Customer Reviews

Very Best of

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm convinced this 2-CD collection really is "The Very Best" way to begin your Sinatra collection: 'Disc one' is pure gold for those who love strong melodies and great standards from the American Songbook. So I'd like to focus on the lesser of the two CDs, 'Disc 2.' Because, while it contains some weaker songs (not many, and they may be more popular tunes in terms of record sales), Disc 2 drives home the point I'd like to make: Sinatra reserved his very best work for his own Reprise label, contrary to opinions expressed by some reviewers in favor of the Capitol Years -- an opinion I shared when that was my only Sinatra collection.

By 1963 (his very best year?) The Voice had mellowed to a rich baritone; the tone deepening from something like a 'violin sound' in his early Columbia years, to the 'viola' of his middle-period, Capitol years; finally 'expanding' in timbre to emerge as "a fine cello" (as his favorite arranger put it) for the first Reprise albums represented here.

Disc 2, for instance, features Sinatra's finest recording of an early signature tune, "All or Nothing at All." This version, recorded November 22, 1961, arranged/conducted by Don Costa, is more beautiful even than the (later) Nelson Riddle arrangement of May 16, 1966. Oddly enough, that Riddle-arranged take was selected in place of this Costa version for the larger, 4-CD Reprise Collection. But I believe most serious musicians would agree the aural feast concocted by Costa is lovelier.

Similarly, this collection's "Night and Day" (also from November 22, 1961) is, from every standpoint, Sinatra's best treatment of the Cole Porter classic; not least because it includes the priceless opening verse ("beat-beat of the tom-tom") ----which, inexplicably, isn't included in the Riddle arrangement for the Capitol Years' "Swingin' Affair." Sinatra & Costa take it at a slower, more sensuous tempo---with more beautiful and heartfelt results. For those who care a lot about recording quality, the Reprise sessions of the early 60s represent (understandably) a marked improvement over the best Capitol recordings of the 50s.

But the singer himself is simply better: he's packing more emotional punch in these Reprise recordings. He's still crafting the same deceptively 'artless' works of art, first generated in the 50s, but he projects a greater range of emotion, including enthusiasm (for his new record label?) If there are any weaknesses in his mid-life voice, they're employed to emotional advantage.

Then there's the amazing breath control: just try singing along; you'll be gasping for air long before the old master takes his next breath---an achievement that would reach its zenith on the "Concert Sinatra" album of 1963: performances with the largest symphony orchestra Nelson Riddle would ever assemble, featuring (mostly) Sinatra's favorite songs by his all-time favorite composer. Alas none of those are represented in this collection; a few are included in the larger, 4-CD Reprise box set. But when purchasing individual albums, better to buy the complete "Concert Sinatra." The singer himself considered that one his crowning achievement (Please see reviews for that one.)

For many of the same reasons, the April 30, 1963 take of "Witchcraft" included here is much more beautiful than the Capitol recording of May 20, 1957. For this version, Sinatra is in perfect voice and Riddle's revised arrangement is better too. The recording quality is as good as anything produced today, 40 years later. Oh yes, and for those who love the Cahn/Van Heusen classic "The Second Time Around" it's 'only available here' (never recorded at Capitol).

While some of us have come to believe that "The Voice" reached its absolute 'operatic' pinnacle in 1963, Disc-2 in this Reprise collection provides a glimpse of the greatness Sinatra could still summon up, as late as February 11, 1969. That's when "Wave" one of the loveliest from Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim was recorded in Hollywood (with an evocative arrangement by Jobim's compatriot Eumir Deodato). At the end of each chorus, the old Master, then 54, nails a bassoon-textured bass note, a full octave below the tonic. If you've never heard it, you owe it to yourself. Its original album setting "Sinatra & Company" was one CD never produced on this continent; another is the obscure "Great Songs from Great Britain" which I recently obtained from an Amazon.com seller after a ten year search. Mine was among the very first to carry the "Made in USA" label and it quickly went out of print. (Please see reviews for both those CDs.)

So there's lots of reasons why new fans of Sinatra should acquire this 2-CD set before purchasing any other 'Best of' collection. In titling this one "His Very Best" Reprise merely states the plain truth to new fans who may wish to respect his advice that we "Keep listening!"

"The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" on Reprise gets panned for certain things. Other reviewers here disparage the wide variety of songs, like "Pocketful of Miracles," a children's song, or the prevalence of remakes.

But this album succeeds in presenting Frank at his finest. His voice is still nearly as strong as in his 1950s peak. And he sings with great conviction, styling, power and emotion, and perhaps greater maturity than in his Capitol years. This is a man at the height of his strength.

Sinatra, as chairman of Reprise, had the creative freedom he didn't always have at Capitol. Most of these songs are arranged and the bands led by the same leaders Sinatra had made history with, including Nelson Riddle and Billy May. I believe he wanted to seal his place in history with these recordings. They feature fabulous, creative arrangements, with no expense spared on the orchestra, rather than the humdrum backups he sometimes got with Capitol. "Witchcraft" and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are both more powerful here than on the Capitol album. They are perfect. Sinatra's singing is devoid of kidding around here and has very little ad libbing. His phrasing is perfect but he is not yet using it to compensate for a failing voice. This is a man taking himself seriously as an artist and wanting these recordings to capture that.

I disagree that there are huge gaps on this album. Sinatra's 50 year career is too big to capture on any conventionally sized set, and bigger sets are unmanageable and invariably contain chaff. This one has as many, if not more, of the big hits than any other selection. It captures every phase of his career from crooning, to the 50s songs, be they swinging or sad, to movie and show tunes, to 60s hits. Yes, some space spent on his late 60s numbers might be considered wasted by some - his voice was just beginning to slip and songs like "Something Stupid" aren't immortal. But then many baby boomers will remember these songs as pop radio hits in the 1960s. And with some criticizing this album for having too many of the somber songs already, would it make sense to add more?

I have listened to this album probably more than 300 times, and it is my favorite Sinatra album. "The Best of the Capitol Years" is also worthy - and certainly, so are the many original albums, particularly those from the 1950s. But for a one-stop shop, this is every bit as good as the Capitol selection.

Frank Sinatra? What the hell do I care about old Blue Eyes? I'm in my 30s and prefer listening to someone who didn't pre-date TV. But, well, my dad was visiting and he didn't want to listen to Travis or Seal in the car so I did the good son thing of getting him a Frank CD. I knew some of these songs, of course. They're old and classic. Dad sang along to them. I grated my teeth and kept on driving. The CD finished and dad looked disappointed, so I played it again. And again. Somewhere during the fifth play, I had my epiphany. This guy really was incredible. There is something, some quality in his voice that I don't think you can put a finger on, but it's there. Dad said, "Okay, let's change the CD" but I said that I'd let him listen one more time.
Dad has headed back home now, but I find myself listening to Frank still. Sinatra did something that nothing else has done - bridged a generation gap. I have encouraged friends to listen to his stuff too and they have the same reaction: while Dido or Madonna get old after a couple of listenings, Sinatra can stay in your CD player a run through a hundred times without sounding tired. That's just amazing.
Next time, Dad wants me to get an Al Jolson CD for us to listen to, but I think there are limits.

Although both "The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" and "The Capitol Years" qualify as greatest hits compilations, Sinatra fans would be well served to own both sets.

Even though many of the selections on this 2-disk set are remakes of the earlier Capitol recordings, there is enough new stuff to make "The Very Best" worth the extra investment.

"A Foggy Day", "The Way You Look Tonight", "The Summer Wind", "That's Life", "It Was a Very Good Year", "Wave", "Luck Be a Lady" and "New York, New York" are unique to this collection (as well as the execrable "Strangers in the Night"). And I prefer the Reprise rendition of "Night and Day", which Sinatra sings as a slow torch song. On the Capitol recording, it's done as a rerun of "I've Got You under My Skin." The more upbeat reading of "Witchcraft" also suits my tastes better than the earlier version. On the other hand, the introduction-only "Stardust" stikes me as strange.

On the whole, I prefer the Capitol recordings, even though the sound quality is somewhat lacking. And of course, there are simply more songs on the 3-disk Capitol collection.

Still, I'd strongly recommend this compendium to old Sinatra fans and those less familiar with his work. Flaws and all, it's classic Sinatra!

I read one of the previous reviews saying how depressing this double-CD compilation is, but I would have to disagree...sort of. People who really want to know Sinatra need to know his whole stylistic range. I feel that someone should be able to listen and appreciate songs like "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and "It Was a Very Good Year" just as much as the classics "Luck Be a Lady" and "New York, New York".

So, if you are looking for a consistently upbeat selection of Sinatra's songs, good luck finding it. I think that many people just don't realize what kind of feeling and intense emotion he was able instill into the more mellow ballads, and if you are willing to lend an open ear to his somewhat lesser-known works, then you'll definitely enjoy this CD. For the price, it's an excellent representation of what Sinatra really gave to the world of contemporary music.

I'm a neophyte when it comes to Frank so I bought this 2 cd set instead of the Capitol set based on what many of my fellow reviewers wrote. Most of the raves were about Sinatra's mellowed, mature voice and phrasing. That is exactly what this music is and, oops! I was looking for the peppier, more swing-like songs of his younger days. So, these cd's are fine, but not what I was craving. Wish I'd known the difference and am hoping this review helps other folks.

This three-disc set is not "The Very Best of Frank Sinatra," but that's my only complaint about an otherwise masterful album. The very best Sinatra music was mixed between his Capitol years and the Reprise years, which is the focus of this effort.

If you're just discovering Sinatra, this disc would be perfect, as long as you supplement it with the essential three-disc "Frank Sinatra, The Capitol Years."

Frank's Reprise years (especially 1964-1968) are in many instances nearly as rewarding as the best of the Capitol years. Just put this music on, let it spin and savor the magic of the Chairman.

Though it wasn't as artistically impressive, as his ten year tenure at Capitol Records, Sinatra's longtime stint at his own Reprise record label provided some of the best music of Sinatra's career.

There are many collections that offer a generous selection of Sinatra's best work from this time period. There's the single disc "The Very Good Years", which is the album that turned me on to The Voice when I was just a toddler. Then there's the excellent 4 cd "The Reprise Collection", which is a bit pricey but entirely worthwhile. Finally, there's the mammoth "The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings", which clocks in at an astonishing 20 discs and costs about $ 300.00. Fantastic music, no doubt, but a bit overwhelming, especially for a beginner.

For those looking for a solid middle ground between these collections, look no further than the 2 cd, 40 song collection "The Very Best Of Frank Sinatra". Though it heavily relies on re-recordings of classics from his Capitol era, "The Very Best Of Frank Sinatra" still has a great amount of original material that Sinatra recorded at the label, and the sound quality is fantastic.

Disc 1 is of higher artistic quality, though in all honesty, the one that is less enjoyable. Not that it's bad. Here, you get excellent renderings of standards such as "Stardust", "A Foggy Day", a touching "The Girl Next Door", a swingin' "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Let's Face The Music And Dance". In addition to that you do get the usual timeless Sinatra classics, including "The Way You Look Tonight", "Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)", "My Kind Of Town" and "The Best Is Yet To Come".

Four classic songs from the Capitol years have been included in their Reprise versions. First is an updating of "I Get A Kick Out Of You". Cutting out the classic "My story is much too sad to be told..." intro is a crime, no doubt, but this version, with its fantastic Neil Hefti arrangement, great Frank vocal, and a great sax break, manages to hold its owns against its Capitol predecessor.

"In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" is next, and the result is somewhat mixed. The arrangement of the song lacks the eerie starkness of the original, but Frank's vocal is superior to his original, as the deepening of his voice gives the words a more somber, longing feel, making its sentiments seem more endearing. If Frank did the 1955 arrangement with his 1963 voice, it would've been perfect.

Next comes "I've Got You Under My Skin", which is much livelier and grander than the rigid and stiff 1956 arrangement. The Capitol version was restrained and Frank sounded bored. This version is looser and Frank's clearly having fun on this one. Though the 1966 live version with Count Basie is the definitive performance of the song, this is probably the best studio recording Frank did of this Cole Porter standard. Next comes a 1965 reworking of "Come Fly With Me" that easily triumphs over the original. Like the original version of "I've Got You Under My Skin", the original was too laid back and stiff. Sinatra swings this one hard, and it makes for the definitive version.

Disc 2 is the artistically weaker but the more enjoyable. After starting off with his classic "It Was A Very Good Year", the disc tends to lean heavily on re-recordings. Most of them work (the versions of "Witchcraft" and "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" run circles around their Capitol predecessors, and "All The Way" receives a much more grander and romantic treatment), others are nice for comparison ("Young At Heart" doesn't touch the originals but is still serviceable renditions), while others fall flat ("All Or Nothing At All" is very good but should've been featured in the up-tempo version from 1966). The version of "Put Your Dreams Away" is pretty much essentially the Capitol version with a new vocal from Frank, so it's hard to compare.

Of course, the usual hits are here, including "Strangers In The Night", "The Summer Wind" and signature hits "My Way" and "New York, New York". Also included are the little known Antonio Carlos Jobim collaboration "Wave" and his classic duet with daughter Nancy, "Somethin' Stupid".

Overall, this is a fantastic introduction for Sinatra beginners who want the cream of the crop of his later years. It's reasonably priced, easy find, has great packaging and liner notes, and has a fantastic selection of songs. A must-have for fans of who I deem God's Gift To Music.

Being new to Frank Sinatra, I was expecting a lot out of this CD. However, after hearing it, I was left with more of a depressed feeling than one of the upbeatness I was expecting from Old Blue Eyes. This is not a good album to buy if you are new to Frank and considering this as your first purchase. With MANY of his greatest hits missing and 2 very popular songs that are different versions, this may seem akward and disappointing. However, if you are a long time fan and have many other albums, this is a quality album.

If you're just getting into Sinatra, this is the almost perfect introduction. This CD contains 40 of his greatest songs from the Reprise years, and every one is beautifully crafted, orchesrated and sung. From here you can branch out to the three-CD set, "The Capitol Years" and the similar box sex for the Reprise years, but beginning with this album is an excellent start. If you don't know Sinatra or haven't listened to him seriously, this record will change your life, literally. It will become very hard to listen to other singers because his abilities were unique unto him and this will become obvious as a whole new world opens up for you.

If your only listening experience with Frank have been a half dozen 45's of "New York, New York," "Strangers in the Night" and a few of his other hits from later years, then this CD will introduce you to the real Sinatra, not the Top 40 Frank. No one has ever phrased a lyric like his man. No one. You feel his pain, his pathos, his happiness, his despair and his loneliness. It is a completely joyous experience to listen to this man sing.

Others had greater range or greater voices: Bing and Dean had better pure voices, but none had the inimitable gift that Frank Sinatra possessed, and that is allowing you to understand a lyric and feel it deep down in your soul. There is only one Sinatra and this collection epitomizes the glory of his later years. My highest recommendation.