That's Life [Import]

Frank Sinatra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 17, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Bros UK
• ASIN: B000006L3U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,447 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. That's Life

2. I Will Wait for You

3. Somewhere My Love (Laura's Theme) [From Doctor Zhivago]

4. Sand and Sea

5. What Now, My Love?

6. Winchester Cathedral

7. Give Her Love

8. Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day)

9. The Impossible Dream

10. You're Gonna Hear from Me

Editorial Reviews

Japanese only SHM paper sleeve pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "He Went In To Record ONE SONG. Period.", October 12, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That's Life (Audio CD)

That line, from Stan Cornyn's liner notes, was prophetic at this LP's November 1966 release, and serves 35 years later as a succinct review of this tossed-off, too-brief 10-song set.

"That's Life" was constructed as many adult pop LPs of the period were: one huge hit (the title song went to #4 in 1966, sandwiched between two #1 Sinatra hits), covers of recent popular songs, maybe an original or two done in the style of another similar-sounding singer.

Here, "That's Life" is the masterpiece. It's a swilling, swaggering piece of big band martini R&B mixing Joe Williams' sophisticated shout fronting Count Basie with Ray Charles' organ-smoky "Let's Go Get Stoned." Sinatra chews and chomps the words with joyous anger; when he sings, "I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king," he - and you - knew where and when he fit and shed those costumes. "I thought of quittin' baby, but my heart won't buy it," was the perfect song statement for one so recently and publicly turned 50; little wonder R&B royalty from Aretha Franklin to James Brown covered it. It's also the LP's only song over three minutes (3:08).

Sinatra delivers a second sip of big-band blues on "You're Gonna Hear From Me," gives a breezy, brassy take on "Sand And Sea," and an upbeat but oddly compelling version of the era's oft-covered "What Now My Love" (later remade with Franklin on "Duets.") But then you get trite Dean Martin impressions on "Give Her Love" and the big-beat "Tell Her" (the LP was produced by Jimmy Bowen and Ernie Freeman, who'd arranged Martin's mid-60s hits), a "Golden Throats"-worthy misread on "Somewhere My Love," and a fun, hard-swinging but goofy take on "Winchester Cathedral" that sounded fresher than the New Vaudeville Band's #1 hit of the time. Freeman and Bowen's arrangement of "Impossible Dream" here is formal, not moving; you wonder how Nelson Riddle might have arranged it on 1963's "Concert Sinatra."

"That's Life" and "Tell Her" are on 1968's "Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits," which also contains the chart-topping singles "Something Stupid," "Strangers In The Night," and "It Was A Very Good Year." from 1965-7. It remains in print (this is now available only as an import), and is a better value. For now, "That's Life" is for completists only unless Reprise re-releases Sinatra's late-60s LPs as two-fers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I know I'm gonna change that tune., May 15, 2005

By 

Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That's Life (Audio CD)

"That's Life" was Frank Sinatra's last Top Ten hit, not counting his #1 hit duet with daughter Nancy. It's a classic song, which is the best thing about this album. The rest of the album is a mixed bag. Some good songs, some not so good songs. "What Now My Love" and "The Impossible Dream" are probably the best. "Winchester Cathedral" is a misguided attempt to be "contemporary", but it's actually fun, in a goofy kind of way. Most of the other songs are rather forgetable. This album will probably only be of interest to serious Sinatra fans.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars TERRIBLE record !, December 28, 2003

By 

"bispro" (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That's Life (Audio CD)

If you're a fan of Sinatra's Capitol years, of Sinatra the swinger, Sinatra the great saloon singer, the ring-a-ding Sinatra, or Sinatra the brokenhearted loser, just keep off from that record, stay away, BEWARE!

This record is absolutely dreadful. It features Ol' Blue Eyes' worst ever arranger, Ernie Freeman, who was responsible for taking the aging Sinatra into the realm of middle-of-the-road pop. If you dislike "Strangers In The Night" (I know I do), then you'll get just the same kind of garbage with this record.

This is a hardcore fan speaking here... I wouldn't speak evil of that record if there was any redeeming feature to it, only I can see none! So stick to the 1954-1964 Sinatra, and you'll never go wrong. After that, it takes a little listening before you buy the stuff. Albums arranged by Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins or Neal Hefti are keepers... As for the ones by Don Costa and Ernie Freeman, well, you can't say you haven't been warned!