The Capitol Years
Capitol 94317 [CD];
Released  December 18, 1990

Disc: 1     1. I've Got the World on a String [Take 10]     2. Lean Baby [Take 4]   3. I Love You [Take 7]   4. South of the Border [Take 9] 5. From Here to Eternity [Take 9] 6. They Can't Take That Away from Me [Take 4] 7. I Get a Kick Out of You [Take 12] 8. Young at Heart [Take 12] 9. Three Coins in the Fountain [Take 4] 10. All of Me [Take 16] 11. Taking a Chance on Love [Take 5] 12. Someone to Watch over Me [Take 20] 13. What Is This Thing Called Love? [Take 21] 14. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning [Take 13] 15. Learnin' the Blues [Take 31] 16. Our Town [From the TV Prodrction our Town] 17. Love and Marriage [From the TV Production our Town] 18. (Love Is) The Tender Trap [From the Film The Tender Trap] 19. Weep They Will [Take 11] 20. I Thought About You [Take 10] 21. You Make Me Feel So Young [Take 12] 22. Memories of You [Take 16] 23. I've Got You Under My Skin [Take 22] 24. Too Marvelous for Words [Take 7] 25. Don't Like Goodbyes [Take 4] 26. (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know [Take 12]

Disc: 2     1. Hey! Jealous Lover [Take 6] 2. You're Sensational [Single Version] 3. Close to You [Take 4] 4. Stars Fell on Alabama [Take 7] 5. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' [Take 21] 6. I Wish I Were in Love Again [Take 9] 7. Lady Is a Tramp [Take 17] 8. Night and Day [Take 5] 9. Lonesome Road [Take 7] 10. If I Had You [Take 10] 11. Where Are You? [Take 12] 12. I'm a Fool to Want You [Take 5] 13. Witchcraft [Take 14] 14. Something Wonderful Happens in Summer [Take 11] 15. All the Way [From the Film The Joker Is Wild] 16. Chicago [From the Film The Joker Is Wild] 17. Let's Get Away from It All [Take 7] - Billy May 18. Autumn in New York [Take 3] - Billy May 19. Come Fly With Me [Take 6] - Billy May 20. Everybody Loves Somebody [Take 4] 21. It's the Same Old Dream [Take 5] 22. Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day) [Take 4] 23. Here Goes [Take 2][#] - Billy May 24. Angel Eyes [Take 3] Disc: 3     1. Ebb Tide [Take 4] 2. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry [Take 4] 3. Only the Lonely [Take 9] 4. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) [Take 1][Alternate Take][#] 5. To Love and Be Loved [Single Version] 6. I Couldn't Care Less [Take 1][#] 7. Song Is You [Take 6] 8. Just in Time [Take 6] - Billy May 9. Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) [Take 3] - Billy May 10. Come Dance With Me [Take 10] - Billy May 11. French Foreign Legion [Take 5] 12. One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else) [Take 5] 13. Here's That Rainy Day [Take 21] 14. High Hopes [From the Film A Hole in the Head] 15. When No One Cares [Take 10] 16. I'll Never Smile Again [Take 8] 17. I've Got a Crush on You [Take 7] 18. Embraceable You [Take 14] 19. Nice and Easy [Tales 11 & 12] 20. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me [Take 3] 21. On the Sunny Side of the Street [Take 5] - Billy May 22. I've Heard That Song Before [Take 5] 23. Almost Like Being in Love [Take 5] - Billy May 24. I'll Be Seeing You [Take 7] 25. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues [Take 3]

REVIEW:  A great 3-disc distillation of the incomparable Capitol Years, this box set should make every listener weep with joy at the sheer magnitude of music herein.  Of course it would be impossible to get every great track he recorded in here, but the producers give it a good try, and for sheer listening pleasure, this set is right up there, baby.  Not only that, but for collectors there is an added bonus - a track that isn't found anywhere else: the Cahn/VanHeusen ballad "I Couldn't Care Less" which features a gorgeous Nelson Riddle arrangement.  Also included as a rarity is a rehearsal of Sinatra and pianist Bill Miller going through "One For My Baby" where Sinatra flubs a line at the end of the bridge.  Rare indeed, since there are very few alternate takes available from this period.  But this set is essential anyway, since it boils down so much into very good stuff indeed; from singles to soundtrack releases, album cuts and more, this set not only gives you the flavor of each album, it covers very nicely the entire spectrum of work that Sinatra sang during this time.  Of course, in my opinion it's a crime to break up the delicate framework of songs that made up each of his superb concept albums, but if you can't afford to splurge on the amazing Concepts box and Complete Capitol Singles boxes - then this is your best alternative.  Unresevervedly recommended.

Sinatra 80th: All The Best
Capitol 35952 [CD];
Released November 14, 1995

Disc One 1. Lean Baby 2. I'm Walking Behind You 3. I've Got the World on a String 4. From Here to Eternity 5. South of the Border 6. Young at Heart 7. Three Coins in the Fountain 8. Come Fly With Me 9. Someone to Watch Over Me 10. Melody of Love - Ray Anthony Orchestra

11. Night and Day 12. Learnin' the Blues 13. Same Old Saturday Night 14. Love and Marriage 15. Impatient Years 16. (Love Is) The Tender Trap 17. (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know 18. Wait for Me 19. Lady Is a Tramp 20. Well Did You Evah? - Bing Crosby Disc: 2 1. Hey! Jealous Lover 2. I've Got You Under My Skin 3. All the Way 4. Chicago 5. Witchcraft 6. How Are Ya' Fixed for Love? 7. No One Ever Tells You 8. Time After Time 9. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 10. You Make Me Feel So Young 11. I Get a Kick Out of You 12. All My Tomorrows 13. High Hopes - Eddie Hodges 14. What Is This Thing Called Love? 15. Moon Was Yellow 16. I Love Paris 17. Blues in the Night 18. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry 19. Nice 'N' Easy 20. Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

REVIEW:  Big problems with this set, and not just for its redundancy.  I have no problem with Capitol repackaging Sinatra's songs into a double disc set - except that it's completely unnecessary.  The triple disc Capitol Years box works just about right from all standpoints; song selection, sound, notation, and the flow of music are spot on.  So what's this set for?  With it's abbreviated tracklist, it may be more concise, but it doesn't flow as well as the previous collection - and some of the songs included here are not "all the best" despite what Capitol suits might think.  "Lean Baby" is an interesting number, being the first Frank cut at Capitol under the baton of Alex Stordahl (this before being paired with Nelson Riddle) - but as a song, it's a dud, with an unattractive melody and an awkard sentiment.  And "Melody Of Love?" what's that doing here?  And same goes for "Well Did You Evah?" with Bing Crosby - it's hardly the best of Sinatra on Capitol.  In fact - listening to this collection may well put first-time listeners off of wanting more - it's that jumbled and scattershot of a set.  Of course there are great songs here - "I've Got The World On A String," "Come Fly With Me," "Lady Is A Tramp" and "I've Got You Under My Skin" all swing like no one ever had before (or has since, thank you very much), and the ballads - "Someone To Watch Over Me," "No One Ever Tells You," and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" are enough to make grown men cry.  But for some reason, the combination here doesn't work, and it's a maddening exercise to figure out why.  An OK collection, but I would recommend either the three disc box above, or if you're wanting something smaller to chew on...

The Best Of The Capitol Years: Selections From The Capitol Years Box Set
Capitol 99225 [CD];
Released November 3, 1992

1. I've Got the World on a String 2. South of the Border 3. I Get a Kick Out of You 4. Young at Heart 5. Three Coins in the Fountain 6. What Is This Thing Called Love? 7. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 8. Learnin' the Blues 9. Love and Marriage 10. (Love Is) The Tender Trap 11. You Make Me Feel So Young 12. I've Got You Under My Skin 13. (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know 14. Lady Is a Tramp 15. Night and Day 16. Witchcraft 17. All the Way 18. Come Fly With Me 19. High Hopes 20. Nice and Easy

REVIEW:  An extremely potent single-disc slice of popular music that will be enough to Ring-a-ding ding anyone who hears it.  The very cream of what Sinatra released during his Capitol stay, there's not a clunker in the bunch - and how many greatest hits albums can you say that about?  From the extreme swing of "I've Got The World On A String" to the relaxed sway of "Nice And Easy" this set is a marvel of sophistication and songcraft.  For this CD, the producers leaned heavily on Sinatra's hit singles, which were recorded seperately from his concept albums and stand very nicely on their own.  "South Of The Border," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "Love And Marriage," "The Tender Trap" and "Witchcraft" never made it onto the highly touted albums, but were played on jukeboxes and record players all over the world - and they still sound as pulse-poundingly good today as they did when they were first stamped onto vinyl LP's.  The sound is very good - rich and warm (this is before the more recent remasters were done, which many complain had too much noise reduction added), and the generous 20 tracks make a perfect long-player for parties.  This is the disc you want to give your friends who have not yet converted to the Church of Frank - it will make believers of them all.  Highly recommended for novices (and a great listen for long-time fans as well!)

Classic Sinatra: His Great Performances, 1953-1960
Capitol 99225 [CD];
Released November 3, 1992

1. I've Got the World on a String 2. I Get a Kick Out of You 3. They Can't Take That Away from Me 4. My Funny Valentine 5. Young at Heart 6. Someone to Watch over Me 7. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 8. I've Got You Under My Skin 9. You Make Me Feel So Young 10. It Happened in Monterey 11. Oh! Look at Me Now 12. Night and Day 13. Witchcraft 14. Lady Is a Tramp 15. All the Way 16. Come Fly With Me 17. Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day) 18. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) 19. Come Dance With Me 20. Nice and Easy

REVIEW:  Boy, you'll have to flip a coin if you're wanting to choose just a single-disc collection of  Sinatra's Capitol years, since this disc is also a real winner in both selection and sound.  Not just a repeat of the above disc (although there is some duplication between the two), Classic Sinatra leans less upon the hit singles Frank recorded and more upon the ground-breaking concept albums which were Sinatra's bread and butter during this period.  So instead of "South Of The Border," we get the shimmy of "It Happened In Monterey," and cutting in for "Three Coins In The Fountain" we meet the instead the sensuous "Someone To Watch Over Me."  Not a huge difference in the track selection, but emphasis is decidedly classier, without some of the pop hits that were playing on the radio, but nothing here is second-tier or filler; it's one incredible performance after another; and the tracks flow from swing to ballad with ease, making this a great choice for a quick fix of Frank, or to dazzle your friends with.  Not entirely sure why we need two slightly different single-disc collection on the market, but I guess if this one has a song that you want that's not available on the other collection, this is the one for you.  Unreservedly recommended.

Romance: Songs From The Heart
Capitol 0946363377 [CD];
Released January 16, 2007

1. I've Got You Under My Skin [Porter] 3:43 2. Time After Time [Cahn, Styne] 3:28 3. Day by Day [Cahn, Stordahl, Weston] 2:39 4. All the Way [Cahn, VanHeusen] 2:52 5. Too Marvelous for Words [Mercer, Whiting] 2:28 6. My Funny Valentine [Hart, Rodgers] 2:32 7. Love Is Here to Stay [Gershwin, Gershwin] 2:41 8. I've Got a Crush on You [Gershwin, Gershwin] 2:17 9. Cheek to Cheek [Berlin] 3:06 10. Try a Little Tenderness [Campbell, Connelly, Woods] 3:22 11. I Wish I Were in Love Again [Hart, Rodgers] 2:28 12. Angel Eyes [Brent, Dennis] 3:45 13. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning [Hilliard, Mann] 3:00 14. As Time Goes By [Hupfield] 3:19 15. At Long Last Love [Porter] 2:25 16. I'll Be Seeing You [Fain, Kahal] 2:47 17. Almost Like Being in Love [Lerner, Loewe] 2:02 18. Embraceable You [Gershwin, Gershwin] 3:24 19. Nice 'N' Easy [alternate take/#] [Bergman, Keith, Spence] 2:44 20. Where or When [Hart, Rodgers] 2:32 21. If You Are But a Dream [Bonx, Fulton, Jaffe] 3:54

REVIEW:  It's funny how tightly held the Capitol-era recordings of Frank Sinatra have been; much like The Beatles' catalog, Capitol tends to create compilation albums of Sinatra's music very rarely (at least compared to other labels he recorded on).  But now, in time for Valentine's Day, Capitol Records has done a great thing in putting out Romance: Songs From The Heart, which features twenty-one delicious cuts of Frank at his very best.  Few would argue that Frank hit his creative prime while at Capitol, with his softer, romantic tragedy albums alternating with his hard-swinging platters, creating deep, emotional palettes on which to draw for this collection.  Capitol wisely veers away from the pathos of Frank's more tragic sentiments (found on albums such as Sings for Only the Lonely) and instead gathers gleeful bits of joy ("At Long Last Love" "Nice And Easy" (here in an alternate take), "I've Got You Under My Skin" and Rodgers and Hart's "I Wish I Were In Love Again") and mixes them with delicately soft croonings that Frank's rich voice and wealth of experience imbues with great longing.  "I'll Be Seeing You," "Angel Eyes," "My Funny Valentine" and "All The Way" all gain tremendous emotional heft in Sinatra's world-weary readings, which never manage to dive into hopelessness, but always ring with the keening cry of lonely yearnings.  For collectors, the big ring-a-ding-ding on this album is the presence of a rare, Capitol-era recording, previously unreleased on CD here in the United States: "If You Are But A Dream", an almost operatic number which Frank uses the full powers at his command to infuse with considerable drama.  A fine CD, perfect for stoking the flames of romance on those cold February nights.

Classic Sinatra II
Capitol 64442 [CD];
Released June 2, 2009

Classic Sinatra II

1.Something's Gotta Give  2.Too Marvelous For Words  3.Love & Marriage  4.From This Moment On  5.(Love is) The Tender Trap 6.I Get Along Without You Very Well  7.All of Me  8.I Thought About You  9.Moonlight In Vermont 10.High Hopes  11.Learnin' the Blues  12.Here's That Rainy Day 13.Pennies From Heaven  14.I've Got a Crush On You 15.Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry  16.Memories of You  17.Love is Here To Stay 18.When the World Was Young 19.Just One of Those Things  20.Angel Eyes 21.This Can't Be Love - (previously unreleased)

REVIEW:  As with the previous Classic Sinatra release (reviewed above), it's hard to fault either the song choice or the sound for this second helping of Capitol-era classics.  Digging somewhat deeper than the previous disc, this album is still chock-full of embarrassingly fantastic performances, including several classics that easily could have appeared on its predecessor.  Here are definitive readings of "Too Marvelous For Words," "Love & Marriage," "(Love Is) The Tender Trap," "Moonlight in Vermont" and much more.  The real question is how these (and other) great songs got cut off the first volume!  Also included for uber-collectors is the previously unreleased "This Can't Be Love" which, although it probably doesn't rate as highly as the other tracks here, is a great find, and makes a nice coda to the track list.  Also included are songs that might not spring to mind as your first choices for "Classic" status, ("I Get Along Without You Very Well," "Here's That Rainy Day," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry") but as programmed here, they work very well, and sound all of a piece with the true classics.  In fact, for beginning Sinatra fans who are looking to dip their toe into Frank's sometimes intimidating oeuvre, Classic Sinatra II would be just as valid a first purchase as the previous release, since it contains its share of weighty moments, and no filler.  A great collection, and a great introduction to Frank's Capitol years.

	Frank Sinatra Sings The Select Cole Porter (July 23, 1996) Capitol 96611 [CD] Sinatra learned how to sing the razor-sharp repartee of Cole Porter during his Capitol years, with all the double-entendres, quips, and biting wit in full bloom.  Out of print (like the next CD) but worth seeking out.
	Frank Sinatra Sings The Select Sammy Cahn (August 20, 1996) Capitol 38094 [CD] Sammy became the most important contemporary writer for Sinatra during the Capitol years, and here's the proof: "Come Fly With Me," "Love is the Tender Trap," "Love And Marriage," "Three Coins In The Fountain" and much more.  Hot stuff!
	Classic Masters (April 1, 2003) Capitol 43474 [CD] An abbrieviated 12-track greatest hits package, with some odd choices: "Willow Weep For Me," "How Are You Fixed For Love" and "Moonlight In Vermont" aren't what folks usually think of as Frank's greatest from this period (fine though they are) - better choices out there.
	Capitol Collector's Series (June 26, 1989) Capitol 92160 [CD] A good 20-track selection that's very similar to The Best Of The Capitol Years, with good sound and notes.  An OK CD if you're not picky, but there's no good reason for this to be still in circulation.
	Gold (May 19, 1998) EMI Special Markets 19705 [CD] One of Capitol's "cheapie" labels, another 12-track CD that has some great songs, but not even close to a representative sampling of the era, and absolutely nothing in the way of notes or pictures (other than the cover.)