Search - Frank Sinatra :: She Shot Me Down

Sinatra's last great album.

Augustus Caesar, Ph.D. | Eugene, Oregon United States | 02/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Frank Sinatra was, quite simply, the greatest interpreter of the American popular song who ever lived. His singing style is the subject of musicological doctoral dissertations in addition to being something that makes life a little more worth living. For those wonder what makes Sinatra such an important artist, "She Shot Me Down" provides ample evidence of his brilliance, passion, and unparalleled ability to turn a melody into a deeply personal statement.This album, released in 1981, is centered around the themes of lost love, break-ups, and romantic desolation. A mere 38 minutes in duration and containing only nine songs, "She Shot Me Down" is nevertheless one of the finest albums of Sinatra's stellar career. Much of the material here is new or obscure. "Good Thing Going" is a great song, but the arrangement (courtesy of Don Costa) is so bad it nearly kills it--but not quite. Even in this schmaltzy atmosphere, Sinatra manages to inject some of his trademark icy passion into an otherwise pedestrian version of this Sondheim classic.After the disheartening beginning, the album takes off, with nary a weak note to come. My personal favorites are: "Hey Look, No Crying," where Frank examines the end of a romance with deceptive stoicism; "Thanks for the Memory," in which the cute Bob Hope standard is turned instead into a chilling remembrance of a halcyon love gone terribly wrong (this is one of the best lyrics I've ever encountered); "Monday Morning Quarterback," written by Costa and featuring a fine lyric by Pamela Phillips, in which Frank's tough guy image can't hide his bewilderment at losing again; and the magnificent "I Loved Her," with words and music by Gordon Jenkins. Sinatra's vocal on this last track is one of the finest he ever committed to vinyl, and shows why his musical legacy remains so imposing. Despair and regret don't get more enticing than this.The other songs are all excellent as well. With only one weak track ("Good Thing Going"), "She Shot Me Down" is a superb and worthy slice of late Sinatra. Check it out."

SINATRA'S LAST MASTERPIECE

Stephan Mayer | sacramento, ca United States | 11/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With the exception of the contemporary but pretty title track, this album takes you back to the 1950s saloon theme albums.Sinatra's voice has aged but is still strong and sounds much richer on this album than on TRILOGY probably because Don Costa produced this album.....he simply was a better producer than Sonny Burke. The soundmix and quality are superb! If only more Sinatra albums had sounded like this.......The songs alternate between well known and more modern (lesser known) tunes. But Sinatra does magic on all of them and turns them into classics. Even though Sonny and Cher wrote it and sang it first.....do they really reach the depth of Sinatra's performance on BANG, BANG...my baby shot me down?Finally, the arrangements by Gordon, Don and Nelson are all superb. At times Gordon Jenkins arrangments seem to be unusually somber and quiet but it fits the mood perfectly.GET THIS ALBUM....IT IS SINATRA'S LAST GREAT MASTERPIECE!!"

Pure Delight

manuel_munozparra | 07/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sad,poignant and simply wonderful masterpiece of the almost sevety years old Francis Albert.A breathtaking album in wich the Voice soars over the time,the lonely nights,the Camel cigarettes and the Jack Daniels of a life,the heartbreaks and Ava Gardner.
What if it's no the Capitol Sinatra? What if he can't swing like in 1955 anymore? This is the definitive saloon album of Sinatra,in the same level of "WEE SMALL HOURS","ONLY THE LONELY", "NO ONE CARES" or the non-saloon-but-introspective "SEPTEMBER OF MY YEARS".The emotion in his performances ,along with the marvelous arrangements,captures the listener inmediately.I was lucky to find this gem in a shop for only six dollars,and will provide me countless and priceless hours of pleasure.Highlights? from the first to the last of the nine tracks.Perfection."