“I’m supposed to have a Ph. D. on the subject of women. But the truth is I've flunked more often than not. I'm very fond of women; I admire them. But, like all men, I don't understand them.”
– Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra died in 1998 leaving behind an enormous musical catalogue that is almost too much to comprehend. I sensibly started with his early Capitol recordings- Songs for Young Lovers & Swing Easy (I purchased them together on one CD) before delving into the haunting, desperate soundtrack to painful romantic break up In the Wee Small Hours. All three albums have excellent vocal quality and production and especially on In the Wee Small Hours it sounds like Sinatra is floating right there in the room with you. Classic Sinatra is all too brief but serves as a decent overview of his Capitol years.
“I used to play the phenomenal ‘Ebb Tide’ by Frank Sinatra a lot and it had never failed to fill me with awe. The lyrics were so mystifying and stupendous. When Frank sang that song, I could hear everything in his voice – death, God and the universe, everything."
– Bob Dylan
After surveying his many Capitol albums, only then is one ready to start exploring Sinatra’s Reprise years. The Very Best of Frank Sinatra is an excellent overview of this period. For individual Reprise albums, my favorites include The Concert Sinatra and Ring-a-Ding Ding! although Sinatra and Swingin’ Brass can hold its own at any cocktail party (or so I experienced at a gathering I hosted in Zambia). Wherever I go in the world, the music of Frank Sinatra goes with me and- who knows- perhaps it will still be with me when I leave this world. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!
“My musical development stopped when Frank Sinatra died.”
– Alex Trebek
02. Frank Sinatra – “I Have Dreamed” (1963)
03. Frank Sinatra – “All or Nothing at All” (1962)
04. Frank Sinatra – “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (1954)
05. Frank Sinatra – “Stardust” (1962)
06. Frank Sinatra – “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1954)
07. Frank Sinatra – “I Would Be in Love (Anyway)” (1970)
08. Frank Sinatra – “Autumn Leaves” (1957)
09. Frank Sinatra – “The September of My Years (Live)” (1966)
10. Frank Sinatra – “Ebb Tide (2018 Stereo Mix)” (1955)
... or check out the playlist on YouTube
(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)
Recommended Links:
A Swinger with Swagger
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