Frank Sinatra - Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years

A 20-track collection from the Reprise years that tries to cover too much ground. Very Good Years sweeps from the early 1960s to 1979's "New York New York," focusing on the most obvious Sinatra standards. The watchword here isn't art but populism. That's not a problem, really--but it means that serious fans (or those aspiring to be) will be better served elsewhere. It would be a fine introduction for the casual music lover, but so would any decent collection. For a compact Reprise-era sampler, try either this one or something from the Greatest Hits series. --Gavin McNett Amazon.com

A Good Overview of the Reprise Years

"Sinatra Reprise" focuses on the singer's best work from 1960 to 1979 - combining the integral singles ("Summer Wind," "That's Life" and "My Way") with classic performances of "Fly Me to the Moon," "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "It Was a Very Good Year." Along the way are memorable live versions of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "The Lady Is a Tramp." Of course, the show-stoppers remain "Luck Be a Lady" and a triumphant "New York, New York." Though no match for the glorious Capitol era, this 20-track Reprise compilation holds up quite nicely. June 4, 2008

I like his Capitol sides better, but this is still great

I'll be the first to say that I am nowhere near a huge Frank Sinatra fan. I barely even know him, if I'm being honest. But what I do know is that I first heard him on a film soundtrack years ago, and I was hooked.

So I went out and bought 'Gold,' a Capitol record of his, and this one 'Sinatra Reprise.' While both are great, I still prefer 'Gold.' While this has 20 songs and 'Gold' has 12, I still pick 'Gold' every time. Why? Because there is a charm that Frank had in his Capitol sides that I think he lacked in his latter-year Reprise recordings.

But these recordings are still excellent. 'I've Got You Under My Skin,' 'That's Life,' and 'The Summer Wind' are all here, and those are three of my all-time favorite Sinatra songs.

Overall, I would recommend this to any Sinatra buff. This set offers 20 mighty fine songs from ol' blue eyes, and it's still the way to go if you want the best of Reprise and Warner Bros. recordings.

Recommended for the Sinatra buff. May 26, 2008

Frank in fine Voice

Nothing finer than putting on some Sinatra and listening to the voice that could croon any song. An enjoyable CD. Not one of the true 5 star Best Of Sinatra recordings, but a fine CD none-the-less. 4 Stars. May 1, 2008

Some masterful moments

4.5 stars

Yes, there are more well-rounded and less "poppy" Sinatra collections, but this does have some of his finest moments, and those moments are quite perfect.
Any fan of Frank's amazing phrasing, clipped delivery and crisp timing will find many sterling examples of these and his various other delights.
That said, there's some real cheese here too, like Strangers, which really is a weak piece of plastic.
That is, however, the great irony and mystery of Old Blue Eyes, or is that Old Black Heart: such a romantic and lush vocal talent, and such a mean-spirited and arrogant prickola. He liked to hit women, often, he was a short guy with a Napoleon complex who had to prove what a tough guy he (or rather his swarthy friends) was, he was a criminal in various ways. It's funny to think of all the Franky fans who decried libertine rock stars while their hero was out slugging Mia and many other women and assisting organized crime whenever possible (his bios are fascinating reading). The guy was a thug, but he also had golden pipes and real understanding of how to sell a lyric.
In other words, a standard Great Artist, warts and all.
And let's face it, no one else will ever touch his readings of many of these classic tunes. Very Good Year is a very bgood title, as his version of that tune is a true masterpiece, and it's hard to imagine anyone else even singing this song, let along making it his in the way the Sinatra was so good at. Add to that some incredible backing from many gifted musicians (and fabulous charts by folks like Nelson Riddle), and you've got great music.
Somwhere my parents are smiling, for I laughed at Frank as a kid because they loved him. I still laugh at how worshipful folks can be of this velvet-throated thug, but I understand now how well he delivered the goods. April 20, 2008

Sinatra Is The Man

I listen to mainly rock but this is a fine collection of music by a man who set a standard with standards. Sure this album goes through the 60's quickly gets to the 1970's but I really enjoyed his Reprise years over any other period of his singing. So depending on your taste, this is a winner one way or the other. I highly recommend getting this one.
Search for our site Judemac Forever on msn,Google or Yahoo. March 5, 2008

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