Album Reviews

When Frank left Capitol to start his own Reprise label, his old label made a push to reap the old catalogue's financial benefits. Frank fought back by recording in April of 1963 this album of big Capitol hits with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. Sinatra knew the tunes well, laying them all down live with orchestra in two days.

When Frank left Capitol to start his own Reprise label, his old label made a push to reap the old catalogue's financial benefits. Frank fought back by recording in April of 1963 this album of big Capitol hits with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. Sinatra knew the tunes well, laying them all down live with orchestra in two days.

While Frank was still in fine voice, you'll enjoy this collection much more if you don't go back to listen to the Capitol originals. After enjoying this set through a few times I went back to a black label mono original of Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Capitol W653 with the "Frank looks away from the swinging lovers cover) that contains the original Frank/Nelson take of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and the Reprise version pales in comparison. That's just the way it is. 

The original is in warmer, monophonic sound, the reissue in a more modern stereo take, that's got wide orchestral separation and an in-your-face Frank that's special in its own way, but lacks the original's mystery and magic not to mention Frank's mellower, more supple vocals.

So don't go back to the originals and this 'greatest hits' collection stands grand on its own terms.

Many of the originals were only available in mono (or electronically re-processed for stereo), so you can consider this the only available stereo Frank/Nelson editions of  "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Young at Heart" and some of the others. The album includes Sinatra classics like "Nancy," "Witchcraft," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"  and "The Second Time Around."

Mobile Fidelity has done an excellent remastering job with this piece of "product" that gains luster as the years pass. You really can't go wrong here as long as you leave those originals un-played for a while!