Customer Reviews

All the Best

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Song for song, this is the best Sinatra album you can get. And that's saying quite a lot, isn't it? It's unbelievable to me that other reviewers have found fault with the order of the songs (a happy tune following a sad one - as if Sinatra never did that in concert!) and the fact that it's not the same as getting each of Sinatra's 50s "concept" albums individually (none of which, with the possible exception of "Only the Lonely", includes songs so consistently outstanding as here). Quibble all you want, folks, but this is a stellar compilation of the most prolific period in Frank Sinatra's career. I own several other Sinatra albums, but when I want uninterrupted classics from the 50s, this is the one I play. Of course there are a few song substitutions I would have made if I were designing this album, but so what? Speaking as someone who loves Sinatra's music but does not intend to buy his entire 50s repertoire, there is no substitute for "Sinatra 80th". It is truly "All the Best". I recommend combining this with "Sinatra Reprise - The Very Good Years", providing an excellent overview of his 60s work, to get a truly outstanding overview of both decades of Sinatra's peak years. If you truly love Sinatra, these will not be the only two albums of his that you buy - but they will be the two best!

Sinatra's Capitol years were so good that it is hard to give this anything less than five stars. From 'I've Got the World on a String' to 'I've Got You Under My Skin', the Sinatra magic works no matter how you sequence it ... which may be the only shortcoming of this set. Many of the numbers here were originally released on the legendary concept albums of the 1950s and it can be strange to hear 'Nice n Easy' right after the wrenching 'Blues in the Night' and 'Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry'. Three great songs, but not one after the other.

Also appreciated -- a few songs like 'Same Old Saturday Night' that are otherwise difficult to find on currently available albums. And, casual Sinatra listeners can rest assured these are the classic recordings of his big songs, although the later Reprise versions have their appeal as well. 'Witchcraft', 'I Get A Kick Out of You' ... it's a hall of fame tour.

Big gripe: The 'Christmas Song' "duet" tacked on at the end is a studio-made track in the (awful) tradition of the Duets I/II albums. With two CDs of some of the best popular music made, do we really need this rubbish?

Overall, recommended, but if you have the 3-CD Capitol set this album may duplicate much of what you own. Eventually, anyone who spends time listening to Sinatra will want the original concept albums anyway.

I grew up listening to Mr sinatra, my father was a jazz musician so I heard all the jazz greats. This CD has all the Sinatra clasics and some I've never heard. The musical arrangement and the quality of the musicians just blows me away. This is the kind of CD you can listen to all the way through without skipping every other song because you don't feel like listening.To me it was like finding out new things about an old friend. The recordings are crisp and clear, a lot of the arrangements are by Nelson Riddle so you know you've got the best. You will not be sorry you spent the money on this CD.

This is one the best collections of Sinatra's music but doesn't really contain "all the best." Still, for the money, it's a very good start for fans of Sinatra's music and should definitely be part of any Sinatra collection. Just keep looking for the Sinatra songs you like that aren't among these and add them.

Every Sinatra Fan will want this one for their collection!
Double the listening pleasure....twice as much of the Master.
Sight/sound unseen not a problem, Sinatra's sound one for
the ages, always beautiful.

I have to agree with the reviewer who is disappointed by this 1995 offering. Coming just five years after the 3-CD set Frank Sinatra The Capitol Years, it is entirely redundant as long as the other one remains in circulation since most of the selections were already included there.

The 12 pages of liner notes by Pete Welding are decent enough, but they don't come close to the massive 68-page booklet that accompanies The Capitol Years set. Nor, unlike that volume, do they provide a discography of the contents.

It does give us some Capitol hits not found in the larger collection, such as the comical pairing with Bing Crosby on Well Did You Evah? from High Society [# 92 Billboard Pop Top 100 in 1956], How Are Ya' Fixed For Love, the duet with Keely Smith that went to # 22 Top 100 in 1958, and the haunting The Moon Was Yellow [# 99 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in 1962].

But it could have been so much better had they just included some of his Capitol hits that are almost impossible to find [named in my review of The Capitol Years]. So, unless you are specifically looking for one of the selections contained here but not in the 3-CD set, I suggest you spend a few dollars more and opt for the latter.

I don't often say this about a recording, but the consistent artistry on display here is monumental. This is Frank at his best, with a voice that could deliver sensuous ballads and driving swing with a confidence that you can feel. Many quintessential classics on both disks, with incredible arrangements. Nelson Riddle's arrangements of "I've Got You Under My Skin" is for all time and "Night and Day" is so outstanding I read that the musicians stood and applauded after playing it through. And only one singer in the world could do these renditions full justice - and you can feel the synergy between him and the musicians. In fact the relationship between arranger and consummate performer is in evidence throughout. Works like these classic standards with full orchestrations required a unique synergy between Sinatra, the arrangers, and the musicians in order to reach fruition. That is a consistent quality throughout this set which spans about 7 years. Sinatra's later versions of these are very good also, but The Voice never sounded better then in the 50's. If you have 1 Sinatra album - it should be this.

I admit that I tried to cheat when I bought this album. I wanted to get into Frank, and didn't really know where to start. I wasn't interested, however, in retracing his career to purchase his efforts chronologially in an attempt to obtain a complete section. I just wanted to have a few songs so I could pop them in and call myself a fan. This was not the disc that got the job done. While most of the songs are great and the artistry is clear, this collection of songs does not work together well. I understand the risk anytime I buy a "greatest hits." But this was terribly disappointing. I MAY feel inclined to listen to a song or two, but I am never inclined to put this in for the night. I am sure there are Frank collections that are wonderful, but this is not one of them.