92. Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim | Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967)

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Wikipedia Entry

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1. The Girl from Ipanema
2. Dindi
3. Change Partners
4. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
5. Meditation (Meditação)
6. If You Never Come to Me
7. How Insensitive (Insensatez)
8. I Concentrate on You
9. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
10. Once I Loved (O Amor em Paz)

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Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim is a soothing album.  The songs are in the bossa nova style. Sinatra sounds really good and Jobim is so unassuming that you forget he's playing the guitar and the piano. It's only when he is singing that you remember he's there. It's not meant as a slight against Jobim. He is the music and the music is great.

I'm not quite sure why this album is on the 1001 Albums list. For 1967, the album is slightly anachronistic. This album is germane to either the late '50s or early '60s, but not late '60s. It's not that an album has to be progressive, but bossa nova music doesn't have much variation, nor do the pop standards that are Sinatra's forté. You could have listened to In the Wee Small Hours and Getz/Gilberto back-to-back and have gotten a similar experience.

It's a good album, especially if you like Sinatra. The stand out songs are The Girl from Ipanema, Dindi, Change Partners, How Insensitive (Insensatez), I Concentrate on You and Baubles, Bangles and Beads.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

7. Frank Sinatra | Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. You Make Me Feel So Young
2. It Happened in Monterey
3. You're Getting to be a Habit with Me
4. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
5. Too Marvelous for Words
6. Old Devil Moon
7. Pennies From Heaven
8. Love is Here to Stay
9. I've Got You Under My Skin
10. I Thought About You
11. We'll Be Together Again
12. Makin' Whoopee
13. Swingin' Down the Lane
14. Anything Goes
15. How About You?

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Songs for Swingin' Lovers! is such a wonderful album. It's everything its title implies.

Frank Sinatra has such a great voice for songs such as these. The music is just as good. It's restrained when Sinatra is singing, but when he's not, it's simply explosive and full of life–you can't help but want to get up and dance. The lyrics are what one would expect: superficial, carefree and full of promise–perfect for romance.

But there are a few exceptions. Makin' Whoopee is about a man's willingness to do anything for sex, like getting married and sewing; however, it doesn't mention the themes of infidelity, divorce and alimony that appear in other versions. That would be too much of a downer, I suppose. Anything Goes has a little commentary of how social standards have slipped.

Every song on this album is enjoyable, but the real highlights are: You Make Me Feel So Young, You're Getting to be a Habit with Me, Old Devil Moon, Pennies From Heaven, I've Got You Under My Skin, Makin' Whoopee and Anything Goes.

This is certainly an album worth playing at a party and certainly worth listening to again.

★★★★★★★★★★

1. Frank Sinatra | In the Wee Small Hours (1955)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
2. Mood Indigo
3. Glad to Be Unhappy
4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
5. Deep in a Dream
6. I See Your Face Before Me
7. Can't We Be Friends?
8. When Your Lover Has Gone
9. What Is This Thing Called Love?
10. Last Night When We Were Young
11. I'll Be Around
12. Ill Wind
13. It Never Entered My Mind
14. Dancing on the Ceiling
15. I'll Never Be the Same
16. This Love of Mine

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In the Wee Small Hours is an interesting start to the "1001 Albums" list. Frank Sinatra is wonderful to listen to and Nelson Riddle's arrangements work well in the background and never overshadow Ol' Blue Eyes. However, the album is pretty darn depressing from the first song to the last. I suppose losing Ava Gardner will do that to a poor fellow.

The album starts out strong with In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning and Mood Indigo. It picks up again with Can't We Be Friends? and When Your Lover Has Gone and ends strong with Ill Wind and Dancing on the Ceiling.

In the Wee Small Hours is an album worth listening to, but it's certainly not an album that can be listened to at any time. Thus, it's a very good album, but not a great one.

★★★★★★★★☆☆