Phenomenal Frank Collection- Includes some great rarities

The trouble with buying Mr. Sinatra's recordings is that many overlap between the original vinyl now on CD,and other more lenghty collections. That's why this 4-disc CAPITOL collection is so good.There are some swingers and ballads here that to me at least,a die hard fan,were unknown before hearing them here.True, a few are not top drawer Frank,but there are many peak performances here with Frank,and usually,Nelson Riddle.These include "My One and Only Love",which I admit I almost disliked on first listening.Now it is among my all-time favorite Frank ballads.Listen to this wondrous love song,and you'll know why Frank helped make a better world with so many tunes.The same is true with "You My Love","Look to your Heart","Tell Her You Love Her" (a slightly faster tempo),"Time After Time",and "This Was My Love".Any young couple who can sing these songs together (try karaoke?!) should head right to the altar,and will probably live happily ever after. (Except for "This Was My Love",actually a sad number).For swingers try "Mr. Success",a real blaster with lyrics Frank may have helped write.The same holds for the practically unknown "Ya Better Stop",an arrangement full of fun,wit,and brassy horns,even ending on the singer's amusing fade out comments.Duets like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire",and "Well did you evah" with Mr. Crosby are just a few more of the fun numbers balancing this collection. As in any large assortment,there are a few near-misses,including a goofy "Sea Song",a 1950's version of turn of the century vaudeville (smaltz?!)But a few near misses don't take away from the fact that there must be at least 50 smashes on here,many difficult to find anywhere else.Bottom Line: This a great collection of Frank,unique from many others,and will never go out of style,and is worth the investment several times over...Listening to Frank's best 1950's recordings put the lie to the common smug comments that the 50's were dull,bland,etc...

"Songs For Swingin" Singles"

Many fans and music critics seem to agree that Frank Sinatra's years with Capitol (1953-61) represent the zenith of his recording career.

Sinatra's Capitol output divided itself nicely into two distinct entities: the legendary albums (Only The Lonely, Songs For Swingin Lovers, Come Fly With Me et al) and the quick 2 and a half to 3 minute shots at hitting the top 40.

While Sinatra oversaw every aspect of his albums, he had a staff of song pluggers and Capitol A&R men helping to choose the singles material.

The quality of the singles varied greatly-- from the ultra hip "Witchcraft," to the seductive "Talk To Me" right through Frank's only (thank goodness) attempt at the rock market:
"Two Hearts--Two Kisses"

In this sensational box set, Capitol has issued every commercial Capitol single recorded by Sinatra over a 7 year span.

Though the quality of the material varies, Sinatra's performances remain uniformly superb....he sings "Ol Mac Donald" with the same energy and conviction as he demonstates on "Witchcraft" and "Nice N Easy."

Though he occasionally experimented with different arrangers for his singles output, the vast majority of the material was arranged by the twin geniuses: Billy May and Nelson Riddle.

Capitol has outdone itself with his box...the mastering of the original material is superb and the booklet by Will Friedwald (from whom I lifted the title of this review) is filled with sensational anecdotes and some hip inside references.

Owning this package and the Complete Reprise Studio Recordings from Warner Brothers is like having a Mercedes and a Rolls in the same garage.

The man was the finest popular singer of our time.

Getting Caught In The Rain

This is a great set! And I usually don't use exclamation points. Each song (even the cooly awkward rock and roll songs) hit me in the gut. It's like getting caught in a cold rain at midnight, downtown in a big city, and you look at the calender in a store-window and you see that you're somewhere in the 1950's. You pull up your collar and you think of the girl you lost, and have no hope of ever having again. You remember the great times, the not so great times, but you know it's a romance you'll remember all your life. Like Frank's voice. Get this, and be Human. Even Kerouac loved this guy. What better recommendation is that. This set is a hurricane!