Customer Reviews

Ol Blue Eyes Is Back

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a child in the 50's, I fell in love with the SINATRA voice from radio hits like "WITCHCRAFT", "HIGH HOPES", and "ALL THE WAY" and as I came into my teens in the 60's, MR. SINATRA continued with great classics such as "IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR", "STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT", "SUMMER WIND", the soulful "THAT'S LIFE" and the grandest epic of them all "MY WAY" which is SINATRA at his sublime best. Then along came the bleak singer/songwriter era and great voices like SINATRA were no longer in fashion commercially as radio would no longer program someone who just had a great voice singing a great song because they wanted to set trends and control the airways! "OL'BLUE EYES IS BACK" is the wonderful television special that brought this master out of a short retirement and at the same time this classic album was released it was clear that FRANK SINATRA was back to stay and better than ever!!! Play this soulful set on a cold rainy night with the fireplace going along with a chilled bottle of fine wine and you will never forget the experience! Like fine aged wine the voice grew darker and more deeply soulful and the opening "YOU WILL BE MY MUSIC" is haunting and mesmerizing while the melancholy "YOUR SO RIGHT-FOR WHAT'S WRONG IN MY LIFE" is bluesy and soulful. "WINNERS" is a stirring SINATRA classic that would have been a hit if released in the musically adventuresome 50's or 60's and "NOBODY WINS" is a moody hauntingly beautiful vocal that is richly shaded and SINATRA at his saloon singer best! "SEND IN THE CLOWNS" is the definitive version of this standard which made it a classic and "DREAM AWAY" is deeply moving & another superb performance. SINATRA scored well with PAUL ANKA songs and "LET ME TRY AGAIN" should have been a huge hit as it is another soulful and stunning SINATRA performance that MR. SINATRA would continue doing in concerts for years after this original recording and to great effect. GORDON JENKINS did scores of brilliant bluesy arrangements for FRANK over the years and none were more effective that the gorgeous one he did for "THERE USE TO BE A BALLPARK" which again finds FRANK at his saloon-singer best giving a dark and moody hauntingly brilliant performance. The big soaring anthem is saved for the last and what a tour-de-force "NOAH" is and when MR. SINATRA sings "WE WILL WALK WITH THE LIONS, SOAR WITH THE EAGLE" you know that he is feeling every word of this anthem as he soars with a great passionate vocal that is breathtaking! "OL' BLUE EYES IS BACK" is the overlooked classic that was somehow lost in the tired era of the singer/songwriter but is now preserved for all who love a great singer in peak form to savor and enjoy on Compact Disc!!! Do not listen to those who strangely put this winning collection of superb performances down as they "didn't get it" what this wondrous masterpiece is all about because they probably wanted FRANK SINATRA to just stand in cobwebs and sing the old standards but FRANK was far too creative and adventuresome to just sit back and rest on his laurels...this awesome set is one of his very best so DO NOT MISS it! Thank You Frank Sinatra for alot of very good years...they were sublime and we miss you!

This is a GREAT Sinatra album. Do not pay attention to critics who describe it as a "mixed bag" or denegrate Sinatra's pipes. No, this is not the prime Sinatra of the Capitol years and, yes, his voice is a little rough around the edges, but SO WHAT? An aging Sinatra in 1973 was still light years ahead of any other vocalist - Martin, Bennett, Davis, Mathis. Remember this rule about the Great American Songbook: There is Sinatra and then there is everyone else. This is an eclectic album of great depth and feeling. Sinatra comments on the state of contemporary music through the lyrics of the songs, and he infuses the material with an artistic pathos that reinforces the musical genius of the man and his approach to the inner core of his craft. "You Will Be My Music," is a musical critique of the declining quality of the material available to a man whose standards and taste were unsurpassed. "Send In The Clowns" is simply the definitive version of that song. There are no weak tracks on this album because Sinatra simply elevates whatever he performs to a higher level. This album marks the beginning of the final third of Sinatra's extraordinary career. It is a treasure, and it should be a part of every serious Sinatraphile's collection. Buy it and appreciate the complex emotional intensity that Frank brings to this disarmingly complex musical masterpiece. Five stars and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Frank was no 'spring chicken' when he recorded this in June of 1973 but it contains some beautiful work. In my view, whenever Gordon Jenkins, Don Costa and Frank Sinatra got together, it made for great music. I think the orchestration on this release is stellar, the best of all of Frank's albums.......in my opinion, there is not a bad track to be found here and it is well worth the money at twice the price. I have heard some say that this album showed Frank's voice was getting a bit thin by this time but Winners and You Will Be My Music still give me goose bumps every time I listen to them.

This 1973 Sinatra cd certainly tells it all in the title.Frank Sinatra makes his first album since he announced his retirement!And what a comeback album it is!We first notice that Sinatra`s voice has aged but it has aged like a fine wine never better.Produced by Don Costa and orchestrated by Gordon Jenkins, Sinatra basically takes us through a myriad of ballads.Send In The Clowns,Let Me Try again and Noah will simply touch your heart!The songs Winners and There Used To Be A Ballpark will be a joy to all you sports fans!Easily the most underrated Sinatra cd ever!A must for all blue eye`s fans!

This was Frank's come back album after he retired. He never sounded better in my opinion. His voice is deeper and more mature than on his earlier albums (and I have collections back to the 40's) and the selection of songs is wonderful. "Send in the Clowns", "It's Over", and "Winners" are some of my favorites on this album. I was in my 20's when this came out and a few years later I went to my first Sinatra concert. I was never disappointed. This purchase was to replace the 33 1/3 speed vinyl record on which I worn the groove off

Having announced his retirement from the music biz in 1970, Sinatra returned in 1973 with an album titled "Old Blue Eyes Is Back". As far as I'm concerned this album ranked up there with the best of Franks Albums. One song in particular in this album is "Let Me Try Again", which everyone thinks is a love song.

This song was arranged by Don Costa, the lyrics were by Paul Anka, Michael Jourdan, and Sammy Cahn, while the music was by Caravelli. This song was put together for Franks devoted fans asking them to "Let Him Try Again". Listen to the lyrics and you will see that this is what the song was meant to say.

"I know I said that I was leaving, But I just couldn't say good-bye,
It was only self-deceiving, To walk away, from someone who, Means
Everything in life to you. You learn from every lonely day, I've learned
And I've come back to stay.

Frank missed what he was doing and this album was just the thing to give him that little push that would give us Frank Sinatra for another 25 years. Buy this album, you'll love it.

The question is: back from where? The answer is: retirement. Yes, Frank Sinatra retired in 1970. It didn't last long, though. This "comeback" album was released in 1973. After that, Sinatra pretty much stayed unretired until he died 25 years later. This album, while not his best, has some good performances on it. I especially like the four songs written by Joe Raposo (Sesame Street composer). Recommended to Sinatra's fans.

Frank Sinatra stunned the music world in June 1971 when he announced his retirement from the music world after nearly 40 years at the top of the entertainment world. His legions of fans were left devastated, and spent the next two years hoping and praying that Frank would recant the decision.

Fortunately, those hopes and prayers came into fruition. By early 1973, Frank had entered the studio to work on a new album. Teamed up with frequent collaborators Gordon Jenkins and Don Costa and a fresh batch of contemporary material, Frank unleashed the aptly titled "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back." The result is one of his most overlooked albums as well as his most singularly entertaining.

Despite the triumphant nature of the album's title, the album's material creates quite the contradiction, the album in many ways is more in line with the Saloon Song albums of the 1950s' rather than a celebration of getting back to what you love best. The album's atmosphere, very slow, moody and string driven, definitely give off that dreary, "Here's That Rainy Day" - type vibe, even if some of the songs aren't necessarily sad. Despite this, the album succeeds in letting the world knew Frank was still the best pop singer around.

The album begins with the bare, haunting muted horn intro of Joe Raposo's beautiful "You Will Be My Music," and it's instantly obvious that Ol' Blue Eyes is indeed back: here's Frank punching out a beautifully written piece of music, digging into the very soul of the song, clinging to each phrase like it's his last breath, with a majestic Gordon Jenkins arrangements adding support. This is one of my absolute favorite Frank recordings.

Next comes the mellow and romantic "You're So Right (For What's Wrong In My Life)." One of Frank's greatest strengths was taking a second rate composition and turning it into a work of art, and this song is no exception. The song itself is decidely pedestrian (lyrics like "You Made My World A Shangri-La" is typical 1970s' pretentious at its finest), but Frank's vocal is so effective and moving that you forget the less commendable aspects of the song.

The bittersweet "Winners" follows. Once again, it's a lightweight composition, but once again Frank's second to none singing and interpretive skills elevate to first rate status.

Kris Krosteferson's melancholy "Nobody Wins" follows, and is a fine piece of 1970s' soft rock with a somber, passionate reading by The Master with an equally sparse yet wonderfully atmospheric arrangement.

Next comes the album's most recognizable cut, one of the most beautiful songs ever written and one that Frank was destined to sing. Stephen Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns" is given a stunning rendition by Frank, bristling with pathos and raising neck hairs as Frank slowly moves from each verse to the next. The result is a breathtaking musical experience. Though it doesn't hold the grandiose intensity of, say, Frank's 1963 reading of "Ol' Man River," but the passion and soul is just the same. Gordon Jenkins' arrangement adds to the beauty of the recording.

"Dream Away" at his most tender and quiet. It's a lovely song with a wonderfully elegant, dreamy arrangement and Frank sounds very relaxed and soulful on this number. One of my faves for sure.

Next comes the album's most famous tune and an anthem in vein of "My Way" (oddly enough, Paul Anka wrote both tunes). "Let Me Try Again" is a powerful ballad in which Frank apologizes to his fans for leaving them and begs for them to forgive his absence and let them reenter the hearts that he had a place in for nearly 40 years. Frank's vocal on this song is his strongest performance on the album, ascending to the operatic peaks that made "Sinatra & Strings" and "The Concert Sinatra" such powerful pieces.

The reflective "There Used To Be A Ballpark" is another well known cut from this album. Frank really digs into this cut, punching out notes and eloquently phrasing each line. The arrangement is quite lovely and evocative (listen to the strings and horns on when Frank sings "And the fireworks exploding and a great big Fourth July."

The album ends on a low note with the overly bombastic "Noah." Obviously inspireed by Noah's Ark - hey, I'm a religious guy, I know my stuff - it's an overly corny gospel tune with an annoying chorus. An unfortunate end to an otherwise top notch return.

"Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" falls just short of being a a masterpiece, but is one of Frank's finest latter day efforts and is worth getting for sure.

When I first heard OLD BLUE EYES IS BACK, it struck me as a bit maudlin, and I put it away for a while, never giving it a chance. His vocals by this time seemed hoarse,and yes,shot, a standard comment by your average Sinatra critic,the type completely unfamiliar with his oeuvre. Only this autumn, as the days have shortened, and world events have become a shock, have I really listened to it,this time at night in my car stereo. And now, during those quiet,lonely moments, I have come to really appreciate OLD BLUE EYES IS BACK. For now, you can hear the real beginnings of what was to become a whole new era for Frank. He may have thought the same, since he had been in "retirement" before recording this album. And he was surely getting older,as we all do and will. "You will be my Music" has a sand paper like edge,and his comments on the state of music are right on. It was a common Frank lament all the way to the end. "You're So Right" continues this introspective mode. "Nobody Wins" seems to be the wizened,perhaps jaded, words of a man whose youthful illusions may be, as he says, "over". "Dream Away" is actually my favorite,pop psychology lyrics and all,though it is trashed by old-line purists. It is in a more mellow tone,almost a song sung by a grandfather to his grandchildren. "Clowns", over-rated but still among the rock-era's best songs, is given a fine,heartening treatment,as good as any other I know. "Let Me Try" is not quite up to par,but "Ballpark" may be a song of many meanings,not the least which may be,once again, the Chairman's wry thoughts on the current (1973) state of popular songs. And " Noah",trashed as much as any FS song (at least since "Mama Will Bark") has a message of brotherhood which I commend him for attempting. The screaming at the very end by the chorus makes it unlistenable, and does give the whole enterprise a sour ending...But with all songs never done before by Frank, this album should not be placed in permanent storage,as I almost did. It is worth many listening attempts,even if it takes a while to hit the spot!

This album was Sinatra's first after his return from retirement. Your reviewer Dan Epstein is over harsh in his judgement, this is a recording which deserves a hearing. Gordon Jenkins backings were always a trifle schmaltzy and much of the content is below par, but the voice is still superb. This version of "Send In The Clowns" is the definitive version, making it worth the price of the CD by itself.