Customer Reviews

Frank Sinatra ~ The V-Discs ~ Years: 1943-1947 ~ Columbia ~ Two Volume Set

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I am one of a very few who do not particularly care for Sinatra's work with Columbia, Reprise and such. My favorite Sinatra is the music he made with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from 1940 - 1942 (See "The Song is You" boxed set). I also love the first recordings that Frank made in 1939 with The Harry James Orchestra (also available on disc). However, the material on this cd is beautiful. It is a wonderful bridge between Frank with Tommy Dorsey and the Frank Sinatra that is mostly played on radio. This collection is obviously historic for it features songs that Frank would never record again (with the exception of one or two). It is also historic in the fact that these recordings were not meant for the public. They were part of special albums that were shipped to our service men and women overseas, so, for the first time in over 50 years these recordings are for public consumption. I would advise any Sinatra fan -- casual or serious -- or any collector of war era music to get this collection.

...Amazon must not have the right directives for this item. Anyway,the reason you see this item listed twice with two different SKUs and two different prices is because this item shown here is the original packaging for the two disc set. Sony has reconfigured many of their box sets so they could be placed in retail browser bins easier than the original boxes. In doing this,some of the art work was cramped to fit the jewel case but,in fairness to Sony,many of the prices were lowered to relect their lower costs. Since they never officially deleted the original(they didn't want to take back returns)the original "long box" version of this set appears to still exist. The graphics are nicer and may be worth the few extra bucks for them,especially if this is a gift. Both versions contain the exact same audio material.

Frank Sinatra - The V-Discs - Years: 1943-1947 is a wonderful two CD set of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra to be shipped overseas to the fighting men and the women primarily during the Second World War and a couple of years thereafter. The quality of the sound is rather good but there is some degree of surface noise on these older recordings; but I say they're still very much "worth it." The artwork is also very nicely done.

The first CD starts with Frank singing "I Only Have Eyes For You." I'm sure this brought many a happy memory of the men overseas as they heard this tune and thought of their sweethearts back home in the states! Frank aces this easily and it's even a major highlight of this two CD set. "(There'll Be A) Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin" held out hopes for the soldiers that they were going to win the war--it was only a mater of time. The big band arrangement works wonders for this ballad. Listen also for "You've Got A Hold On Me;" Frank massages the lyrics to this song and it sounds fresh and new even today! Great! In addition, Frank Sinatra does an excellent job on "Long Ago And Far Away;" the surface noise doesn't bother me because this number is so beautiful and it probably doesn't have many alternate takes for us to choose from because this was recorded so many years ago.

"All Of Me" gets the royal treatment from Frank; he swings brightly to make this number shine like silver and gold combined! The horns work well in the big band arrangement and Frank never sounded better! "Falling In Love With Love" also gets a fine interpretation from The Chairman Of The Board; and if you haven't heard this early rendition of this song by Frank I think you're going to like it!

"If You Are But A Dream" on the second CD starts with a wonderful musical flourish; and when Frank comes in this number takes off like a jet! "Ol' Man River" also impresses me as Frank sings this to perfection--and beyond! "I'll Never Smile Again" is a tune that Frank sings with panache and the backup vocalists enhance the natural beauty of this fine ballad. Similarly, "Was The Last Time I Saw You" charms me with its beauty and Frank makes this into a masterpiece that only he could sing this well. Frank also sings Judy Garland's signature song, "Over The Rainbow;" Frank delivers this with ease and he handles the complicated tempo and key changes like the pro he always was and still remains! "My Romance" features Frank front and center--and that's OK by me! There's also Frank doing a fine interpretation of "They Say It's Wonderful;" "They Say It's Wonderful" is another stunningly beautiful ballad that I'm sure the soldiers loved to hear. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" gets a somewhat slower tempo than I'm used to but it all works very well; and the second CD ends well with Frank Sinatra singing "Stormy Weather." "Stormy Weather" was a famous song when Lena Horne sang it; and Frank's version would have made Lena very proud!

Overall, this two CD set is an excellent one for Sinatra fans and people who enjoy music from the era of World War Two will love this two CD set as well.

After the Sinatra/Columbia Years 4-CD set, this is essential early Sinatra. Sound quality varies, but Sony/Legacy does a commendable job restoring very old recordings to at least acceptable fidelity. If you are not accustomed to early recordings, however, you may be disappointed. The booklet that comes with the set is excellent in its own right.

But the songs! Even in monaural, Sinatra's voice shines throughout, and the songs are outstanding -- chosen specifically for export to U.S. Armed Forces overseas. Many of these are so compelling that Sinatra would remake them later with Capitol ('You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me', 'Close to You', 'Put Your Dreams Away', and many others) and Reprise ('The Way You Look Tonight', 'Falling in Love with Love', 'Ol Man River' and others).

Highlights are too numerous to mention. Most songs are mellow, showcasing the young Voice in front of strings. A few swing a bit harder. If you enjoy first-rate vocals, you will enjoy these discs.

Especially fascinating: the WWII novelty 'Hot Time in the Town of Berlin' and a bit of a contemporary fun - 'Dick Haymes, Dick Todd and Como' - in which Sinatra says he'll grant his rivals can sing if they'll grant that he has hair (a self-deprecating reference to his receding hairline.) Tracks like this put the whole set into historical perspective.

While the swinging Sinatra of the 1950s will appeal to most listeners, the Columbia era is treasurable. The vocals are remarkable. There were some inane songs in his 1940s discography, but this V-Disc set mostly steers clear of the chaff and gives us mostly first-rate material and great interpretations. If a few tunes such as 'Aren't You Glad You're You' are not classics, many others are firmly in this category. Recommended.

Sinatra still has detractors who, whatever their actual reasons, choose to impugn his vocal quality. But more disturbing are the Sinatra defenders who casually accept and dismiss criticisms of the voice, insisting that phrasing and emotion are what count. In a way, they're right, but the sum effect is regrettable if Old Blue's singing comes to be seen as all about "attitude" rather than vocal production.

If any one has doubts about the quality of his instrument, listen to "If You Are But a Dream"--or better yet, "Where Is My Bess." Both are all-out, impassioned performances in which nothing can be held back or covered up. The musical weight is entirely on the quality of that "bel canto" voice and the forcefulness of its underlying breath stream. Even Caruso and Pavarotti would have to stand back.

Sinatra at his best! The greatest entertainer of all time sings beaufiful ballads originally intended for GIs, with tremendous range and phrasing. The songs are first rate overall and the sound is very passable for 50+ year old recordings - nicely restored by Columbia with the latest sound restoration technology. Highlights of this collection are Long Ago and Far Away, My Shining Hour, Falling in Love With Love (far better than the regular Columbia commercial release), I'll Follow My Secret Heart, Let Me Love You Tonight, They Say Its Wonderful. These alone are worth the price of the two discs! Way recommended!

The 1994 edition of FRANK SINATRA * THE V-DISCS is the original long box format that would get an inferior redesign four years later. If you're interested at all in early Sinatra, the one that has a cover close-up of Frank with an NBC mike is the keeper. The reason: that long box album accomodates a gorgeous thirty page book, while the scaled back 1998 reissue sacrifices much of what was in that booklet.

Sound quality of these rare early '40s V-Discs is darn good, and young Frank really turned out some fine sides for our fighting men overseas. Guest stars include Dinah Shore, Tommy Dorsey and the Pied Pipers. Contains six previously unreleased tracks-- this is the complete V-Discs sessions! If you love Frank, THE V-DISCS is essential to your collection. Highest recommendation.

TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE --
DISC TWO -- 74:26

What should have been a momentous occasion, that of Frank Sinatra's signing to Columbia and striking out on a solo career after fronting for Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, was nearly silent due to a commercial recording ban enforced by the Musicians Union from mid-1942 to 1944. Because the ban affected instrumental musicians, vocal-only recordings were allowed, meaning that Sinatra and Axel Stordahl had to come up with alternate vocal-backed arrangements that may not have ordinarily been chosen. The second loophole was that instrumentals were allowed on V-Discs, free recordings for the sole use of GIs overseas that were supposed to be destroyed when the war ended (the Library of Congress was allowed to keep one of each disc for posterity).

Sinatra's V-Disc material encompasses 53 songs on two CDs, including material from airchecks as well as studio performances. There are many well-known Sinatra Columbia tunes such as All of Me, Nancy with the Laughing Face, Close to You, Ol' Man River, All the Things You Are, and She's Funny That Way, but many of the brightest gems are songs that Sinatra never got around to recording commercially for Columbia, such as Long Ago and Far Away, You've Got a Hold On Me, Hot Time in the Town of Berlin, Just Close Your Eyes, Come Rain or Come Shine and Noel Coward's I'll Follow My Secret Heart.

Guests include Dinah Shore, The Pied Pipers and Tommy Dorsey. The remastering and clean-up of these decades-old songs is flawless, and Sinatra's charm is as fresh as ever. His transition from boy singer to teen idol shows him singing with remarkable poise and confidence, and Axel Stordahl's touch is unmistakable. The liner notes are courtesy of George Simon, Roy Hemming, and Will Friedwald. Amazingly, none of these 53 recordings are represented on Columbia's massive (and out-of-print) 12-CD Sinatra box set. This is absolutely essential listening for fans of Sinatra and 1940s popular music.

I am shocked. Not only did he look his best but his voice was cleaner and had a full range. He could really sing here. He could go high and low and the melody was spot on. He had a tremendous ear for language such as in old man river. With his years of smoking and drinking and nightclubs his voice grew flatter, off key and actually hoarse. He never lost his sense of arrangement and selected much better songs in later decades with more modern tempo such as brazilian and elvis and paul anka(my way)instead of the early swing, I still think his early work, influenced by bing crosby who was influenced by al jolsen was his best. This is what made him a star, too bad he destroyed his voice by the 1960s.

What can you say about, Vintage Sinatra. I love Frankie, I am a 47 year old woman. I was not around when Frank recored the V-Discs, But I am very happy I have them now. You really will enjoy the songs and some, I never hear before. They are very delightfull. Frank We Love You, God Bless Frankie, and enjoy!