Chairman of the BORED

If you're into watching paint dry as a hobby, this is the album for you. The only saving grace on this outing is the Nelson Riddle orchestra. I found this album with very few exceptions bland to say the least. And what's with the engineer announcing the takes on 3 of these songs? Should we care? Capital did the same thing on the Nat Cole collection disc. Go get yourself the Tony Bennett 'Ultimate' collection if you want to hear crooning with heart.

Correction

>>Though most of the arrangements here are by Nelson Riddle, the best arrangement on this album is by the amazing Billy May with his orchestration of "South of the Border."<<

Actually Riddle wrote this one, too. At his first recording session with Sinatra (April 30, 1953), he "ghosted" for Billy May and a fine job he made of it. (May was touring with his orchestra and unavailable at the time.) For years the arrangement was credited to Billy May, but trust me... it's Nels. (And if you don't trust me, check the Sessionography included in THE COMPLETE CAPITOL SINGLES COLLECTION.)

An enjoyable CD, though quite different from the 20 songs I would have chosen as the best Capitol-era singles. (Most popular does not necessarily mean artistically superior.) Sinatra hated "Jealous Lover," yet it ends up on every collection. Tony Bennett once cited "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" as his favorite Sinatra song -- a more mature version can be heard on SINATRA AT THE SANDS. "World on a String," "Learning the Blues," and "Witchcraft" are among the best of any era, and "Can I Steal a Little Love" is jolly good fun -- not at all bland!

Three and 1/2 stars, I'd say -- more original song selection would net a higher rating. But you can't go far wrong with anything Sinatra did at Capitol Records.

P.S. I too love the poet laureate of lounge singers. But when did Sinatra ever send the band home? With a very few notable exceptions, he always had a big band swingin' behind him. The saloon singer emerged in 1955 with WEE SMALL HOURS, and he's been salving broken hearts ever since.

Great!

some of Sinatra earler work, the list of songs are:
1 i'm walking behind you
2 I've got the world on a string
3 from here to eterniy
4 south of the border
5 young at heart
6 don't worry 'bout me
7 three coins in the fountain
8 melody of love
9 learning the blues
10 same old saturday night
11 love and marriage
12 (love is) the tender trap
13 (how little it matters) how little we know
14 hey jealous lover
15 can I steal a little love
16 all the way
17 chicago
18 witchcraft
19 high hopes
20 nice 'n' easy