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Frank Sinatra was THE great American "popular" singer of the 1940 to 1970 era. Sinatra's voice was never better. This is Sinatra at his best.singing the greatest songs from the best song writers, backed by the best musicians of the era. Unlike his "hit singles", which were chosen to appeal to young radio listeners, his Capital albums were aimed at adults.especially men in early middle-age who could appreciate Sinatra's viewpoint.a tough look at life from a guy who had been through failed marriages and failed relationships.a guy who had been beaten up by life but who was still optimistic about life and love.a guy who was ready to try again.Everyone who buys this collection will want to go on and buy each and every one of Sinatra's Capital albums.but even after you own every Capital album, you will still enjoy this collection because it brings together his very best songs in a wonderful collection.each disc is one great song after another.The sound quality is impressive.better than most recordings of today. You will be listening to these songs with great enjoyment for the rest of your life. At Capital, the recordings were done like a "live show". And, the best songs and arrangements of his career were those recorded for his Capital albums during the 1950's. by the 1950's, his voice had deepened and matured, and he had developed a sense of rhythm and timing that sets him apart from all other singers.
Sinatra and the band or orchestra would perform together.take after take.all night long.and the best "take" was chosen for the album. That "live" quality comes through.Sinatra sounds as if he is in the room with you. This collection is the "best of the best". This is the ultimate "desert island" collection.The current price of $30 for 75 of Sinatra's best recordings, plus a nice booklet is a tremendous bargain.for the price of two "current hit" CD's that will be forgotten in a month, you can own a music collection that you will treasure for decades.
Why this is I can't guess, especially since most of the individual albums were remastered in the late 90s. The virtues of this collection have been well documented here. I'll add that the audio quality is sublime and -- to my ears and played on my equipment -- the same songs sound BETTER on "The Capitol Years" than they do on the individual Sinatra Capitol CDs. At any rate, "The Capitol Years" from 1990 has the superior sound. For that reason, I think any serious Sinatra fan should pick up this box set IN ADDITION to the separate albums, and new Sinatra listeners shouldn't be afraid to start here.
I'll be perfectly frank when I say that I prefer the individual Capitol albums (oh, come on, who doesn't)., but this is a tremendous compilation guaranteed to bring smiles and tears to any long road trip you might be facing. The rarities and unreleased tracks only make the deal sweeter. Capitol has honored Sinatra's legacy nicely over the years.
Frank Sinatra had a remarkable career from the early 1940s to the 1990sThese records probably reflect his best yearsMichael
"Almost Like Being In Love" has a great arrangement; and "I'll Be Seeing You" is a most sentimental, romantic number. This is a wonderful gift for people who are Sinatra fans and you get liner notes about the songs, tooThe first CD starts auspiciously with "I've Got The World On A String;" this fantastic tune features Frank front and center--right where he belonged and still belongs. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is great. This is also perfect for people who enjoy classic pop vocals. In addition, a huge highlight of this entire box set is surely "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road);" I could never tire of hearing Frank Sinatra sing this with great sensitivity and that's grand. Suffice it to say that this is a "must-have" for Sinatra fans and people just discovering Sinatra's elegance will do well to purchase this box set.
"They Can't Take That Away From Me" is truly a major highlight of the first CD; and that arrangement for the brass works very well for this number. "South Of The Border" finds Frank continuing to sing with all his might; his voice is able to convey all the subtle nuances of the emotions of this sweet and cute little ballad. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is an excellent number that has just a hint of that older `40s musical style and it all works very well."Someone To Watch Over Me" is sublime when Frank sings this; you can truly hear the ache in Frank's voice and that's the hallmark of a great performer. "You Make Me Feel So Young" is a terrific ballad along the lines of "I've Got The World On A String;" this love ballad is relentlessly happy and Frank never misses a beat. This three CD set entitled The Capitol Years has many, many great hits and unforgettable ballads performed as only Frank Sinatra could perform them. Listen for "I'm A Fool To Want You;" how well Frank sings this melancholy ballad. "All The Way" is certainly more optimistic and a very fine tune; and I love hearing Frank sing "Come Fly With Me;" "Come Fly With Me" has a great musical arrangement that fits in just right with Frank's vocals.
"The Song Is You" charms me with its beauty; and there's another huge hit when Frank does "Here's That Rainy Day." There's also the cute "High Hopes" which was Frank's theme song for JFK's presidential bid; the children sing their part very well, too. "Embraceable You" is simply unforgettable for obvious reasons; and listen for "On The Sunny Side Of The Street." "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" never sounded so good. Jealous Lover" is a song that I always enjoy hearing; and the backup singers harmonize to perfection. This upbeat tune with music composed by Harold Arlen shines so brightly when The Chairman Of The Board sings it; it's a real treat. The third CD ends strong with Frank Sinatra performing "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues;" this is a song with which we can all identify at times in our lives--but it's very pretty nonetheless.
"Too Marvelous For Words" is yet another track that I really like."Hey. Frank's version of "The Lady Is A Tramp" is my all-time favorite; and just one listen will tell you why. Frank Sinatra gave us so much I just don't know quite how to put it into succinct words here in this review.
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