Music Review: Frank Sinatra -- Classic Sinatra II (2009)

The Follow-Up to 2000's Classic Sinatra is
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In Classic Sinatra II, the legendary blue-eyed crooner may chide, "'Scuse me while I disappear," but the thing about Frank Sinatra is that he's never disappeared whether when he was alive and actively recording or even now long after his death since vocally nobody can touch him.

Of course some singers such as Dean Martin came close and on certain tracks, Martin's mischievous whimsy and humor does indeed surpass that of his friend. However, Martin's partner in hedonistic fun as part of the notoriously legendary Rat Pack a.k.a. the so-dubbed "Chairman of the Board" was also nicknamed "The Voice" for a reason since it was because of that purely smooth yet rich as honey delivery that made Frank Sinatra "the only artist to chart in Billboard's Top Ten for seven consecutive decades."

Nine years after the original double platinum release by Capitol/EMI and Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), Classic Sinatra's appropriately titled sequel Classic Sinatra II makes its debut this June and picks up where its wildly successful predecessor left off-- boasting a remarkable lineup of twenty-one recordings from 1954 to 1961 including one never-before-released track.

In doing so, the album's predictably exceptional array of some of 'Ol Blue Eyes' most beloved hits kicks off with "Something's Gotta Give." Starting the album on a swinging jazz note, the song benefits from the great effort of that particular tune's conductor and arranger Billy May. Yet, I was especially struck by some of the disc's lost classics including May's contemplative and sweepingly orchestral almost Peyton Place or Douglas Sirk film soundtrack style arrangement of Sinatra's romantic "Moonlight in Vermont."

Of course, nobody seduces or serenades quite like Frank Sinatra, whether he's singing For Swingin' Lovers or Only For the Lonely as the titles of some of his conceptual Capitol records notes. And throughout the course of the CD, I was enraptured by the versatility of his vocal instrument and the way he was able to continually adjust his phrasing and style to perfectly suit the character of the song.



And this is decidedly not an easy feat as-- again and again in what now sadly passes for contemporary jazz-- some best-selling vocalists find one signature style and perform every single piece in exactly the same manner. Moreover, I was increasingly inspired by the way he sings directly to his audience, teasing them, lamenting a heartbreak or a woman he'd wronged, or wholeheartedly embracing the all-encompassing joy of upbeat swing.

Whether he manages to match the exuberance of angelic, nursery-rhyme style children in "High Hopes"-- which should make even the most cynical of listeners burst into a beaming smile-- or immerses himself completely along with this album's most frequent arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle's experimentation, he never fails to put his individual stamp on a piece of music.

And in one positively perfect example, he livens up the oft-covered standard "All Of Me" by singing it slowly first before moving into a breathless manic rhythm, amazingly completing it in a whirlwind of just two minutes that captures the true meaning of the lyrics in a decidedly unique way.

Needless to say it's a flawless collection both to fans as well as musicians working in the genre and one wherein the lineup manages to showcase his versatility with its clever pairing of certain songs, making us hear them in a new light. And in doing so, the producers dared to pair together "High Hopes" with the heavenly downer "Learnin' the Blues" and surprisingly move from an intriguing take on "I've Got A Crush On You"-- which finds Sinatra abandoning strict enunciation of every syllable in favor of stringing the words together like a jeweler making a diamond necklace-- before he succumbs once more to tragedy with the unforgettable "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry."

Additionally serving up some favorites including "Love and Marriage" (guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days!), "Too Marvelous for Words," "From this Moment On," "(Love is) The Tender Trap," "I Thought About You," "Pennies From Heaven," "Just One of Those Things," and "Love Is Here To Stay," among others-- Classic Sinatra II is of collectible interest to devoted fans as the romantic magician of a musician's album is closed with the previously unreleased recording of Sinatra's take on "This Can't Be Love."

Highly recommended and one that makes me instantly want to rush out and pick up the first album which I missed--Classic Sinatra II is available both in CD form as well as via digital download, ensuring that The Chairman of the Board will never disappear and instead just grow stronger from one year to the next as we revisit his tremendous musical output and style which is eloquently personified via these vintage offerings from Capitol Records.

Frank Sinatra:
Classic Sinatra II
(CD, Digital Album)

Track-Listing & Details

1. Something's Gotta Give
Originally Recorded in 1958
Arranged and Conducted by Billy May
From the Capitol Records album Come Dance With Me! (1959)

2. Too Marvelous For Words
Originally Recorded in 1956
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)

3. Love And Marriage
Originally Recorded in 1955
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

4. From This Moment On
Originally Recorded in 1956
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album A Swingin’ Affair! (1957)

5. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
Originally Recorded in 1955
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

6. I Get Along Without You Very Well
Originally Recorded in 1955
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album In The Wee Small Hours (1955)

7. All Of Me
Originally Recorded in 1954
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Swing Easy! (1954)

8. I Thought About You
Originally Recorded in 1956
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)

9. Moonlight In Vermont
Originally Recorded in 1957
Arranged and Conducted by Billy May
From the Capitol Records album Come Fly With Me (1958)

10. High Hopes
Originally Recorded in 1959
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album All The Way (1961)

11. Learnin' The Blues
Originally Recorded in 1955
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

12. Here's That Rainy Day
Originally Recorded in 1959
Conducted by Gordon Jenkins
From the Capitol Records album No One Cares (1959)

13. Pennies From Heaven
Originally Recorded in 1956
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)

14. I've Got A Crush On You
Originally Recorded in 1960
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Nice ‘N’ Easy (1960)

15. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
Originally Recorded in 1958
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (1958)

16. Memories Of You
Originally Recorded in 1956
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
(Album Information Not Included)

17. Love Is Here To Stay
Originally Recorded in 1955
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)

18. When The World Was Young
Originally Recorded in 1961
Arranged and Conducted by Axel Stordahl
From the Capitol Records album Point Of No Return (1962)

19. Just One Of Those Things
Originally Recorded in 1954
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Swing Easy! (1954)

20. Angel Eyes
Originally Recorded in 1958
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
From the Capitol Records album Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (1958)

BONUS TRACK
21. This Can’t Be Love
Previously unreleased recording
(No Other Details Given)