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"Puts On Sinatra . . . And Starts To Cry"

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 11/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""It takes a long time to heal a broken heart. It's happened to all of us and never gets any easier. I understand, however, that playing one of my albums can help." ~ Frank Sinatra ~



Perfectly-said! It's absolutely true. Playing one or two or all of his albums works wonder. Let it out! Pour your sentiments out by listening to his music.



One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Frank Sinatra as a singer is his ability to convey the true essence of a song effectively. He praised the songwriters of yesteryears and believed that "they were of a different nature." These are his thoughts about some of the greatest songwriters of all-time.



"Sammy Cahn is always there for me; he has written some very poignant lyrics in his career; touching and loving type of songs. "All The Way" is a marvelous song."



"Cole Porter had that marvelous clip type of rhymes."



"Larry Hart wrote the most sophisticated saloon kind of songs; there was always a bit of bittersweet and sadness in them."



"Johnny Mercer had great humor in his music."



"What is this about Gershwin? He gets your ear and you can't stop listening?"



"Every one of those men, all the songwriters, are so responsible for my career."



This two-CD-set is an absolute musical gold mine with fifty of the most-loved and biggest hits of Frank Sinatra recorded from 1953 thru 1999. The impressive track listing includes the greatest songs penned by the most brilliant lyricists/composers of all-time: Sammy Cahn & Jim Van Heusen, Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields, Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler, Erroll Gardner & Johnny Burke, Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Bart Howard, Duke Ellington, Larry Hodges, Harry James & Don George, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Gene Lees, Michel Legrand, Harry Warren & Al Dubin, among the many others.



The lyric of a song is very vital to Frank Sinatra and according to him the "written word is first; always be first. Not belittling the music, but it is really a backdrop. To convey the meaning of a song, you need to look at the lyric and understand it."



Among my highlights on this wonderful compilation of the very best Sinatra songs include the following.



"The Way You Look Tonight" and "Moon River" (Nelson Riddle, Days of Wine And Roses, 1964)

"They Can't Take That Away From Me" (Neal Hefti, Sinatra And Swingin' Brass, 1962)

"I've Got A Crush On You" (Nelson Riddle, Nice 'N' Easy, 1960)

"Let's Face The Music And Dance," "You'd Be Easy To Love, "A Fine Romance," "Let's Fall In Love" and "You And The Night And The Music" (Johnny Mandel, Ring-A-Ding Ding, 1960)

"Night And Day" and "Misty" (Don Costa, Sinatra & Strings, 1961)

"More" and "Fly Me To The Moon" (Quincy Jones with Count Basie And His Orchestra, It Might As Well Be Swing, 1964)

"The Very Thought Of You" (Robert Farnon, Great Songs From Great Britain, 1962)

"Like Someone In Love" and "My Funny Valentine" (Nelson Riddle, Songs For Young Lovers, 1953)

"Watch What Happens" (Don Costa, My Way, 1969)

"Wave" (Eumir Deodato, Sinatra & Company, 1969)

"Loved Walked In" (Billy May, Sinatra Swings, 1961)

"It Had To Be You" (Billy May, Trilogy: Past, Present & Future, 1979)

"I Have Dreamed" and "Bewitched" (Nelson Riddle, Concert Sinatra, 1963)

"Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars" (Claus Ogerman, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967)

"I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Call Me Irresponsible" (Nelson Riddle, Sinatra's Sinatra, 1963)

"Somethin' Stupid" (Duet with Nancy Sinatra, Billy Strange, The World We Knew, 1967)

"All The Way" (Duet with Celine Dion, David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock, All The Way, A Decade of Song, 1999)



"I sang so well because I felt the lyric

Here and here and here [touches his forehead, his heart and his stomach]

Whatever the man was trying to say in the song -

I'd been there. And back.

I knew what it was all about." ~ Frank Sinatra ~



This two-CD-set is a perfect addition to any Sinatra collection and I graciously recommend it. It includes a very informative liner notes with rare photos of the Chairman of the Board. The editorial research was done by Charles Pignone, a friend of the Sinatra Family and the author of "Sinatra Treasures."

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