Customer Reviews

In Love In Vain

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Had I not read a brief, yet positive, review of "In Love In Vain" in one of the Seattle papers earlier this year, I daresay I would never have known about this release, much less have even considered buying it. Fortunately, I did find out about it, and was pleasantly surprised by what I heard.

I'm sure that I am not in the age group where the music industry markets the standards as sung by Sinatra, Martin, et al. Or, this classic music is recorded by a "flavor of the month" pop idol and then marketed to my age group. That said, I do listen to this genre quite a bit, and so, I was eager to hear Mr. Stallone's interpretations would sound. From the first track, I was instantly hooked.

Mr. Stallone presents each of these songs the way they were intended to be sung when they were originally written. His vocals are solid and evoke all of power and energy of these songs. "One For My Baby" is my personal favorite on this CD; it is a solid, heart-tugging ballad, and Mr. Stallone's vocals surely do emphasize the emotion at the core of this song. With the combination of the outstanding arrangements by the Sammy Nestico Orchestra, he truly transports the listener back to the era of smoky showrooms, cocktails, and big band sound.

One of the mistakes that musicians make when re-recording these classics - or covering any other great song, for that matter - is to over-sing or adding those annoying vocal flourishes. I guess it is meant to "update" the sound, or make it the musician's own. Mr. Stallone doesn't do that here. One gets the sense that he does respect these songs and is not under any illusions that he needs to modernize them.

Obviously, "In Love In Vain" would draw comparisons to the two "Great American Songbook" CD's released by Rod Stewart this year. Having been one who has actually listened to all three of these discs, I can safely state that Mr. Stallone created a far better CD that easily outpaces the combined Rod Stewart efforts. In part, this statement is based on my belief that Mr. Stewart does not have the voice that translates well to these discs. Plus, the overproduction, slick packaging, and questionable duets of the Stewart discs make these standards too "sugary" and otherwise of inferior quality. By staying true to the original arrangements and minimal production, Mr. Stallone could easily make a case as the only one to carry this music to future generations. The endorsement from the great Tony Bennett only solidifies this claim.

Mr. Stallone unfairly takes a lot of flak from critics who accuse him of riding Sylvester's coattails. There is no question that Frank Stallone is an accomplished musician, and perhaps with "In Love In Vain", I think that he has finally found a niche where he can break out from the shadows and have a great deal of success. This is one of the great "sleeper" CD's of the year, and deserves to be heard by music fans of all ages and tastes. I hope that Mr. Stallone can collaborate with the Sammy Nestico Orchestra again and release another album of these great standards sometime soon.

With a melodic voice perfectly suited for romantic ballads, Frank Stallone puts love back in the music with "In Love In Vain". This CD is an excellent compilation from an era when music was swinging and crooners were singing from the heart. The arrangements are impeccable, showcasing but never overpowering his voice. Frank's ability to handle the crooner style was first evident in his cameo appearance in the film, "Paradise Alley". "In Love In Vain" is a musical treat for big-band fans, and a jewel illuminating the artistry of the versatile Stallone.

It doesn't get much better than this. How refreshing to hear great music done so beautifully in this day and time! The songs are timeless! Frank's voice is better than ever! The musical arrangements are splendid and complement his unique vocal style. His predecessors such as Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra would be proud. This CD deserves a hundred stars!

When I first got this CD I didn't know what to expect. I was in my car on a long drive and thought I would give it a chance. I am a major Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra fan. the first track, Day In Day Out caught me completely off gaurd. I loved it. In fact I loved the whole CD. Before I knew it I had listened to the entire CD three times! Frank has a real understanding of the music. He dosen't just sing the songs, he gives them life. I highly recommend this CD for any who loves old standards and for anyone who might be wondering "Isn't anyone singing anymore?"

.........that someone's out there who is still crooning and swinging. This is a terrific cd. Great selection of songs. And can Frank Stallone ever sell them. It's a little heavily orchestrated for my tastes but I still give it 5 stars, since the orchestrations are bright, brassy, and compliment the singer rather than overwhelm him. I'll tell you this, the next time I'm in Vegas, I hope Frank Stallone is there.

What an awesome CD! Frank has an incredible voice that you can listen to over and over again. This is one of those CDs that you can play to put you in a great mood again. A must have!

I am a musician in a band that plays vocal jazz. I buy and own thousands of CDs of vocalists singing songs from the pool of songs often called the Great American Songbook. Often I just buy a CD to hear different versions of the classics and to get ideas of "new" songs for us to perform. I was BLOWN away by this CD. What I find amazing is some of the reviews that did not like the vocals. I think they were fantastic! His voice, phrasing, attitude and style all won me over. This IS my favorite male vocalist right now. If you want an artist who sings today the way it was done "yesterday"... Frank is the man.

Great Swing Indeed! But beware, this CD has been issued prevously with the title "DAY IN DAY OUT" in the early 90's on the USA label. Arrangements of Sam Nestico are absolutely fabulous, really higly reccomended !

I stuck this in and cranked it up. The first crashing note made my employees jump and from that point on, we bounced and danced around for the rest of the day playing it 7 times straight. We are truly amazed at how versatile this artist is from the a capella "Take You Back" in the movie, "Rocky" to this current album of fantastic swing tunes. A quick tour of his website showcases his many talents and is highly recommended. Now we're all huge swing fans and have memorized the words and signed up for dance classes just 24 hours later!!! Production at our bakery is swinging thanks to Frank's awesome talents! Let's hope he puts out Volume II soon...

This is a find. Big band sound, great voice, superb renditions and equally superb arrangements. Treat yourself to Mr. Stallone's upbeat, wonderful treatments on favorites such as Day In Day Out, I Wish I Was In Love Again and more. This CD should be a best seller and I became aware of it be reading reviews on Amazon.

Treat yourself to a wail of of a CD. It will get your mojo going.