordings of Frank Sinatra. Who cares who wrote the beginning liner notes...it's the MUSIC, folks! Crank-the-Frank and enjoy.

In 1957 I was eleven years old. My parents and older siblings went to see Sinatra at the Copacabana here in NYC, but left me home with a babysitter. Already an avid Sintra fan, I was devastated.

Hence, I was compelled to buy the Sinatra '57 CD, despite it's over - $30 price. I would have preferred to have skipped the 24-Karat jive and paid $15.

It was thrilling just to hear Sinatra live in 1957, with a great-sounding band conducted by Nelson Riddle! The sound quality, despite a low-level hiss, was just great -- and in stereo! We've heard these arrangements before, but some of them had been, on the original recordings (like Songs for Young Lovers/Swing Easy), with smaller ensembles.

The biggest problem, for me, was the fact that Sinatra did not seem to be in good voice. The famous voice had a crackly edge to it, he could not sustain notes very long, and even -whistled- a high note on one tune in fear of not being able to hit it. Frank also ruined the mood often with wisecracks in the middle of a song, though it didn't seem to bother his audience, who laughed at every one.

Part of the problem is that this was not a studio recording, where Sinatra was a perfectionist and would do 20 or 30 takes before finding one acceptable for release. The live energy was what counted, and this could be why Sinatra rarely recorded or released live albums.

Having said all that, this is a must for any Sinatra fan. Sinatra put most of the uptempo tunes first, then a section with all ballads, much like his radical idea of the "concept album" where a mood is sustained rather than putting a bunch of hits together. These are mostly all Sinatra classics, with a few surprises that were contemporary hits of the time like a great version of "The Tender Trap".

If you are a real Sinatra fan, get it. If you are not, buy his classic studio albums (Wee Small Hours, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, A Swingin' Affair, Only the Lonely) first.

Sinatra '57 is a wonderful glimpse of Frank Sinatra live during his prime. It is also an excellent opportunity to hear both swing and melancholy saloon songs arranged by Nelson Riddle for Sinatra. The best songs are the ones not interrupted with tepid humor that can only be appreciated at the moment, if then. Unfortunately for fans, Sinatra breaks the moment frequently with what have become repetitious comments listeners have heard from his other live recordings.

At $30 this CD is over priced by half and don't be fooled by the 24-karat gold nonsense and the limited edition hogwash - CDs will not become collector items unless the original master tapes are lost.

The liner notes by Will Friedwald recap the concert and are only mildly illuminating. The opening notes from Kelsey Grammer should be an embarrassment to the Sinatra family. They provide absolutely no insight regarding the June 9, 1957 concert in Seattle. The only reason for his selection was because of his television show filmed in Hollywood with a faux Seattle setting. Apparently Tina Sinatra was fooled and now she is trying to hoodwink loyal Sinatra fans into paying double the worth of the CD. It seems a shame that the real fans, the ones who would buy this CD are the ones being taken advantage of.

I've got quite a bit of Frank live and this 57' concert is well worth getting. I feel it's among the cleanest live recordings from a Sinatra concert. If you only have a handful of Sinatra, there are probably other CD's to get first (like the wonderful "In The Wee Small Hours" or "Swingin' Brass"), but this would be a nice live CD to add. On the other hand, if you're an avid collector, you just can't pass it up. Not the first time available to us, but this packaging makes it much more appealing.

This is the best of the Sinatra live albums I have. Nelson Riddle didn't tour with Sinatra much, because he was usually too busy with studio work; this Seattle date is one of the few instances in which he did and in which it was recorded.

This album excels despite, oddly, Sinatra's voice. In 1957 it hadn't started to slide yet, but on this particular date he was a bit hoarse. As he tells the crowd, he'd been partying pretty hard in general and specifically the night before. (Something having to do with Crown Royal whiskey. "We snared a batch of that stuff last night.") He fails to make a high note the first time it comes around in "My Funny Valentine" - "stay, little valentine, stay ..." - but makes it on the second try. His voice in general warms as the evening develops. This performance nicely captures his showmanship at the height of his career - his timing, his rapport with the crowd and with his band and a fair cross-section of some of his classic songs. Here is one of his, or anyone's, best renditions of "Just One of Those Things", with all the affection and bittersweetness of an ending fling coming through. The medley of quiet songs leading off the second half of it is fine. I don't know why this CD was released with a 24-karat gold recording, which makes it a lot more expensive; but if you're serious about Sinatra, you want to own this one.

I'm going to keep this short and simple. I first heard this recording a few years ago on a tape. I have always treasured it. Now, it's a bit disappointing (in a greedy way) to have to share it with the world. This remastered version is top notch! If you love Frank, believe me you will kick yourself if you don't get your hands on this limited edition.

This '57 concert is vintage Sinatra. The arrangements are nothing but the best, and how can you go wrong with Nelson Riddle conducting. Sinatra's demeanor with the audience is very personal, and it comes through in every tune. However, Sinatra's voice isn't up to par even though the concert takes place in the prime of his career. This isn't all that bad because it shows that Sinatra can sing through any haevy night of drinking that he may have had and or any sore throat. This performance also proves that he's not always the voice on the records, but most of the time he is! I highly reccomend this CD and you should buy it today.

This is a recording of Sinatra's June 9, 1957, Seattle, Washington concert. He's in very good voice and the sound quality is very good, however, my favorite live concert CD is still Sinatra at the Sands with Basie, followed by the Austrialian concert with Red Norvo. Sinatra brought a great group of musicians to Seattle for this concert, including Bill Miller on piano and Nelson Riddle as conductor. The music is just first rate, even tho' Sinatra forgets the lyric on "The Tender Trap," and doesn't even attempt a high note on one cut, I think "Glad to be Unhappy," complaining of a shot glass stuck in his throat. If you've already bought and enjoyed "Sinatra at the Sands," you'll probably be very pleased with this CD. For my money, it's worth every penny for the opportunity to be transported back to 1957, hearing Sinatra at the very peak of his vocal powers.