So, if you are looking for a consistently upbeat selection of Sinatra's songs, good luck finding it. I think that many people just don't realize what kind of feeling and intense emotion he was able instill into the more mellow ballads, and if you are willing to lend an open ear to his somewhat lesser-known works, then you'll definitely enjoy this CD. For the price, it's an excellent representation of what Sinatra really gave to the world of contemporary music.


sinatra? you've got to be kidding!   November 10, 2003
miller stevens (seattle)
55 out of 58 found this review helpful

Frank Sinatra? What the hell do I care about old Blue Eyes? I'm in my 30s and prefer listening to someone who didn't pre-date TV. But, well, my dad was visiting and he didn't want to listen to Travis or Seal in the car so I did the good son thing of getting him a Frank CD. I knew some of these songs, of course. They're old and classic. Dad sang along to them. I grated my teeth and kept on driving. The CD finished and dad looked disappointed, so I played it again. And again. Somewhere during the fifth play, I had my epiphany. This guy really was incredible. There is something, some quality in his voice that I don't think you can put a finger on, but it's there. Dad said, "Okay, let's change the CD" but I said that I'd let him listen one more time.
Dad has headed back home now, but I find myself listening to Frank still. Sinatra did something that nothing else has done - bridged a generation gap. I have encouraged friends to listen to his stuff too and they have the same reaction: while Dido or Madonna get old after a couple of listenings, Sinatra can stay in your CD player a run through a hundred times without sounding tired. That's just amazing.
Next time, Dad wants me to get an Al Jolson CD for us to listen to, but I think there are limits.


Not good for a beginner, but otherwise nice recordings   December 21, 1999
Mark Doerr (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois)
45 out of 55 found this review helpful

Being new to Frank Sinatra, I was expecting a lot out of this CD. However, after hearing it, I was left with more of a depressed feeling than one of the upbeatness I was expecting from Old Blue Eyes. This is not a good album to buy if you are new to Frank and considering this as your first purchase. With MANY of his greatest hits missing and 2 very popular songs that are different versions, this may seem akward and disappointing. However, if you are a long time fan and have many other albums, this is a quality album.


This is the finest of all Sinatra albums   April 11, 2000
Daniel Berger (Atlanta, GA USA)
41 out of 41 found this review helpful

"The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" on Reprise gets panned for certain things. Other reviewers here disparage the wide variety of songs, like "Pocketful of Miracles," a children's song, or the prevalence of remakes.

But this album succeeds in presenting Frank at his finest. His voice is still nearly as strong as in his 1950s peak. And he sings with great conviction, styling, power and emotion, and perhaps greater maturity than in his Capitol years. This is a man at the height of his strength.

Sinatra, as chairman of Reprise, had the creative freedom he didn't always have at Capitol. Most of these songs are arranged and the bands led by the same leaders Sinatra had made history with, including Nelson Riddle and Billy May. I believe he wanted to seal his place in history with these recordings. They feature fabulous, creative arrangements, with no expense spared on the orchestra, rather than the humdrum backups he sometimes got with Capitol. "Witchcraft" and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are both more powerful here than on the Capitol album. They are perfect. Sinatra's singing is devoid of kidding around here and has very little ad libbing. His phrasing is perfect but he is not yet using it to compensate for a failing voice. This is a man taking himself seriously as an artist and wanting these recordings to capture that.

I disagree that there are huge gaps on this album. Sinatra's 50 year career is too big to capture on any conventionally sized set, and bigger sets are unmanageable and invariably contain chaff. This one has as many, if not more, of the big hits than any other selection. It captures every phase of his career from crooning, to the 50s songs, be they swinging or sad, to movie and show tunes, to 60s hits. Yes, some space spent on his late 60s numbers might be considered wasted by some - his voice was just beginning to slip and songs like "Something Stupid" aren't immortal. But then many baby boomers will remember these songs as pop radio hits in the 1960s. And with some criticizing this album for having too many of the somber songs already, would it make sense to add more?

I have listened to this album probably more than 300 times, and it is my favorite Sinatra album. "The Best of the Capitol Years" is also worthy - and certainly, so are the many original albums, particularly those from the 1950s. But for a one-stop shop, this is every bit as good as the Capitol selection.