| PRODUCT DETAILS | | The Complete Capitol Singles Collection |  | |
The Complete Capitol Singles Collection
Each song on this 96-cut collection is wonderful. And the Capitol years were when Sinatra's fullest voice was used on material by the best (Arlen, Porter, Van Heusen, Cahn, Styne). But a purist will miss the narrative that was so special in the original albums. Records such as This is Sinatra, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, and Only the Lonely were among the first concept albums in pop music. If you're used to hearing "Three Coins in the Fountain" after "I've Got the World on a String," this relatively random cornucopia--though full of great music--will not leave you feeling as satisfied as the old LPs. This is a fine primer for newcomers, but you should't miss the tracks that never became singles, including such classics as "Pennies From Heaven" and "Old Devil Moon." --Karen Croft
Manufacturer: Capitol
Price Range: $37.44 - $63.98
 The Complete Capitol Singles Collection
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| User Reviews |  | Giving the Kick to Mitch
rating: 5
When Frank Sinatra decided not to sing-a-long with Mitch (Miller) at Columbia Records and signed a recording deal with Capitol Records, it ushered in an incredible output of albums and singles with the new label from 1953-1961.
The collaborations were with the finest musical arrangers of the era - including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May and Mavis Rivers - and Sinatra delivered a depth of emotion, along with an emerging hipper persona, with arguably the best material in his iconic career.
The four-discs include 96 tracks and is a welcome addition to the Sinatra collection of any fan or for those wishing to delve into the history of pop music from that time period.
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Some of Frank's best cuts on Capitol
rating: 5
Frank Sinatra parted ways with longtime label Columbia after creative differences (to put it mildly) with Mitch Miller, signing a seven-year contract with Capitol in March 1953. Part of the agreement was that he retained his longtime arranger Axel Stordahl for several sessions to see if the orchestrations resulted in hit records. They didn't, and Capitol switched Frank over to Nelson Riddle in the style of Billy May.
Sinatra's earliest singles from this period are strongly transitional; indeed, I'm Walking Behind You from April 1953 sounds as if it could have been plucked from mid-40s takes, with Frank's soft, restrained vocals failing to "rock the boat." However, I've Got the World On A String from April 1953 under Riddle shows a brassy, assertive Frank, although not quite in command of his hard-swinging persona as he would be in later years. On later tracks such as River, Stay `Way From My Door (1960), Frank is aggressive, poised, and in full command of the nuances of the song, pushing his voice to its edges until the song culminates in a fireworks-filled climax. Frank's recording of Sentimental Journey from 1960, conducted by Billy May, features the fascinating combination of the more assertive, swinging 1950s Sinatra with a mellow, nostalgic arrangement. He takes Day's song and makes it his own. Frank also recorded several nods to other popular experiments such as Bobby Darin's Clementine in his rollicking update of Ol' MacDonald (complete with "eh-huh" imitation of Darin's "hup-hups").
The four discs are chronologically arranged, and many of Frank's most memorable songs came from his golden Hollywood era: Three Coins in the Fountain, Wait For Me, Well Did You Evah?, To Love and Be Loved, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, rerecorded versions of I Believe, Time After Time, It's the Same Old Dream and Everybody Loves Somebody. It's fascinating to compare Frank's rerecorded Columbia catalogue, particularly when compared to his even later Reprise rerecordings to hear how his style (and the tastes of the time) changed. Disc three includes some of Sinatra's Christmas favorites such as The Christmas Waltz and Mistletoe and Holly. The five bonus tracks featured on disc four are interesting; Look to Your Heart from 1955 sounds much more like mid-40s Columbia, while You Better Stop from 1953 is bold and sassy.
Of particular merit are the excellent liner notes by Will Friedwald, filled with fascinating trivia, musical analysis, recollections of those who worked closely with Frank, vintage photos and reproductions of sheet music and album art. There are also cartoonish line drawings printed in gold on heavy cardstock that add to the period feel. The back lists the tracks, catalog numbers, conductors, recording dates, and musicians.
For the casual Frank fan, this highlight of the massive Capitol box set (21 CDs total) should be enough to amply display Frank's maturation since his earliest days in 1939 with Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and his works with Axel on Columbia from 1943-1952; his embracing of a bold, jazzy, aggressive swinging persona and more vocal experimentation with phrasing and timing, his parroting of popular trends, and the wide range of film and stage material that he recorded. The liner notes only sweeten the deal.
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An Excellent Companion To "The Capitol Years."
rating: 5
For those who own the magnificent "The Capitol Years" boxed set, "The Complete Capitol Singles Collection" is the perfect companion piece to that set. Whereas "The Capitol Years" contained the many classic album cuts that Frank cut during his 9 year tenure at the label as well as some previous unreleased material, "The Complete Capitol Singles Collections," as its title implies, contains the many great singles he cut for the label. While certain songs are indeed duplicated ("I've Got The World On A String," "Witchcraft," "All The Way,"), the majority of the songs are new and have been hard to find for quite some time.
There's nothing as powerful as "Angel Eyes" or as technically impressive as "I've Got You Under My Skin," but what you do get is 96 perfectly crafted pop singles that while not all hits provide further proof that Frank Sinatra was and is the greatest singer of all time. Each song features Frank at his absolute peak vocally, his unique phrasing and astonshing syncopation, timing and breath control all on full display. No matter the song being a swinger or ballad, all of these songs are imbued with a great sense of artistic integrity as Frank put the same amount of passion and sincerity into every recording he ever made, whether it was something as beautiful as "All The Way" or as inane as his risque take on "Ol' Mac Donald."
The cd is very nicely packaged and comes with a great booklet and essay by various Sinatraphiles. A worthwile purchase for sure.
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not as good as i hoped
rating: 3
the lp tracks stand up so much better than sinatra's singles! too much sappy backing vocals.good price though $39.99
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FRANK SINATRA "AMERICANA AT ITS FINEST" THIS CD SET CAPTURES OLD BLUE EYES VOICE AT AN UNREACHABLE PEAK................
rating: 5
I do own Frank Sinatras Columbia years 4 cd set 1943-1952. I like how young and vibrant his voice sounds in those war torn years of America. I will say Frankies voice reached an unreachable peak during his Capital Years 1953-1962. This cd box set really showcases Franks incredible voice. I never realized how great Franks voice was until listening to this box set straight through. At first it was overkill but as each song played, I wanted to hear more. Frank saw through the whole process of his recordings, he also used top notch recording equipment in the recording studios. Thank the good lord Frankie did, because the remastered quality sound on this set is incredible for recordings this age. I was'nt around for Sinatras young years, but I appreciate this mans voice and skills in the studio. Frank Sinatra came from a poor upbringing. He fought his way to the top of the movie and record business, either unscrupuless or agreeable it doesn't matter, as the song goes Frank did it his way. Frank was very concious of his looks in public and on the screen. What Frank may have lacked in looks, God Blessed him with a beautiful voice that far surpassed any great looking Hollywood star of the time. The Frank Sinatra Complete Capitol Singles Collection is a must have for any music fan, the 96 page booklet is very informative and interesting. Frank Sinatra, even though deceased is Americana at its finest.
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The Complete Capitol Singles Collection
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