Frank Sinatra - Sinatra DVD

Here's Frank Sinatra in 1969 when, after a brief sortie into retirement mid-way through the decade, he returned with hit after hit culminating in "My Way", which is flagged here by audience applause in recognition of its current chart success (in Britain it was in the Top 50 for 122 weeks!). Don Costa, one of the least celebrated of Sinatra arranger/conductors, presides over a collection of songs that includes a contemporary group by Stevie Wonder, Rod McKuen and Jimmy Webb. Sinatra forsakes black tie and the formal studio surroundings for those songs, appearing in... a Manhattan-style apartment dressed in casual white jumper, slacks and smoking a cigarette. But he's clearly less than engaged, and his eyes dip down to the autocue for lyrics new to him. His voice shows signs of that cigarette smoke, too: the opening of "For Once in My Life" sounds a bit rough, and he becomes audibly hoarse after the midway climax on "My Way", placed daringly as the third item on the programme. Two arrangements are different from the original studio recordings: there's a cut in the coda to "My Way", and in "My Kind of Town", the finale of the programme, there are some additional verses and a punchier accompaniment as Sinatra cues in the closing credits on screen. His line in self-deprecating humour is turned to advantage when, with the aid of clips, he reviews his early screen career ("I started in Higher and Higher and went lower and lower"). But never less than in full command of his stage act, he turns in vintage performances of "All the Way", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Love's Been Good to Me" and Victor Young's underrated "Street of Dreams". On the DVD: The picture quality in the opening songs comes over a mite bright owing to the studio lighting on the set which, at a certain angle, fogs the profile of the singer. The orchestral sound stands up well with the large string section making for a comfortable aural backdrop. The trailer builds up a keen sense of anticipation as Sinatra arrives at the studio by limousine to a silent soundtrack, walks onto an empty soundstage, throws his hat on a stool and then takes to the podium as the camera cuts to him singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" with full orchestra. Stills of the other Sinatra concerts are also featured.--Adrian Edwards [show more]

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