Search - Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart :: High Society (1956 Film) / Can-Can (1960 Film) / Pal Joey (1957 Film)

Is better than it sounds...

John W. Cotner | Belmont, MI USA | 12/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"i bought this three cd set to get the movie soundtrack recording of "pal joey", as it is not available separately, believe it or not. i would have been better off finding a mint condition lp record of PJ and burning it onto a cd myself. the sound reproduction on these three discs is mediocre at best. nothing against the aussies, but this smacks of a home recording studio mass produced, "not available in stores" job. you cannot argue with frank sinatra, though, and that is what ties these three movie scores together and recommends purchase of this set to frankophiles everywhere. he was sublime in his time, as were bing crosby and louis armstrong (high society), maurice chevalier (can can) and maybe rita hayworth (pal joey). we will not see their like again in our time... you can throw in nikita khruschev, too, as he wandered onto the set and watched them make "can can" and professed to be horrified by our (or shirly maclaine's) decadence.even with the poor sound quality, you should buy this set because the songs and arrangements -- some by nelson riddle -- are so solid -- "true love"; "who wants to be a millionaire; "c'est magnifique"; i love paris"; and all of "pal joey." the quiet ballads "I didn't know what time it was" and "bewitched, bothered and bewildered" are as close to "wee small hours" and "one for my baby" as frank can get, and just as plaintive. some of these songs are available on other of frank's albums and in boxed sets but not in cohesive movie score form except here. so, if you love frank, are a fan of bing, louis, maurice or fifties movies, get this set. if, like me, you want "pal joey" and this is the only way you can get it, then bite the bullet and spring for the whole three cd set -- you won't regret paying extra for the two additional movie scores you get.the poor sound is the only reason i give this four stars; the music itself rates five stars -- "all the way.""

C'est Magnifique!

Stefan Huber | 11/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fine example of music's legendary crooners and jazz talents, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. The best of Cole Porter imagined."

Great soundtracks get bad treatment!

Stefan Huber | Bischofstetten Austria | 09/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While Capitol currently has all major Sinatra releases in its catalogue, the three soundtrack albums cut during the most artistic period in Sinatra's career have become a rarity. First of all, let me mention, that the 4 stars did not happen due to the performances on these albums, but due to this issue.

"High Society" finds Frank, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong at their top. While Crosby does the ballad "I Love You, Samantha" and the swinger "Now You Has Jazz" with Armstrong, Sinatra dedicates two sentimental songs to Grace Kelly, "Mind If I Make Love You" and "You're Sensational". Grace herself does a charming vocal on the now-classic (and perhaps best-remembered performance from the movie) "True Love", accompanied by Bing Crosby. Contrary, Frank does the funny "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" with Celeste Holm and ends up "binging" with Bing on the ever-classic "Well, Did You Evah?". Definitely all performances heard here are the ones heard in the movie (with a few lines edited off or on), except "You're Sensational", which has been re-recorded at Capitol studios.

"Can-Can", released in 1960, comes with an all-star cast featuring Maurice Chevalier, Shirley MacLaine and Louis Jourdan. While Frank and Maurice do a fine version of Porter's "I Love Paris" (Sinatra actually did the definite version with Nelson Riddle for a Capitol single), Louis Jourdan brings in a charming version of "You Do Something To Me". Shirley duets with Sinatra on the ever-funny "Let's Do It" and does "Come Along With Me". Maurice Chevalier gives "Just One Of Those Things" his very own touch by doing his kind of phrasing and Nelson Riddle does a really rousing arrangement of the "Can-Can". All performances featured here are the same as in the movie. An extended version of "I Love Paris" can be found on the Rhino boxed set "Frank Sinatra In Hollywood".

"Pal Joey", the only album in here to be presented in mono, is a nice cast album to the 1957 Columbia movie. Actually, Kim Novak's performances had to be dubbed by Trudy Erwin and Jo Ann Greer sings for Rita Hayworth. Sinatra does the first recording of his ever-classic "The Lady Is A Tramp", a sentimental "Bewitched" (perhaps the best reading, although he did not sing the song in the movie) and swingin' arrangements of "There's A Small Hotel" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was". The album also includes many instrumental selections from the great underscore. Almost all selections appearing on this record are studio re-recordings ("The Lady Is A Tramp" having been originally recorded for the classic concept album "A Swingin' Affair!") and the movie versions can be found on Rhino's boxed set.

In any case, it was a good idea to re-issue these classic three albums, after the original Capitol pressings from the late 1980's to early 1990's had run out of print. Unfortunately, EMI Australia did not use the original session tapes or the master tapes used for the former Capitol CDs, but seems have been going back to LP master tapes. Additionally, album reverb has not been removed, which does not affect "Pal Joey", but makes the poor-quality (stereo) versions of "Can-Can" and "High Society" almost unlistenable. The booklet contains the original LP liner notes, but does not give full session information and omits big prints of the LP covers.

As long as these albums remain out of print, this edition surely remains a collector's item and one can only wish, that Capitol (or the record company currently owning the copyright in these recordings) will someday give us reasonable sounding (an extended) versions of these classic Sinatra treasures!"