Search - Frank Sinatra :: That's Life

"He Went In To Record ONE SONG. Period."

Anthony G Pizza | FL | 10/13/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."

TERRIBLE record !

bispro | France | 12/29/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Unmemorable collection not even saved by superb title track

Dino | Scotland | 08/15/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I own all of Sinatra's albums from the 60s on CD and consider some of them (At The Sands, I Remember Tommy and the two Count Basie albums) to be the equal of his legendary 50s Capital output. His voice had gained depth and even more character and he succeeded in gaining several pop hits in the decade he turned 50. That's Life was one of them, but the album of the same name gives the impression of being a hastily cobbled together collection, recorded in too much haste and with little regard for quality song selections. Too many of the songs disappear from the memory (I Will Wait For You, Give Her Love, You're Gonna Hear From Me) while his take on The Impossible Dream is lacklustre - he even ducks out of attempting a grandstand finish, preferring a long-held note to a high one. Sand And Sea is a third-rate Summer Wind, while Winchester Catherdral is another of Sinatra's misguided attempts at covering a 60s hit in a big band style (think of his covers of Downtown and Mrs Robinson). I've enjoyed alot of his 60s recordings and even his lesser albums from the period - Softly As I Leave You, The World We Knew - are of a higher overall standard than this. If you want the title song in your collection, buy a greatest hits instead; if you're curious about Sinatra in the 60s, I'd recommend the Academy Award Winners album and his recordings with Antonio Carlos Jobim, amongst others, before this."