frank sinatra

Posted by: ken c on 12 May 2001

not the sort of music i would ordinarily buy, but i want to try. reason is that my system is exhibiting a rather special magic for easy going, intimate type music -- and i just want to see what it would do for music i dont currently own --and frank sinatra came to mind. so, the question is, can any of you guys recommend a good and well recorded sinatra album that i can cut my teeth into? i am not looking for anything exotic, just good, solid and enjoyable music, ok?

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 12 May 2001 by Peter Litwack
"Only the Lonely"
Posted on: 12 May 2001 by ken c
many thanks for sinatra's "only the lonely" recommendation. will try it out and let you know.

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 14 May 2001 by Peter Stockwell
Ken, if you don't like this you'll never like Sinatra. As a general rule his Capitol recordings are the ones to go for, this is when Nelson Riddle did the orchestrations and Sinatra himself was hungry to prove something. I think Ol' blues was about 35 years old at the time, and still had some youth in his voice. Later recordings for Reprise, such that I've heard at least, show a voice that is not as elastic. He also had no more to prove and 'coasts' more IMHO. I briefly had an earlier set from columbia sessions, and frankly (oops, I punned) I found the songs unable to escape from their historical context.

cheers

Peter

Posted on: 14 May 2001 by woodface
For my money the best singer of the 20th Century. These are the ones I would buy: 'Only the Lonely', 'Where are you' (has the best ever version of Autumn Leaves), 'Songs for Swinging Lovers', 'with Count Basie' and also 'Point of no return'. His Capital period is the best but don't dismiss the Reprise years as there are some crackers! The samba albumn he did with Carlos Alberto Jobim is superb.
Posted on: 14 May 2001 by Tony L
quote:
Songs for Swinging Lovers
Ken, if you don't like this you'll never like Sinatra.

Agreed.

I have got a fantastic condition 50s pressing of this, and it sounds absolutely superb. Sinatra is all about timing, the swing of the orchestra and the precision of his vocal phrasing is what matters. Quality stuff. I have also got nice vinyl copies of 'Come fly with me', 'Come dance with me', and 'That's Life'. My copy of 'Come fly with me' is the recent EMI Millennium edition, and whilst its certainly pretty good, it is not in the same league as the original pressings sound wise.

No discussion of this kind of music is complete with out mentioning the legendary Scott Walker - fabulous emotionally profound delivery of some of the most bizarre and surreal lyrics ever recorded. Quality stuff. Life would not be the same without the first four Scott Walker albums.

Tony.

Posted on: 14 May 2001 by Thomas K
Ken,

Sorry to rudely interrupt in this manner, but for me "easy-going" and "intimate", the-way-we-did-things-in-the-fifties-type-music means Harry Belafonte "Belafonte at Carnegie Hall" and "Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall". Very different from Sinatra, but these sonically superb recordings may have some of the attributes you're looking for. From lush classics like "Jamaica Farewell" to exhilarating new interpretations of old folk tunes such as "La Bamba" (I jest not), this music is like little else I own, but I consider these recordings jewels. True old skool - they just don't make music like that anymore ...

Thomas

Posted on: 14 May 2001 by ken c
peter s: i managed to find this at our local record shop (mvc) -- have played it once now -- but this is with my system straight from cold. i switched it off when thunderstorms were threatening (again) last night. so i will need to play it again -- this is not really my cup of tea, but with way my system is sounding now -- i can see myself easily enjoying this "easy" stuff.

peter litwack: msv didnt have "only the lonely" -- but depending on hoy i get on with "songs..." i will consider buying this as well.

tony L: i dont know scott walker. can u suggest where to start?

woodface, many thanks. dont suggest any more stuff!!! i havent got through "Tourist" yet. no seriously, many thanks for some additional suggestions there -- may get one or two if i feel i need to get into this.

thomas K: heard of belafonte but dont have any recording. will let you know when i have listened to it.

many thanks guys...

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 14 May 2001 by Peter Stockwell
quote:
Sinatra is all about timing, the swing of the orchestra and the precision of his vocal phrasing is what matters. Quality stuff.

That's Sinatra in a nutshell, but he can sure be an arrogant a**h*l* just check the monologues from 'live at the sands'. The man was pretty obnoxious, but what talent.

I have 80's reissues of 'Songs for...'and 'Swinging session'. The allbum with Carlos Antonio Jobim is interesting because it's quite fragile, that is it'll not cut through the average hifi system, you need flat earth in spades for this one.

Peter

Posted on: 15 May 2001 by Tony L
quote:
tony L: i dont know scott walker. can u suggest where to start?

It’s a tough call as all of the first four (Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3, Scott 4) are pretty much equally good as one another. There have been various compilations over the years which seem to pull tracks randomly off these four albums, so don't really offer much. I would just buy one of the first four, it doesn't really matter which. They have all been very nicely remastered for CD recently.

Tony.

Posted on: 15 May 2001 by ken c
quote:
I would just buy one of the first four, it doesn't really matter which.

will do. many thanks.


enjoy...

ken