A three-CD, 45-song compilation of material Frank Sinatra recorded for Columbia between the mid-'40s and early '50s has a hard time going wrong on musical grounds. However, the music on this particular package is certainly much classier than the packaging. The liner notes only amount to about a half-dozen paragraphs; the tracks could have easily fit onto two CDs, not three; and, most crucially, there's little specific information about the original recordings (and only general hints as to when they were first recorded and ...
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A three-CD, 45-song compilation of material Frank Sinatra recorded for Columbia between the mid-'40s and early '50s has a hard time going wrong on musical grounds. However, the music on this particular package is certainly much classier than the packaging. The liner notes only amount to about a half-dozen paragraphs; the tracks could have easily fit onto two CDs, not three; and, most crucially, there's little specific information about the original recordings (and only general hints as to when they were first recorded and released). As these performances are not exactly obscure, there's not much of an excuse for these shortcomings; the original release years for each track, for instance, could have easily been included by adding just pennies to the budget. Many of his biggest-selling Columbia singles are absent as well, though judged just on the musical contents, the discs do present a good chunk of admirable cuts he laid down for the label. Following a general chronological sequence, they document Sinatra's talents as both a balladeer and a swing jazz vocalist, though it's perhaps a bit heavy on music that was used in films and interpretations of standards. Many famous songs are on this collection -- "Embraceable You," "Where or When," "These Foolish Things," "You Go to My Head," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "She's Funny That Way," "That Old Black Magic," "September Song," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Time After Time," "Night and Day," "Body and Soul," "I've Got a Crush on You," "Hello Young Lovers," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Fools Rush In," "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)," and "Stella by Starlight" are just some of them. It's also possible to hear, even in this relatively fragmentary glimpse of his Columbia discography, the maturation of his style, production, and arrangements as both his vocal technique and studio technology became more sophisticated. If this were the only anthology of his Columbia work, listeners could still have a very good idea of both his artistic progression during these years and the significance of his overall contribution to American popular music in general in the middle of the 20th century. The fact is, however, that there are better (and certainly more fully annotated) compilations of his Columbia material, whether you want a little or a lot of it. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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