Frank Sinatra - 57 In Concert (19 tracks) +Album Reviews

Sinatra caught live at his best

Jon Eric Davidson | Redmond, WA, USA | 05/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not the world's foremost expert on Frank Sinatra's music, nor do I pretend to know the ins and outs of his career. I have, however, heard a lot of his music, and feel I can safely say this CD is one of his best recordings. I had heard from people that are bigger Sinatra fans than I am that this was one recording they longed to own on CD. Well, for those people, their wishes have come true. Sinatra was truly in his prime on this night in Seattle. His voice is in fine form, his rapport with the audience is magic...it's as if everything was aligned perfectly for this one concert. It would be hard to improve upon his performance, but it was in the form of arrangements by the legendary Nelson Riddle. The two forces of music combine to make a musical delight that very few performers can harness live - much less in studio. The songs performed here are an excellent mix. More than a few are Sinatra's most well-known hits, but even the lesser-known tracks are welcome and enjoyable. For the die-hard Sinatra fan, this is a must for the collection; it no doubt already is for most. For people just discovering Sinatra, this is an excellent starter to introduce yourself to the legend. If there was a ranking of Sinatra's recordings, this would surely have to be near the top. It should also rate near the top of the list of greatest live performances ever recorded."

Sinatra at Live Volumes...You Can't Beat It!

sinatra@televar.com (Dan Slater) | Quincy, WA | 08/23/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You may well agree that Sinatra has better live recordings. But " '57 in Concert" is a prime example of Sinatra's comeback of the Capitol Years. The arrangements with Nelson Riddle are fresh, new, and inviting to a Northwest audience. The sound quality of the performance is far SUPERIOR to the bootleg CD that floated around a few years ago! This CD is well worth your investment if you are a true Sinatraphile. You may find Amazon.com is indeed a few cents cheaper than other online resources! Listen to samples here online and YOU DECIDE!You cannot beat any quality LIVE recordings of Frank Sinatra. Who cares who wrote the beginning liner notes...it's the MUSIC, folks! Crank-the-Frank and enjoy."

The Chairman in his prime

Jon Warshawsky | San Diego, CA USA | 12/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 1950s produced some of the best Sinatra albums, the best popular music ever. Songs for Swinging Lovers, A Swingin' Affair and the other classic Nelson Riddle-arranged albums are classics, and this 1957 concert captures FS performing the best of the best material.The first half is a vocal tour de force, the second suffers from FS' fatigued voice, but Sinatra at half-voice is still a good listen. "Hey Jealous Lover" is a riot, but only if you already own the real studio version without the interspersed bits of monologue!If you own the classic Capitol concept albums, this is a great addition. Otherwise, I would recommend the studio albums first. Either way, the '57 concert is a lot of fun to listen to."

Despite it's flaws, an essential Sinatra album

S. Kanter | New York, NY USA | 07/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 1957 I was eleven years old. My parents and older siblings went to see Sinatra at the Copacabana here in NYC, but left me home with a babysitter. Already an avid Sintra fan, I was devastated.Hence, I was compelled to buy the Sinatra '57 CD, despite it's over - $30 price. I would have preferred to have skipped the 24-Karat jive and paid $15.It was thrilling just to hear Sinatra live in 1957, with a great-sounding band conducted by Nelson Riddle! The sound quality, despite a low-level hiss, was just great -- and in stereo! We've heard these arrangements before, but some of them had been, on the original recordings (like Songs for Young Lovers/Swing Easy), with smaller ensembles.The biggest problem, for me, was the fact that Sinatra did not seem to be in good voice. The famous voice had a crackly edge to it, he could not sustain notes very long, and even -whistled- a high note on one tune in fear of not being able to hit it. Frank also ruined the mood often with wisecracks in the middle of a song, though it didn't seem to bother his audience, who laughed at every one.Part of the problem is that this was not a studio recording, where Sinatra was a perfectionist and would do 20 or 30 takes before finding one acceptable for release. The live energy was what counted, and this could be why Sinatra rarely recorded or released live albums.Having said all that, this is a must for any Sinatra fan. Sinatra put most of the uptempo tunes first, then a section with all ballads, much like his radical idea of the "concept album" where a mood is sustained rather than putting a bunch of hits together. These are mostly all Sinatra classics, with a few surprises that were contemporary hits of the time like a great version of "The Tender Trap".If you are a real Sinatra fan, get it. If you are not, buy his classic studio albums (Wee Small Hours, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, A Swingin' Affair, Only the Lonely) first."

I'm Listening As I Write This

Gregg Avedon | 07/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've got quite a bit of Frank live and this 57' concert is well worth getting. I feel it's among the cleanest live recordings from a Sinatra concert. If you only have a handful of Sinatra, there are probably other CD's to get first (like the wonderful "In The Wee Small Hours" or "Swingin' Brass"), but this would be a nice live CD to add. On the other hand, if you're an avid collector, you just can't pass it up. Not the first time available to us, but this packaging makes it much more appealing."

Search - Frank Sinatra :: 57 In Concert

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews