Customer Reviews

Duets 2

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Following on the heals of the wildly successful "Duets" album, Duets II is a continuation of the theme of combining Frank Sinatra with other "name" singers. If you liked Duets I, you will also like Duets II, as it is equally as entertaining as the first.

Some highlights include "The House I Live In" with Neil Diamond, "Luck Be A Lady", with Chrissie Hynde (her low sexy voice grows on you), "Fly Me To The Moon", with Antonio Carlos Jobim, and "The Best Is Yet To Come" with Jon Secada. This is by no means all there is; every track is uniquely pleasing. What I especially enjoy about this album is the finger snapping swagger that many of the songs impart - true Sinatra style.

Although my fellow reviewers do not rate this album as high as Duets I, I have to disagree - I think the two are on equal standing - both are delights to the ears. Duets II is one of my favorite albums and I think you will agree.

Jim Konedog Koenig

As with virtually anything Frank Sinatra tried after his triumphs in the 1950s and early 1960s, the knives came out to attack Duets II and Mr. Sinatra.

No this is not the Sinatra that sang with Tommy Dorsey, or Capitol records in the 1950s or Reprise. Why is that such a crime? Does anyone actually listen to the Sinatra music of the 70s, 80s or 90s, and not just with their ears but with their emotions and hearts. How anyone can say that the Lena Horne-Sinatra duet on Embraceable You is anything but beautiful is beyond me. He sings with such raw emotion, such real feeling, that is what music is about. That aside however, his breath control and phrasing are not what they were FORTY YEARS AGO, but its ridiculous to expect it to be. Further, does it remotely occur to anyone that both Duets albums contain (with a few exceptions) manifestly revised arrangements of these standards. These were not the same arrangements Sinatra had been singing on the road for the past few years. Yet, he adapts. Yes his voice is weak in a several spots, but usually to great emotional effect.

There is a haunting beauty to Embraceable You, to the Lori Morgan duet and to most of the others slower pieces. The uptempo numbers find Sinatra swinging as sharp as ever, but with the occassional growl which only adds to the emotion being created.

I have heard an unending chain of great jazz, blues and rock singers who hobble out on stage, sing a song with no passion, no emotion, totally univested in the lyrics, and in relatively lousy voice (Bob Dylan--who can even understand the man) only to have the critics tell us what a riveting performance. Sinatra however, is given no such reprive. Anything that isnt the 50s Capitol era is riddled with flaws.

Well, I for one have had enough of it. TRUE SINATRA FANS can appreicate the man and the singer in all phases of his career because each phase represented something truly special and unique. His later works require the listener to actually enter the music with Sinatra, but when you do, the rewards are astounding. What Sinatra may lack in vocal precision in the 1990s he makes up for in sheer emotional power.

I would be delighted if they would release a Duets III since there are supposedly unreleased takes from the Duets I and II sessions. I have even heard their is a Sinatra duet with Clint Black somewhere out there.

Lastly, though not on this album, his final released duet with Pavoratti on "MY WAY" has to be one of the most haunting pieces ever created. It has Sinatra singing MY WAY in the arrangement he was using in the last few years of his touring, an arrangment I don't believe is avialable anywhere else (which in and off itself makes this version worthwhile). His voice is tremulous at times and I suppose in reality we could do without Pavarotti, however, througout the entire song is the underlying text that says good bye. If you really listen to this MY WAY, you can't help but be overwhelmed.

If you thought "Duets" was embarrassing, wait until you hear this equally fraudulent 1994 sequel. Perhaps the concept might have worked if Frank Sinatra shared studio time with his fellow artists - instead of relying on electronic deception. Perhaps it was too late for the aging Voice to rise to the occasion. Perhaps if Sinatra were in his prime, he might have selected more compatible singing partners than Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett. (On the other hand, an entire album with Frank and Chrissie Hynde could have been a real blast.) Not surprisingly, the tone-deaf Grammy committee gave "Duets II" a 1995 award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance - the same organization that honored Alvin and the Chipmunks more than Elvis Presley! Though Sinatra's final studio album managed to sell another million copies, it added nothing to his remarkable legacy.

This was Sinatra's final studio album, and I am glad he was able to make it. It allowed him to correct many of the wrongs on the original DUETS album; thus ending his career on a upbeat note. Sinatra was 79 years old when this set was recorded, and he sounds better than anyone would have expected. Obviously he took care of his voice. Still, his performance is a bit uneven and a bit rougher than the first DUETS recording. That first DUETS album by Sinatra and his guests was marred by three major misfires. This second set avoids hitting bottom like that, and thus is an improvement. It is still mostly a collection of silly novelties good more for background music than for pleasurable listening. Basically this is cocktail party music. Still, it is fun for what it is.

In general, the male singers are less up to the task than are the women here. Willie Nelson is simply a poor match for Sinatra. I would have liked to heard Willie singing "A Foggy Day" solo. Jimmy Buffet is unrecognizable and renders "Mack The Knife" as lame although not terrible. Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity is the inclusion of Neil Diamond. "The House I Live In" is a corny patriotic song from the 1940s which is best left in that era. Diamond and Sinatra seem like natural duet partners but this song does not allow them to prove it.

Linda Ronstandt's voice is pure sweetness on "Moonlight In Vermont." She obviously prepared herself well; her several recordings with Nelson Riddle certainly must have helped. The only flaw here is that her smooth vocals make Sinatra's seem rougher. Nonetheless, unlike Barbra Streisand on the original DUETS, Ronstandt clearly is sensitive to the fragility of Sinatra's aging voice.

Because Chrissie Hynde's voice actually is a bit rough, she matches very well with Sinatra on "Luck Be A Lady Tonight." In fact, this might be my favorite version of this song. Hynde and Sinatra actually give the impression that they might be singing in a casino.

The best performance on this disc is "Where or When" with Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. This is the only song on either DUETS album which sounds as though the singers are actually singing together in the same place at the same time. The chemistry is so right that I am convinced that all three singers had to be together to generate such fun. This is the one song here which leaves me wishing that I could still whistle a tune.

This is not an album for everyone -- obviously the end was near. To the casual fan, Frank may sound spent. However, the true Sinatra afficianado will find this disc to be a surprisingly touching finale for the Old Man. His duet with Lena Horne on "Embraceable You" works particularly well because each is such a good fit for the other -- both are legends of similar ages and their vocal frailties lend a poignant aura to the song -- its like the grandparents of cool looking back and longing just one more time. The best cut is by far Steve and Edye's take on "Where Or When," in which they sing the classic horn arrangement we all know so well. A close second is the Jobim cut -- another partner who is clearly simpatico with Frank and whose samba opening to "Fly Me To The Moon" revisits the classic Frank-Jobim sound of '66. Several of the pairings are dogs -- back off, Jimmy Buffett -- but for the most part, the Old Man was still swingin' to the end!

There is a distinct difference in being a so-called "true fan" and being a lapdog fanatic that just "loves" everything an artist puts out. (Streisand fans are like this, even voting like their idol. For shame!)

That being said, I own the complete Columbia, Reprise and Capitol output of Frank Sinatra and I can say with utmost respect for the man and his recorded legacy that these albums should have never been released. The idea of recording Sinatra in his later years is a great idea. Slapping on mindless interpretations by Jon Secada and Chrissie Hynde (whom I also respect) among others is just ludicrous. Simply, these are not "Duets" in the purest sense. Duets are when two performers take the stage and interact with each other as they interpret a song. (Sinatra's TV duets with Ella Fitzgerald are prime examples of this kind of magic.) This album oughta be called "Dubs" -- Sinatra sang his version first and another singer came in and dubbed his/her/it's voice over that of the great Francis. Isn't that sad?! Isn't it insulting to us to think that Capitol believes that we don't know the difference? Isn't a pity that we can't enjoy the talents of Sinatra without some inferior singer coming along and destroying it? (Hearing Aretha on the first album going "WHAT NOW WHAT NOW WHAT NOW!" is like seeing a fish flopping on the beach wondering "wht am I not in the water? Why can't Frank and I sit down and work out a vocal arrangement and reinterpret this song?")

I'd rerelease these albums as "SINATRA SOLO - THE FINAL RECORDINGS". The arrangements are top notch, the sound quality as good as it gets. And even with years of wear and tear, Sinatra's voice is as dramatic an instruments as afforded any performer.

The Antonio Carlos Jobim cut and the Frank Jr. cut are the only good things on the record. Please, buy the best Sinatra stuff you can from Reprise and Capitol before you buy this. Get to know the real Sinatra, unedited and IN YOUR FACE!

The Chairman past his prime with a lot of mismatched duets. It's clear this was produced as a last effort to make a lot of money for the artists. Art this is not.

Much like Duets 1 there are some great moments here as well as some off pairings as well.
Come Fly With Me and Mack The Knife are probably the most fun moments.
Surprisingly Luck Be A Lady with Chrissie Hynde works quite well.

Sinatra by this time was an artist... a performer on stage.... NOT only a singer.... When I saw him in 1991 he said "I dedicate this to each and every one of you" - "Come Rain Or Come Shine...."

Now thousands say that.... But it takes greatness to make cliches into caviar...

During the set of the Diamond Jubilee Tour in 1991 - he dimmed the lights - made great introductions to songs, his musicians, Bill Miller at the piano and his conductor son Frank jr.... he made US feel special and chosen... he "talked" to us seperately..,,, A gift Garland excelled in and now her daughter Liza manages....

Sinatra did just that! Like Streisand - Linda Ronstadt seems to "hey I`m better than you now - just listen...."... The other partners however have more respect - Jimmy Buffett too much - he just dissappears,,,,

The thing is that Sinatra`s stage charisma, voice and interpretations really do come through on these Duets-cd`s....

We are so lucky to have such quality from the "old man" at this stage in his life....

There are just some people who are getting better with age.... Liza Minnelli`s "Confessions" 2010 shows us an artist much like Sinatra - like good wine - just better with age....

This said I have to admit that his limitations as a top singer does show.... But aren`t we human and mature enough to appreciate greatness that goes beyond just carrying a tune?

We should.

There will never be another Frank Sinatra.
One of, if not the best crooner of all time.
I rate this CD a 5 of 5 stars!!