24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sinatra's last great album., February 4, 2004
This review is from: She Shot Me Down (Audio CD)
Frank Sinatra was, quite simply, the greatest interpreter of the American popular song who ever lived. His singing style is the subject of musicological doctoral dissertations in addition to being something that makes life a little more worth living. For those wonder what makes Sinatra such an important artist, "She Shot Me Down" provides ample evidence of his brilliance, passion, and unparalleled ability to turn a melody into a deeply personal statement.
This album, released in 1981, is centered around the themes of lost love, break-ups, and romantic desolation. A mere 38 minutes in duration and containing only nine songs, "She Shot Me Down" is nevertheless one of the finest albums of Sinatra's stellar career.
Much of the material here is new or obscure. "Good Thing Going" is a great song, but the arrangement (courtesy of Don Costa) is so bad it nearly kills it--but not quite. Even in this schmaltzy atmosphere, Sinatra manages to inject some of his trademark icy passion into an otherwise pedestrian version of this Sondheim classic.
After the disheartening beginning, the album takes off, with nary a weak note to come. My personal favorites are: "Hey Look, No Crying," where Frank examines the end of a romance with deceptive stoicism; "Thanks for the Memory," in which the cute Bob Hope standard is turned instead into a chilling remembrance of a halcyon love gone terribly wrong (this is one of the best lyrics I've ever encountered); "Monday Morning Quarterback," written by Costa and featuring a fine lyric by Pamela Phillips, in which Frank's tough guy image can't hide his bewilderment at losing again; and the magnificent "I Loved Her," with words and music by Gordon Jenkins. Sinatra's vocal on this last track is one of the finest he ever committed to vinyl, and shows why his musical legacy remains so imposing. Despair and regret don't get more enticing than this.
The other songs are all excellent as well. With only one weak track ("Good Thing Going"), "She Shot Me Down" is a superb and worthy slice of late Sinatra. Check it out.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SINATRA'S LAST MASTERPIECE, November 11, 2002
This review is from: She Shot Me Down (Audio CD)
With the exception of the contemporary but pretty title track, this album takes you back to the 1950s saloon theme albums.
Sinatra's voice has aged but is still strong and sounds much richer on this album than on TRILOGY probably because Don Costa produced this album.....he simply was a better producer than Sonny Burke. The soundmix and quality are superb! If only more Sinatra albums had sounded like this.......
The songs alternate between well known and more modern (lesser known) tunes. But Sinatra does magic on all of them and turns them into classics. Even though Sonny and Cher wrote it and sang it first.....do they really reach the depth of Sinatra's performance on BANG, BANG...my baby shot me down?
Finally, the arrangements by Gordon, Don and Nelson are all superb. At times Gordon Jenkins arrangments seem to be unusually somber and quiet but it fits the mood perfectly.
GET THIS ALBUM....IT IS SINATRA'S LAST GREAT MASTERPIECE!!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FRANK'S LAST GREAT ALBUM MASTERPIECE!!!, April 25, 2010
The loneliness, anguish, heartache, and utter despair...is all here in this last triumph that was Mr. Sinatra. Released twenty-nine (29) years ago on Reprise, this gem of an album has reached iconic status among Sinatraphiles the world over. It's great to see these remarkable re-issues of Sinatra's Reprise catalog finally becoming available to thousands of fans that otherwise may not have had this opportunity. My two (2) favorites here are "A Long Night" and the medley: "The Gal That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind." By all means, grab this one while you can!! It is 'Sinatra Passion' at its absolute best!!
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