The Reprise Collection (November 20, 1990) Warner Brothers 26340 [CD]

REVIEW:  Frank Sinatra's tenure at Reprise is marked by greatness and foolish endeavors, but whatever he did, it always seemed to be interesting; from the hot-off-the-griddle sizzle of "Ring-A-Ding Ding!" to the unspeakably absurd "The Future" from Trilogy, Frank managed to stay front page news all the way through.  This fine four-disc box set is a perfect tribute to these years, with all of the best, much of the very good, and a few surprises thrown in as well.  Working its way chronologically through the years, Sintra still moves from swing to ballads on his early albums, with the brass-knuckle punch of "Let's Fall In Love" swinging carefree and Rat-Packed to the gentle 3/4 time of "All Alone" - from the rare duet with Sammy Davis Jr. on "Me And My Shadow" to the hit singles of "Strangers In The Night" and the bombast of "My Way" and "New York, New York."  It's all here, with copious notes, color photos (something they couldn't even manage for the 20-disc trunk), discography, and song commentary.  What's so nice about this set is that it gives you a taste of each album, especially the rarer ones not generally noticed, like "All Alone," "Sings Great Songs From Great Britain," and "Watertown," which led me to want to seek those, and other individual albums out.  Also included are rarities, like a couple of songs from an aborted album of women's names that Frank worked sporadically on, and which sounds like it would have been very good.  This may be too much for some fans, but once you hear it, I think you'll find out that the Reprise years were very good years indeed.  Unfortunately out of print.

The Very Best Of Frank Sinatra (June 10, 1997) Warner Brothers 46589 [CD]

REVIEW:  This double-disc set is a little deceptive, and it doesn't truly do it's job as being the very best of the Reprise years, since it leans so heavily on re-recordings of hits that Sinatra had during his Capitol and RCA period.  Sure, Frank rerecorded several songs from both of these earlier times in order to curtail some of the repackaging that his former labels were doing, but when compared to those earlier hits, these re-recordings don't really match up.  And there's no good reason for a compilation like this other than to decieve gullible buyers, since Sinatra had more than enough stand-alone hits at Reprise to make an awesome double disc set.  But here you'll find an older Sinatra tackling his earlier hits like "Stardust," "Nancy (With The Laughing Face)," "(Love Is) The Tender Trap," "Come Fly With Me" and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" - but all weaker from the versions buyers may remember and be hoping to hear.  Other than that nitpick, it's a fine set, with other Reprise hits that are certainly worthwhile, such as "My Way," "(Theme From) New York, New York," "Strangers In The Night," and "Fly Me To the Moon."  For my tastes, however, I would've rather had more cuts included from the fine Ring-A- Ding Ding!, Sinatra With Strings, and Sinatra-Jobim albums than the re-recordings.

Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years (March 26, 1991) Warner Brothers 26501 [CD]

REVIEW:  A great single-disc distillation of the Reprise years, with only a couple of odd choices marring an otherwise very good set.  People who disparage the Reprise years for Sinatra being at less than his peak would do well to listen and learn with this package, that contains such powerhouses as "That's Life," "Fly Me To The Moon," "Summer Wind" and of course the perennials "My Way," and "(Theme From) New York, New York."  I question the inclusion of a few tracks: "Send In The Clowns" simply doesn't hold a candle to any other released version, and the re-recordings of "Love And Marriage," and "Nancy (With The Laughing Face)" while fine, are still a re-recordings of more fully realized Capitol and Columbia hits, respectively.  But other than that, it's hard to argue with the song selection, which swings, swaggers, and skins the listener alive with the "up" of "My Kind Of Town," "All Or Nothing At All" and the previously mentioned numbers, and "down" with "It Was A Very Good Year," "Last Dance" and "Strangers In The Night."  Nothing new here for long-time fans, but a good introduction to the Reprise years.

Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits! (October 25, 1990) Warner Brothers 2274 [CD]

REVIEW:  I guess that this collection, which was originally released in the late sixties after Frank had a surprise hit with "Strangers In The Night" is still selling, since I can't account otherwise for why it's still on the market.  Hardly a true "Greatest Hits" since so many notable tracks are missing, and containing a couple of tracks that were never hits at all ("Forget Domani" and "World We Knew (Over and Over)") make this collection a bit incongruous with what history and fans opinions have judged to be Sinatra's best at Reprise.  Still, that probably won't bother novices, who will find that some of Frank's gentler sides are included here, such as "Summer Wind," "It Was A Very Good Year," "Softly As I Leave You" and "Somewhere In Your Heart."  And the bluesy tracks will undoubtedly surprise those who didn't know Frankie had it in him, such as the woosy harmonica on "This Town" and the suprisingly successful bump and grind of "That's Life."  Not what I would call a first choice for those wanting to investigate Sinatra, but a pretty typical late-sixties oddball item, and containing it's own retro charm.  I suspect that this CD will be snapped up by people who lived through the times, and had this album on their stereos as the soundtrack to their lives.

Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (October 25, 1990) Warner Brothers 2275 [CD]

REVIEW:  Wanna hear some of the worst songs that Sinatra ever sang?  Then pick up this decidedly schizophrenic album of "Greatest Hits" that Reprise foisted on the market in the early 1970's.  It not only shatters the truth-in-advertizing laws, but it very nearly blasphemes everything that Sinatra stands for in modern music.  Here you have the reprehensible "Cycles," "Bein' Green," "Goin' Out Of My Head," and "A Man Alone," alongside the so-familiar-it's-now-cliche smashes of "My Way" and the lovely, but not exactly 'hits' of "Something" and the Watertown extract "What's Now Is Now."  I mean, not in anyone's right mind could there be two cuts off of the Rod McKuen disasterous A Man Alone album, yet here they are, claiming they are the best that Sinatra had.  Yurgh.  What really amazes me is that this hopeless excuse for a hits album has not only stayed in circulation, but that it's been put out on CD!  Who's buying this stuff?  This disc may have novelty value, and get a laugh at your holiday white elephant parties, but under no circumstances should this be purchased as a first look at Sinatra's Reprise years!  One listen may turn you into a eunich, it's that weird.  Recommended for... well, for no one really, but I had to put it here, didn't I?

My Kind Of Broadway (May 10, 1999) WEA International 927031 [CD]

REVIEW:  More of a collection of songs (with a couple of new tracks) than a proper album, My Kind Of Broadway may sound like a swell compilation, along the lines of Sinatra and Strings, but it doesn't hang together as well as his other theme albums, simply because the songs are cribbed from other album sessions and singles, and the quality of these arrangements and the songs themselves aren't exactly top drawer. The two new songs, unavailable other than on the 20-disc Reprise box, are "Golden Moment" with a lovely arrangement by Nelson Riddle, and the lesser "Everybody Has The Right To Be Wrong" which comes from the broadway failure Skyscraper.   You also have a couple of Gershwin tunes in the form of "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me," the ill-suited "Hello Dolly!" and the popular "Luck Be A Lady" arranged by Billy May (taken from the Reprise Musical Reperatory Theater album Guys and Dolls - not the Sinatra '65 arrangement) and "Lost In The Stars" from the musical of the same name. The other songs are all forgettable broadway slush, taken from middling shows, and even Sinatra can't redeem them.  Still, this album isn't bad, and with a couple of real rarities in the mix, you might want consider plunking down your hard earned-cash for this OK album.  Available only as an import or on the Complete Reprise Studio Recordings box set.

Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection (Oct 26, 2004) Reprise 76542 [CD]

REVIEW:  Reprise does buyers a service by issuing this compilation of Sinatra's later Christmas recordings, and for that reason it deserves a listen from die-hard fans.  In the Sixties and Seventies, Frank only released two proper Christmas albums: the still unreleased Twelve Songs Of Christmas (which was part of his Reprise Musical Repertory Theater group) and The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas album, which is reviewed on another part of this site.  This album gathers tracks from each of those two albums, plus snagging one track ("I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm") from his first (non-holiday) Reprise album Ring-A-Ding-Ding!, two songs ("White Christmas" & "The Christmas Song") from a 1957 Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra TV special, and one track ("Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas") taken from a 1963 Reprise artists compilation album.  There is also a previously-unreleased 1991 take of "Silent Night" which was completed by Sinatra's family and session musicians, which shows an infirm Frank with phrasing intact, if vocally unsteady.  So while the CD is a real hodgepodge of sources and dates, there are items of interest here for nearly everyone, with rarities, great sound, and a thoughtful song selection, this disc becomes the best Christmas collection available for those who love their Christmas 'nog with a dash of Frank.

Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love
Reprise 516960 [CD]; Deluxe Edition 516961 [2-CD]
Released January 20, 2009

Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love (Deluxe 2 CD Edition) Or order as MP3 album: Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love

1.Prisoner of Love 2.I've Got You Under My Skin  3.My Funny Valentine - (alternate take)  4.Witchcraft  5.All The Way  6.It Had To Be You 7.Young At Heart  8.Love Is A Many Spendored Thing 9.Some Enchanted Evening 10.(How Little Matters) How Little We Know 11.I Get A Kick Out Of You  12.Second Time Around, The  13.At Long Last Love  14.I Concentrate On You  15.Then Suddenly Love 16.They Can't Take That Away From Me 17.Fine Romance, A 18.More (Theme From Mondo Cane) 19.This Happy Madness (Estrada Branca) 20.Teach Me Tonight 21.All The Way Home 22.That's All Bonus Disc: 1. The Look Of Love 2. Secret Love 3. I Wish You Love 4. I Like To Lead When I Dance 5. Misty 6. Stay With Me (Main Theme From The Cardinal) 7. Talk To Me Baby 8. For Once In My Life 9. All Of You 10. I Had The Craziest Dream

REVIEW:  It's not too hard to figure out why we're getting TWO Frank Sinatra Valentine's Day releases in 2009 (the other being Sony Legacy's From The Heart); last year's Capitol Records release of a similar-themed collection, titled Romance, was a sizable hit for the holiday, and a second repackaging of Sinatra's hits, All The Best, did very impressive sales numbers.  So now, we've got Seduction on the Reprise label, obviously hoping to capture lightning in a bottle again.  Besides the disgusting practice of putting out THREE versions of the package (a single-disc, double disc, and limited edition double-disc/DVD package) out for collector's to scramble for, there's the added insult of having nothing new on any of the collections, despite claims to the contrary.  Fine, that's out of my system, but other than shameful marketing practices, Seduction manages to be an exceptionally fine, occasionally surprising gathering of songs from the Reprise vaults.  Besides the obvious picks: "My Funny Valentine," "Witchcraft," "A Fine Romance," et al, there are several lesser-heard songs included, such as "How Little We Know," "Prisoner Of Love," "Then Suddenly Love," "This Happy Madness," and "All The Way Home," which rarely, if ever, make their way onto collections of this nature.  And, if you were one of the few who got to pick up the limited-edition DVD, you'll see wonderfully clear television performances of the following songs:

My Funny Valentine 2-14-58
Too Marvelous For Words 12-13-59
Night And Day 11-29-57
All Of Me 3-7-58
I Get A Kick Out Of You 10-18-57
I've Got You Under My Skin 1-31-58
All The Way 10-18-57

All taken from Frank's television series.  Again, nothing new here for collectors, but for casual fans, and for lovers who love Frank, this collection is an attractive gift for Valentine's Day.

The Sinatra Christmas Album (November 11, 1987) Warner Brothers 45753 [CD]

A fairly shameless repackaging of tracks taken from three different albums and two singles from the 1970's, it doesn't hold a candle to Frank's earlier seasonal outings, but is enjoyable on its own terms.
 

Everything Happens To Me (February 6, 1996) Warner Brothers 46116 [CD]

Hand-picked by Sinatra - this collection of ballads from his Reprise years is a great selection and moody listening experience.  Nothing new, but a fine collection.
 

Lucky Numbers (December 8, 1998) Warner Brothers 46853 [CD]

A good 10-track compilation of songs celebrating the high-rolling life, including one hard to find song: "Boys Night Out."  I'll give good odds on you enjoying this set.
 

Greatest Love Songs (January 15, 2002) WEA/Warner Brothers 78295 [CD]

Nothing new in this generous 22-track set, but unique in that it has four Capitol sides included with the Reprise songs.  A good sampler of well-chosen love songs from the Reprise years.
 

My Way: The Best Of Frank Sinatra (November 26, 2002) WEA International 46710 [CD]

Single disc containing 24 tracks, with some odder choices, like Frank's cover of Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Man."  Available as an import from the UK.  For collectors only.
 

My Way: The Best Of Frank Sinatra (November 26, 2002) WEA International 46712 [CD]

Double-disc limited edition, with first disc identical to above, and second disc continuing the odd choices, with "Mrs. Robinson" and the rare "America The Beautiful" making appeances.  Import from UK.
 

A Fine Romance: The Love Songs of Frank Sinatra (November 26, 2002) WEA International 73589 [CD]

Very similar to the disc below, this 50-track set has some different choices, and throws in the awful "Cycles."  But otherwise a fine overview of more romantic fluff.
 

Romance (November 26, 2002) WEA International [CD]

50-track collection of songs imported from UK with strong selection of songs from his Reprise years.  Some Capitol retreads, but none of the more apparent clunkers make an appearance.