Customer Reviews

Sinatra '65

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

 

 

The Singer Today SINATRA '65, as the back of the album boldly announces. I have owned this album on vinyl since 1972, when I first discovered the music of Frank Sinatra (and it was the first Sinatra LP I purchased, out of my own allowance, as I was just 13 years old at the time). I am here to tell you that this is a big, bold and beautiful Sinatra album. Sinatra is at his zenith. The voice is in super top form on every selection in this album. "Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day)" and "When Somebody Loves You" were recorded in Hollywood on April 14, 1965 and these selections were arranged by Ernie Freeman. They have a fresh, new (in 1965) driving beat and chorus behind Sinatra and although some fans don't particularly care for the Ernie Freeman treatment, I personally love it. It showed that Sinatra could indeed swing with the times by putting his golden voice to a new sound, while remaining distinctively Sinatra. More traditionally arranged numbers on the album include "Main Theme from The Cardinal" where Sinatra has a chance to magnificently stretch his chords to serious depths and "I've Never Been In Love Before" containing all the strings and sentimental verse we associate with Sinatra. The album ends with a powerful, Vegas-like Sinatra of "Luck Be A Lady". One can almost see Frank smiling while he shoots the dice (and shouts out "Eleven!" but that you can see on A Man And His Music, Frank Sinatra TV Special from 1966 and available on DVD). Finally, the CD is very well recorded in stereo and sounds good (if your stereo component has the ability, like mine, to isolate channels, you can isolate the right side channel to hear primarily Frank's voice with no music. It's a real treat to hear this famous voice alone, doing it's incredible, amazing thing).

Sinatra '65, a collection of singles recorded between February 21, 1963 and April 14, 1965, originally released by Reprise Records in 1965, is now being made available as an imported CD on the Universal Uk/Zoom label. Since it is a compilation album, it lacks the cohesiveness found on Sinatra's theme albums and does not compare with his earlier compilation albums, such as This is Sinatra. The 4 songs arranged by Ernie Freeman, which feature a prominent drum beat and chorus, "Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day), " "Any Time at All," "Somewhere in Your Heart" and "When Somebody Loves You, " are the ones that I prefer the least. "I've Never Been In Love Before" a romantic ballad from the 1950 Broadway musical Guys and Dolls arranged by Nelson Riddle, is outstanding. "I Like to Lead When I Dance" a Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen composition, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle is reminiscent of Come Blow Your Horn from the Softly, As I Leave You album. The version of "My Kind of Town" arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle contains the introductory verse not found on the single version released in 1964. "When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love" recorded in the same session as "I've Never Been In Love Before" is a very pleasant up tempo ballad with clever lyrics by E.Y. Harburg from the musical Finian's Rainbow The arrangement is by Nelson Riddle. "Stay With Me," arranged and conducted by Don Costa, the dramatic theme from the film The Cardinal, would not have been out of place on Sinatra and Strings. "Luck Be A Lady ,"also from Guys and Dolls, has a great swinging arrangement by Billy May. "You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me " arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle is similar to the earlier Sinatra- Riddle version found on 1956 Capitol album Songs For Swingin' Lovers. Though there are some shortcomings, overall this is a good album. However, since all of these songs can be found on The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings box set, I would recommend splurging on this if you can.

EVERYTIME I HAVE GOTTEN A SINATRA ALBUM I THINK IT IS THE BEST, BUT THIS IS I THINK BY FAR THE BEST OF FRANK, UPBEAT, THE SOUND IS FABULOUS, FRANK WAS DEFINITELY IN ONE OF HIS RAREST FORMS, AND AS YOU KNOW HE HAD MANY DIFFERENT RARE FORMS! IF YOU LISTEN TO THIS AND STILL THINK FRANK IS NOT THE GREATEST SINGER OF ALL TIME, MAYBE YOU REALLY DONT KNOW MUSIC.

Nobody is better at what he does than Frank Sinatra!!

This is a "must have" cd for anyone who is a fan.