Frank Sinatra
Long Ago, Far Away (1943-1951) (SING)
5XLP Deluxe Box Set
Five albums, all jam-packed with live gems by Ol' Blue Eyes, originally recorded in the '40s and very early '50s. The bulk were recorded in New York or at the Hollywood Bowl, with a few from Philadelphia. But regardless of the geographical location, all 10 sides of vinyl showcase The Voice at his very best. Smooth, emotion-inducing, and just on it!
Frank's "Ol' Man River," at the Hollywood Bowl, is a show-stopper, and it's impossible not to get goosebumps when he croons "I Fall in Love Too Easily." His banter between songs is a glorious time capsule; there are moments when he just stops short of chastising the crowd for getting too excited.
The packaging here is exquisite. "Paired with a deluxe booklet featuring expert liner notes, rare photos, and vintage memorabilia, every set is unique—each vinyl record is visually distinct, ensuring no two are alike," reads a statement.
“What SING has done with these mono broadcast recordings is nothing short of revolutionary – and remarkable,” said world-renowned Sinatra expert and author Charles L. Granata. “Engineer Harry Hess has taken the vintage sonics to an entirely new level by using professional AI tools to separate Sinatra’s voice from the orchestra, clean it and raise the volume and re-integrate it with the instrumental backing so it has more presence and stands more prominently at the forefront of the recording. This judicious use of professional AI tools has enabled SING to build on the inherent fidelity of these recordings. No gimmickry, fakery or psycho-acoustic tricks were used. Harry’s innovative, targeted and sensitive use of the burgeoning technology in a very specific way resulted in recordings that remain faithful to the artist’s performance while allowing it to shine as never before.”
If the full box set is a stretch financially, there is single LP called Frank Sinatra at the Hollywood Bowl 1943-1948, which picks out some highlights. There's also an album which picks out the best of Sinatra's Christmas on the Air tunes, which is disc 5 in the box set, just in time for the holidays. They've thought of everything.
No One Does It Like Ray Charles
Come Live With Me
Love Country Style
Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul (Tangerine Record Corp.)
There aren't many voices that can follow Sinatra, but Ray Charles certainly has one of them.
Tangerine has remastered and reissued a bunch of classic Charles albums while, in No One Does It Like Ray Charles, they've dropped a new and quite stunning compilation, "collecting for the first time ever a number of mid-1960s singles, B-sides, and non-LP tracks never before gathered together on a single cohesive album," they say. "The instant classic collection captures Ray Charles at the height of his powers, offering a rare glimpse into a prolific and creatively explosive moment in his career."
"Without Love (There is Nothing)" is spellbinding, as is "Something's Wrong." At his peak, Charles' voice finds its way to your very core and wraps itself around your soul.
All of these albums, on stunning orange vinyl (Tangerine -- see what they did there?) are quite beautiful. Ray's version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" on Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul is worth the price of that particular album alone. But there's no filler on any of these.
