Frank Sinatra - Romance: Songs From the Heart

Romance: Songs From the Heart contains 21 of Sinatra's classic Capitol-era (1953-61) love songs digitally re-mastered (24-bit) from the original studio tapes and together for the first time on one CD. An unreleased version of "Nice 'N' Easy" and "If You Are But A Dream" (never-before commercially available on CD) complement the collection. Also included is "Try A Little Tenderness" made famous by Otis Redding and covered by Michael Buble.

Franks Sinatra Photos

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Amazon.com

A new "concept" CD, and some housekeeping...

If you put together 21 songs from Frank Sinatra's years at Capitol, it's hard to go wrong, whether you plan it, or put some CD's in a multi-disc player and hit "random". And when you start with "...Skin", you're headed in the right direction. The "housekeeping" refers to the final track, which was not a single, nor on the original concept LPs. It slipped through the cracks to go on The Sinatra Years set, but here it is. It doesn't get 5 stars from me for a few reasons. First, why are there no Gordon Jenkins arrangements? I don't have a particular track in mind, but his work is certainly as important as Riddle and May. Second, the different take of 'Nice and Easy' doesn't really add anything. My suggestions for unreleased (at least legally) nuggets? How about one of the slightly faster takes of 'Stars Fell on Alabama'? Or the different version of 'I Thought About You' with the different opening? Just a thought for any future releases from the Tower. August 18, 2008

music for lovers only

Romance: Songs From the Heart has twenty-one magnificent tracks by the great Frank Sinatra; and the sound quality is excellent. The artwork is thoughtful and you can expect to play--and reply--this album over and over again!

"I've Got You Under My Skin" starts the track set; and Frank sings this with so much class it's stunning. His excellent diction and his natural sense of timing make "I've Got You Under My Skin" a complete masterpiece. "Time After Time" has a great strings arrangement and Frank sings this again with all his heart and soul. Frank never misses a note and I think you'll enjoy this ballad when you hear it. Listen also for "Too Marvelous For Words." "Too Marvelous For Words" is relentlessly happy and Frank sings this brilliantly; he swings brightly as he croons this flawlessly. I really like "Too Marvelous For Words."

"My Funny Valentine" gets the royal treatment when Frank delivers this magnificently; he never sounded better and that horn really makes this number even brighter than it otherwise would have been. "Our Love Is Here To Stay" shines like gold in Frank's capable hands; and I love "Our Love Is Here To Stay."

"Cheek To Cheek," an Irving Berlin tune, places Frank squarely front and center--and he certainly takes advantage of that opportunity! His performance commands your attention and you don't have to try hard to listen because it's all so beautiful. The melody is really very pretty. In addition, "I Wish I Were In Love Again" has Frank singing very well, too.

"In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" is a classic torch song that Frank performs without a flaw. "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" was apparently a reference to Frank's pain after his relationship with Ava Gardner ended; but in any event it's a major highlight of this album. "As Time Goes By" also sounds great when Frank sings this; although on this number I thought the music should have been a little more muted.

"I'll be Seeing You" is a somewhat sad but very sentimental song of love; and Frank performs this with panache. There's also "Embraceable You;" this Gershwin tune sounds as if it were written especially for Frank! Great!

"Where Or When" is yet another stunning love ballad; and the arrangement for the piano is extremely elegant. The album closes with "If You Are But A Dream;" this number gives us Frank singing at his finest again and this is a wonderful ending for this album.

Frank Sinatra fans will probably have many of these numbers in their collections already; but they may still want to buy this album because it has so many classic love songs all on one single CD. Of course, this album is very special and thus it makes a strong starter CD for people just discovering Frank Sinatra's incredible talents.
April 7, 2008

Frank Sinatra, a favorite

This CD contains the best love songs from Frank Sinatra, a favorite baladeer. The selections are totally awesome! March 6, 2008

Some of the Best Sinatra

Every selection on this album is vintage Sinatra. I "previewed" several of his albums -- thanks to this feature offered on Amazon.com. The problem with many collections of this type is that all one's favorites do not appear on a single disk. Even so, this selection is a very good representation of Sinatra's work. I'll have to revisit some of the other albums to find other favorites, including "New York, New York" and "Chicago", both missing from "Romance..." September 11, 2007

Frank Sinatra

What can you say about a CD by Frank that hasn't already been said! Got to love his music even though he is no longer here. His music is timeless! August 7, 2007

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