Duets
Capitol 89611 [CD];
Released November 2, 1993

REVIEW:  The shockwave that went through the public when it heard that Frank Sinatra was going to release a new studio album in the early 1990's was tremendous.  Sinatra, then in his eighties, hadn't released an album of new material since 1984, and everyone (myself included) wondered what he would sound like.  Goosed by the immense media scrutiny accorded to the project, as well as the stars that were being paired with the Grand Master, Duets was a commercial smash, hitting number one in the charts and making Sinatra front page news all over the world.  But upon listening to the album, I can only marvel at the callousness of the end product.  Producer Phil Ramone pre-recorded the orchestra, brought in Sinatra to sing along (which he had never done, always preferring to sing live in the studio) when he was well enough to do so, and then later paired other artists to come in seperately and record their tracks over the ones that Frank had already finished.  Frank's singing varies from track to track, from a full-throatedness on some, while other tracks sound as if he's desperately ill; the artists brought in, from Barbra Streisand (who insinuates her voice into every phrase sung, whether it's her line or not) to the whining falsetto of a misplaced Bono, all sound out of their league singing along to the click track.  Nothing connects between the singers and the songs, and the orchestra has the same mindless thrust to it that never allows Frank to explore a song the way that only he can do.  Tony Bennett comes off well, with a classy give and take, and Anita Baker, Kenny G, Julio Iglesias give it their best, which is always polished; but Gloria Estefan, Luther Vandross, Carly Simon, and Aretha Franklin all sound as if they belong on a different album.  Duets is a cold, corporate product, and yet folks snapped it up like it was manna from heaven.

Duets II
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007RIYX6/themonkees-20 Capitol 28103 [CD];
Released November 15, 1994

REVIEW:  Less of the same, with an obviously weary Sinatra occasionally rising to the occasion, such as it is, with the orchestra serving as nothing more than a karioke machine, and the duetting partners showing an even dimmer wattage this go around.  From the "where are they now" classification of Luis Miguel and Jon Secada, to the "what-were-they-thinking?" talents of Chrissie Hynde and Jimmy Buffett, Duets II feels like cold leftovers of what was an unappetizing meal to begin with.  Antonio Carlos Jobim makes a welcome appearance on the slowed-down "Fly Me To The Moon," and Lena Horne sings a sympatico "Embraceable You," - but other performances sound patronizing, as on the soul-less arrangment of "For Once In My Life" with an otherwise stellar Gladys Knight, or the ridiculous, overwrought bellowing of Neil Diamond on "The House I Live In."  What's most annoying about the entire project is the need for almost every artist to address Frank by name when their singing, as if he's there in the room with them;  it's a lie, and the consumer is the victim.  I know that it's a curiousity to hear Frank singing these songs one last time, but it's a morbid curiousity, like watching a car wreck, and to have this be the end of Sinatra's studio recordings is a monumental mistake, especially for those tuned-out folks who made this and the previous recordings their first Sinatra purchases.

Sinatra 80th: Live In Concert
Capitol 31723 [CD];
Released November 14, 1995

REVIEW:  Released the same year as Capitol's All The Best double CD, Sinatra's 80th: Live In Concert compilation of live performance (some taken from as far back as 1974) is a fine live document of Sinatra in his later years, still punching it out - still swinging, a consumate performer. Pundits may point out that his voice is far from at it's peak, but for fans he still sounds swell, full of vigor, fun, and with a gracious appreciation for his audience that shines through on every cut. He mixes older and more recent material, with a swinging "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" leading things off, followed by a whisky-tinged vocal on "What Now My Love" (actually, his voice is pretty gruff thoughout the set, especially on "For Once In My Life," but it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the disc.)  He tackles everything from "If" to the still amazing rendering of Carousel's "Soliloquy."  This is a fine portrait of Sinatra the live performer, with his remarkable phrasing as powerful as ever, and his ear for picking songs still unmatched.  And how could anyone deny the undeniable one-two punch of "New York, New York" and "My Way" which closes out the set?  Listeners will undoubtedly notice changes in vocal quality and the sound of the orchestra from track to track due to the different venues these songs were taken from, but overall this is a fine snapshot of Frank in his later years, much better than some of his Reprise studio albums.

Classic Duets
Capitol 42771 [CD];
Released November 5, 2002

REVIEW:  Despite it's packaging and title, Classic Duets isn't a companion to the Duets CD's of the early 90's; instead it's an interesting, if flawed CD that takes recorded performances from Frank Sinatra's television variety show from the 1960's which used the well-worn device of having guest artists on each week, which Frank would then join in the obligatory duet.  Since these songs were recorded out of necessity rather than a more sympathetic recording arrangement, there's only a few numbers on which any sparks really fly, such as the oft-mentioned Sinatra/Peggy Lee pairing on "Our Love Is Here To Stay," or the fine repartee which Frank shares with Dinah Shore on a medley of songs (they've had a remarkable vocal chemistry ever since their tenure at Columbia.) Other duets here will make collector's drool at the possibilities, such as Frank's once-in-a-lifetime pairing with Ella Fitzgerald on three tracks, or the wrong-headedness of bringing on Elvis Presley for a cross-pollination of rock and swing with Sinatra and Elvis singing each other's hit songs.  Other tracks sound like they should work brilliantly on paper, such as Sinatra with Lena Horne, or the Rat Pack together on stage, but the intrusive side-jokes and audience laughter and applause are everpresent. Due to the television format, or some other problem, most of the duets here sound flat and perfunctory - just going through the paces to fill up the time.  Even the over-the-top bombast of Ethel Merman, recreating their radio-days performance of "You're The Top" doesn't make for essential listening.  The other major sticking point of this set is the sound quality, which, being transferred from less-than high-fidelity tape sources, leaves a lot to be desired. So while an interesting disc, it's not a top choice.

Frank Sinatra: Live From Las Vegas
Capitol 72435-60145-2-7 [CD];
Released April 26, 2005
 

1. Intro & Announcement/A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (instrumental) 2. I've Got The World On A String 3. What Now My Love 4. I Get A Kick Out Of You 5. My Heart Stood Still 6. Luck Be A Lady 7. I've Got A Crush On You 8. Mack The Knife 9. Monologue 10. The Girls I've Never Kissed 11. For Once In My Life 12. Someone To Watch Over Me 13. Maybe This Time 14. I've Got You Under My Skin 15. One To A Customer 16. I Have Dreamed 17. My Way 18. New York, New York 19. Bows/You Are There (instrumental)