Posted on: July 7, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

It has been nearly a decade since Capitol Records released what individuals still hold up as one of the best collections of Sinatra’s music specifically, and of how to create a definitive collection generally. The current leaders at Capitol are trying their hands at capturing lightning in a bottle twice. First off, all the songs that are on “Classic Sinatra II” have been digitally mastered, no matter whether they are “Something’s Gotta Give”, “I Get Along Without You Very Well”, or “Pennies From Heaven”. However, why most individuals will be picking up this album will have to be the previously unreleased material.

The disc’s final track, “This Can’t Be Love”, is an essential addition for anyone that calls themselves a Frank Sinatra fan. Classic Sinatra II is similarly important, as it fills in a number of gaps that the original Classic Sinatra left due to space and time constraints. For example, there is a more chill sound to the songs on II that was not explored properly in the first installment; where the mix of tracks ultimately showcases a great number of Sinatra’s facets, extra care is taken here to push forward that side of Sinatra. This is nowhere better heard than during “I’ve Got A Crush On You”, which links together a sunny side to a slower tempo.

There are so many different releases, both live and studio, that have for whatever reason been dropped from active release. I believe, that every few years, that Capitol should continue to push the envelope and put different, distinct parts of Sinatra’s musical corpus for current consumption. The star of Sinatra may have fallen in the last few years, but continual renovation and digging in the crates of unreleased music that has to be present in the Capitol vaults is what will bring Sinatra’s amazing talent and virtuosity out to all.

Top Tracks: I Get Along Without You Very Well, Too Marvelous For Words

Rating: 8.5/10

Classic Sinatra II / 2009 Capitol / 21 Tracks / http://www.capitolrecords.com

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