Sinatra-Pre 1962

[clandy44]

Need to collect some of Frank's earlier work. Would appreciate box set or other compilation recommendations. Thanks.

Edited June 27, 2004 by clandy44

[J.A.W.]

I'd recommend the U.K. 21CD-box The Capitol Years. It has all the Capitol albums plus many extra tracks, and the sound is pristine - actually, it sounds better than all other Sinatra Capitol CD reissues I've heard, including the U.S. "Entertainer of the Century" reissues.

AMG review

It's available from Amazon UK (note the lower "used and new" prices; £1 = about $1.83)

Edited June 27, 2004 by J.A.W.

[sjarrell]

Whether in the UK box or not, from a quality of material standpoint, the Capitols are the way to go. I have a hard time enjoying the poppier, extremely dated Columbia stuff. But man, Capitol Frank, no matter which, is sweet.

The 3-disc Capitol Years set is swell as a sampler, but the tarck numbering on the packaging goes from one to sixty or seventy-something, leaving you to guess at how the tracks are numbered on discs 2 & 3...

The Capitol singles box is done right, however. But I like it better as an adjunct to the albums. I think I'd be sad if it were my only Capitol Frank.

[Edward]

Sinatra's Capitol sides are generally considered to comprise his best work. His earlier work for RCA and Columbia are not nearly as accessible, although I would not say that it is all pop shlock or extremely dated. Sinatra's singing for these two labels is different (a traditional crooning style), however, and I would not consider such material a good starting point for most. (If you would like to explore this music, however, I would suggest the single disc "The Complete Columbia Recordings with Harry James", which, I think, represent Sinatra's first recorded efforts.)

If you do not want to acquire Sinatra's Capitol albums individually (a recommended course), the 3-disc "Capitol Years" is an excellent alternative. This set includes most of Sinatra's best loved recordings for Capitol plus a number of rarities that appear to be available nowhere else, including a definitive version of "One for My Baby" where Sinatra is accompanied only by pianist Bill Miller. There are also many rarities on the 4-disc Capitol Singles boxed set, but a large number of essential Sinatra Capitol performances are missing.

If you do choose to acquire Sinatra's Capitol albums individually, I would recommend first buying "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!". After this album, my favorites include "Songs for Young Lovers/Swing Easy", "In the Wee Small Hours", and "A Swingin' Affair!".

[JSngry]

As far as I'm concerned, these two albums are the "landmarks", at least from a purely musical standpoint:

A synergy of creative arranging and jazzy singing that had been developing for several years reached it's full maturity here. It set a standard for generations of singers. But none topped this one. Riddle's writing is at times audacious, and Sinatra is in sync w/them like Miles was with Gil. And Joe Comfort on bass is the hero of more people who don't even know it than anybody I can think of. What this cat does on this album (and other Sinatra/Riddle collaborations) is the quite possibly the real reason why the "is Sinatra a jazz singer?" arguments even exist in the first place. Joe Comfort was a BAAAAAAD man!

Quite simply, one of the darkest, deepest, and depressing pop albums ever made. Riddle's writing is more than a little Gil Evansish here (although truthfully, it's probably a matter of their common roots in the Impressionist composers that's on display), and Sinatra's singing is as vulnerable and mature as it's ever been. This is about as "anti=Sinatra" an albums as exists, if you want to define Sinatra as a purveyor of unmitigated cockiness and invulnerability. He gets DEEP into the pain of the material here. It's a remarkable album on many levels. Don't listen to it while you're even slightly depressed though - Sinatra's "suicide songs" label for some of his ballad work has never been more apt than it is here.

Perhaps significantly, SONGS FOR SWINGING LOVERS was imitated, diluted, etc., by more people than could possibly be mentioned, but only a handful have even tried to venture into the land of ONLY THE LONELY. This is truly, in every sense of the word, a dark album, and pop ain't suppesed to go there, especially not this deeply. But as a musical accomplishment, I cannot speak highly enough of it.

After these, it becomes a matter of further exploration/deepening appreciation (and frustration). I've never really warmed to the Columbia era material overall, but some of his later work for the label shows definite shades of things to come. And truthfully, the early Columbia material with arrangements by Axel Stordahl show a remarkable voice in full youthful flower - some of the phrasing on these records is pretty damn amazing, and the song selection is very often classic. But in spite of all that, I don't find a lot of depth in this material. Others do, though, so see for yourself.

The Dorsey stuff is a mixed bag, imo, with the best stuff being where Sinatra serves as a "band singer". To that end, I really like the few sides he did with Harry James a lot more.

Edited June 27, 2004 by JSngry

[clandy44]

As a teen in the early 60s, I had Only the Lonely and a couple of other Capitols. I agree that his Capitol work is excellent altho I know less about the RCA. But, I'm too impatient now to do it album by album. Is there an American alternative to the UK Capitol box that is well regarded?

[J.A.W.]

Is there an American alternative to the UK Capitol box that is well regarded?

No, at least not half as good as the U.K. box in my opinion, and the sound of that box is really amazing, like I said much, much better than all domestic (U.S.) reissues I had (and sold).

Edited June 27, 2004 by J.A.W.

[JSngry]

If you have the two full albums I metnioned above and don't want to go all the way into the individual albums, the CAPITOL YEARS & COMPLETE CAPITOL SINGLES collection will do you right, I'd think.

Although, for $238.48, you can get the CONCEPTS box at B&N online, and that's got all the Capitol "concept" albums in one package. Couple that with the SINGLES set, and you got it all, I think. other than a few stray previously unreleased things that made it onto some of the individual album reissues.

Edited June 27, 2004 by JSngry

[BruceH]

I know I'm hardly unique in this, but for me it's Songs For Swingin' Lovers and A Swingin' Affair that get the highest possible recommendation. After that, In the Wee Small Hours and Songs For Young Lovers/Swing Easy are almost as essential.

[Edward]

Is there an American alternative to the UK Capitol box that is well regarded?

No, at least not half as good as the U.K. box in my opinion, and the sound of that box is really amazing, like I said much, much better than all domestic (U.S.) reissues I had (and sold).

Hans,

I remember learning from a BNBB discussion that at least some (I believe the first group of eight Capitol Remasters: "In the Wee Small Hours", "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!", "A Swingin' Affair!", "Sings for Only the Lonely", "Come Fly with Me", "Come Dance with Me!", "Nice 'N' Easy", and "Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!". The remaining Capitol reissues were released a couple of years later.) of the Capitol "Entertainer of the Century" discs were remastered TWICE. I do not recall who did the original remasterings of these eight discs, but now ALL of the Capitol remasters (and the Concepts boxed set) identify Bob Norberg as the remastering engineer.

I do not doubt your assessment of the sound of the 21-CD Capitol Years set, nor have I had the opportunity to A/B the two remasters of the first eight Capitol CD's that were released in the "Entertainer of the Century" series, but may I ask whether you compared the Capitol Years set to the initial remasters or those done by Bob Norberg? Thanks!

[J.A.W.]

Is there an American alternative to the UK Capitol box that is well regarded?

No, at least not half as good as the U.K. box in my opinion, and the sound of that box is really amazing, like I said much, much better than all domestic (U.S.) reissues I had (and sold).

Hans,

I remember learning from a BNBB discussion that at least some (I believe the first group of eight Capitol Remasters: "In the Wee Small Hours", "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!", "A Swingin' Affair!", "Sings for Only the Lonely", "Come Fly with Me", "Come Dance with Me!", "Nice 'N' Easy", and "Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!". The remaining Capitol reissues were released a couple of years later.) of the Capitol "Entertainer of the Century" discs were remastered TWICE. I do not recall who did the original remasterings of these eight discs, but now ALL of the Capitol remasters (and the Concepts boxed set) identify Bob Norberg as the remastering engineer.

I do not doubt your assessment of the sound of the 21-CD Capitol Years set, nor have I had the opportunity to A/B the two remasters of the first eight Capitol CD's that were released in the "Entertainer of the Century" series, but may I ask whether you compared the Capitol Years set to the initial remasters or those done by Bob Norberg? Thanks!

The initial remasters. However, I'm told that the U.K. box still sounds better than the later domestic (U.S.) remasters; I haven't heard those, though, so I can't comment.