Search - Frank Sinatra :: All Alone

A DRAMATIC AND MELANCHOLY MASTERPIECE

Stephan Mayer | sacramento, ca United States | 11/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is perhaps one of Frank's and Gordie's most underrated albums. It is better than any of their work at CAPITOL records as Sinatra's voice on this album is fuller and richer than on the CAPITOL albums.The arrangements are superb and sould extremely lush; Frank probably had Gordie get a large orchestra as he very seldom spared any expense on REPRISE albums. I also like the perfect amount of reverb on Frank and the orchestra; overall the sound is very good.Some of the waltzes do not have extremely deep lyrics and may sound a bit corny or old fashioned but Sinatra and Gordie literally squeeze every bit of emotion out of them and turn them into masterpieces. The ultimate cut on this album is REMEMBER. Just look at what Sinatra and Jenkins do with this song containing relatively simple lyrics - they turn into a dramtic and sad story. Only Frank could do that.Why did the album only hit 25 on the BILLBOARD charts? Well, probably it was overshadowed by SINATRA AND STRINGS which is a bit more modern sounding but does not have the extreme sadness of this one. If Sinatra would have only waited to release this one..........SHAME on Nancy Sinatra for deleting this one from the US REPRISE catalog."

Merely More Perfection

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 07/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somehow this one never caught my attention until now. I suspect I may not be all alone in being unaware of the existence of this neglected masterpiece. Its contemporary generation, on the cusp of the Beatles revolution, would undoubtedly be unimpressed if not put off by a program of 1920's sentimental favorites; an older generation, on the other hand, would balk at the songs of their youth not performed at a lilting, sing-along tempo.All twelve tunes are waltzes, but the combination of Jenkins' rich orchestral palette and Sinatra's deliberative, deeply meditative readings all but erases consciousness of 3/4 meter. Sinatra sings not just of the past but of the tragic sense of time passing and the impossibility of reclaiming what is over except through art. The 1920s and 30s produced much popular material of undeniable melodramatic sentiment, and Sinatra mines this vein to the fullest, even in the face of a record-buying public that, especially during the 60s and 70s, preferred denial of the past and living in a knife-edge present.This program is even more difficult to handle in a single session than "Only the Lonely" and "September of My Years," but that doesn't make it any less indispensable. Jenkins' arrangements might justify charges of over-ripeness for any singer other than Sinatra (he even throws in a soprano voice on "All Alone" and "The Melody Lingers On"). For the Master Storyteller, the settings serve as foils to unflinching, soul-searching, achingly beautiful, introspective journeys. Even "I lost the gladness that turned into sadness" is a phrase that acquires depth and resonance as Sinatra tells it.Let's hope this conceptual gem, already consigned to Japanese exile, survives the parting out and chop-shop treatment to which Nancy and her fellow executors seem prone."

Sinatra's Peak?

Glenn Adams | Las Vegas, NV | 11/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When does an aging artist (or athlete) peak? I liked Dylan at "Blood on the Tracks". Sinatra peaked at "All Alone". I got the vinyl in 1962 when I was 17. The mature voice exceeded all the 50s recordings, but by "Sinatra '68", the deep baritone was only excellent, not perfect. If you are heartbroken and lonely, this will let you bask in your sorrow and maybe see you through the ordeal. Wish I was old enough to remenber Gordon Jenkins."