In the Wee Small Hours
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| Release Date: |
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| Label: |
Capitol |
| Rating: |
5.0 |
Description: The first of many artistic milestones in the long and illustrious collaboration of Frank Sinatra and arranger Nelson Riddle that began at Capitol Records,
In the Wee Small Hours is a first in other notable ways, as well: it was the pair's first 12-inch LP; their first album devoted entirely to ballads; the first "concept album," a program of songs designed to be heard in a particular sequence that sustains a mood and suggests a story; the introduction of Sinatra's definitive "saloon singer" persona; and the first flowering of Sinatra's mature artistic sensibility. Oh, and it's a masterpiece, too. The cover portrait suggests the mood of late-night desolation almost as effectively as the music, with Sinatra in the corner, smoking a solitary cigarette on deserted street illuminated only by the a foggy, blue-green glow of lamplight. Loneliness, thy name is Frank! They say that memories of Ava Gardner caused him to break down after finishing this aching version of "When Your Lover Has Gone." Riddle's clarinet theme for "What Is this Thing Called Love?" is as haunting as Cole Porter's melody itself. And if there's a more devastating evocation of solitude than "It Never Entered My Mind"... well it must be on
Only the Lonely. With songs like "I'll Be Around" and "Dancing on the Ceiling" to suggest at least the
hope of hope,
Wee Small Hours may flirt with despair, but never succumbs to it. It's the kind of comforting company that misery likes best.
--Jim Emerson
Tracklist of In the Wee Small Hours
Reviews:
A Mid-Fifties Classic Album
I have to admit that Frank Sinatra didn't show up on my radar until 1965, when (at age 50) Ol' Blue Eyes topped the pop charts with "Strangers in the Night." And quite honestly, in the age of Beatlemania he wasn't on my playlist. However, now that I'm fifty-something myself, I can appreciate Sinatra for what he is--one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th Century. This collection of songs deals with lost loves, heartache and loss; and Sinatra's voice is the perfect vehicle for this collection of ballads, and Nelson Riddle's understated arrangements keeps the emphasis squarely on Sinatra's vocals. And the song selection is impeccable. Songwriters include Duke Ellington, Hoagy Charmichael, Cole Porter, and no fewer than three Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart songs. While not the upbeat material of his follow-up album SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS, IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS is every bit as much a classic. There are several excellent Sinatra box sets available, but these two albums belong in every serious music fan's collection. ESSENTIAL
As good as it gets
Frank Sinatra was a tough guy, no question. Brash, swinging, the consumate king of cool...you know the story. But on this, perhaps his greatest album among a host of great albums, Frank displays a vulnerability that cuts to the quick. Frank sings for everyone who has experienced loss or loneliness. Of course, this being Frank, he's not going to be whiny or maudlin about it. His tender side is still pretty gritty, but even though he's toughing it out, you can hear the genuine hurt in his soul. The title track is a certifiable masterpiece and sets the mood for a blue journey into pre-dawn emptiness. "Mood Indigo" and "Glad to Be Unhappy" are two sides of the same coin...one focusing on the feeling of a lonely man; the other on his thought process. The latter contains some amazingly sharp, wry observations. You can definitely hear the heartbreak in "When Your Lover Has Gone," and the longing in "Last Night When We Were Young." Periodically, Frank picks up the mood a bit, but overall, the sense of loss informs virtually every cut. It's an incredibly consistent and cohesive statement, and Frank's performance is priceless throughout. Nelson Riddle's orchestrations are spot-on perfect and gorgeous, but they never dominate the proceedings, giving Frank plenty of room to articulate.
Sinatra in a Mood Indigo
Frank Sinatra's relatively early (1954/55) "concept" album IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS today stands as one of his - and American popular music's - greatest achievements (personally, I would rank it just slightly below his thematically similar 1958 album ONLY THE LONELY.) Sinatra's voice is youthful and vibrant with a quick, healthy vibrato. He etches each song exquisitely, never forcing emotion. With a slight catch in his voice in "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and wistful, even melancholy, coloring in songs like "I Get Along without You Very Well," "When Your Lover Has Gone," "This Love of Mine," and Harold Arlen's "Last Night When We Were Young," Sinatra sustains the mood suggested by the album's now-iconic cover illustration. My own favorites here are the Rodgers and Hart songs. It is a pleasure to hear Sinatra give such a fine rendition of "Glad to Be Unhappy," my favorite ballad by the team; his voice also lends darkness to the lighter-than-air "Dancing on the Ceiling," in keeping with the album's overall mood.
