Customer Reviews

Come Swing With Me

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

 

 

This album is often overlooked when Sinatra fans discuss his better efforts. Sinatra did such great work with Nelson Riddle that it is easy to forget his many splendid collaborations with Billy May, this being a prime example. Listen to what May does on the reprise of the bridge on "That Old Black Magic" to understand how much an arranger contributes to a singer's success. Similarly, Sinatra and May make "Sentimental Journey" seem fresh and magical. There isn't a bad cut on the album,although a couple of the numbers seem a little too frantic at times. Maybe it's the great choice of songs; maybe it's the Billy May arrangements; maybe it's just Sinatra, the best singer of the century -- whatever it is, it works. And it works wonders on this album.

In order to get his own record company (Reprise) started in 1961,
Sinatra had to free himself from his contract with Capitol records, for whom he had recorded for 8 years and for whom he made some of the best albums of all time.

Sinatra agreed to cut four final albums for Capitol as part of the deal...."Come Swing With Me," with arrangements by Billy May, was one of the last; recorded in March of 1961 and released during the summer.

All four of these last recordings for Capitol have one thing in common: a disinterested Sinatra.

Eager to get his own company going, Sinatra tossed off his last performances for Capitol with all the verve of a guy reading a grocery list.

Don't get me wrong! Even a lacklustre Sinatra is better than most pop singers at their best and "Come Swing With Me" is living proof...

Sinatra did no more than one or two takes on each song, but the Billy May charts (the band split right down the middle for the stereo mix) are sensational with "Day By Day" "Ol Black Magic" and "I've Heard That Song Before" as standouts.

"Come Swing With Me" showcases the century's finest male vocalist simply tossing if off..

For a true comparason..listen to Sinatra's Reprise LP "Sinatra Swings" (also with Billy May and recorded within months of "Come Swing With Me") and you'll note the more than subtle difference in approach....

You could always tell Frank had a great time doing a recording session with Billy May. It especially shows in this album on tunes like "That Old Black Magic", "The Sunny Side Of The Street", "I've Heard That Song Before" and all the rest. It's even fun to put on & sing along with while cleaning house! Highly recommended.

It may not rise to the level of Come Dance With Me, but this albums is a blast. Crazy what was for the time experimental wiiiiide stereo separation, great tunes, and Frank on point as usual. Near the end of this Capitol winning streak, Sinatra really delivers here especially on the slower Sentimental Journey, which for my money, is the definitive version. That's the great thing about Frank. He could take a song recorded by EVERYONE else and just make it his own. You need all the Sinatra/May albums, including the slightly more inconsistent Swing Along With Me that was released around the same time as this one, but on Frank's new label, Reprise. They're both great but this one edges it out.

While Sinatra and May created more famous albums (Come Fly with Me, Come Dance with Me...), this often overlooked set swings in the Sinatra/May tradition and deserves a place in any music library.

By 1961, Sinatra had launched his Reprise label and was completing his contractual obligation to Capitol. This album was part of the transition, so it most likely did not receive the attention lavished on the earler Capitol concept albums. In this case, though, the fast arrangements and Sinatra-in-his-prime vocals work very well, turning a set of great older songs into a tour de force. In particular, 'That Old Black Magic' and 'Lover' suggest that even in his last days at Capitol Sinatra was reaching for first-rate songs. 'I've Heard that Song Before' rivals these. The bonus 'River Stay Away from My Door' is remarkable -- very moving.

Shortcomings? Not many, although the soundstage is a bit wide, as engineers were beginning to abuse the new stereophonic recording technology to a somewhat bombastic effect ('Almost Like Being In Love'). The focus begins to shift a bit from the singer to the audio experience, which isn't necessarily a great idea when a voice like Sinatra is behind the microphone. A few tracks sound a bit perfunctory -- 'American Beauty Rose' is fun, but this is hardly the sophisticated swing of the classic 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers' or emotional trauma of 'Only the Lonely', to cite two landmark albums from a few years earlier.

Still, this is probably more of a critique than most listeners will want. There may be better Sinatra/May albums -- so I would award only 4 stars -- but compared to almost anything else of that era (and certainly of this era) this is a five-star album.

You could always tell Frank had a great time doing a recording session with Billy May. It especially shows in this album on tunes like "That Old Black Magic", "The Sunny Side Of The Street", "I've Heard That Song Before" and all the rest. It's even fun to put on & sing along with while cleaning house! Highly recommended.