Frank Sinatra - Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back DVD

Part of a series of Sinatra releases, Ol' Blue Eyes is Back is a fairly perfunctory television run-through that does little to diminish his reputation. Sadly, nor does it offer much to enhance it, or at least provide a degree of greater insight into the man. Although by this period he was firmly ensconced in his Las Vegas cabaret period, there is still great delight to be had from listening to that effortless voice and watching his stage craft--can there ever have been a performer who knew more about singing alongside a large orchestra?--as he glides effortlessly through... a selection of the hits and less well known numbers. Gene Kelly pops up as a special guest for a couple of duets but this is very much Sinatra's show; it's just a shame that it comes across as just a glorified TV special. On the DVD: With the sound taken from the original mono recording and the picture bearing all the hallmarks of a 1970s US television show, this is certainly not the most staggering attempt at bringing Frank Sinatra to DVD. The lush orchestration and honeyed voice do, however, sound suitably impressive. There are no extras beyond a catalogue and trailer for the other releases in the series and a choice of subtitled lyrics in five different languages. With his estate guarding the singer's legacy and oft-battered image so closely, fans may well have to wait a lot longer before gaining an opportunity to see beyond this sort of performance footage. --Phil Udell [show more]

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