Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours

Decade - 1950's


Label - Capitol
Producer - Voyle Gilmore
Country - US
Genre - Traditional Pop/Big Band/Crooner

A1	In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning	3:00
A2	Mood Indigo	3:30
A3	Glad to Be Unhappy	2:35
A4	I Get Along Without You Very Well	3:42
A5	Deep in a Dream	2:49
A6	I See Your Face Before Me	3:24
A7	Can't We Be Friends?	2:48
A8	When Your Lover Has Gone	3:10
B1	What Is This Thing Called Love	2:35
B2	Last Night When We Were Young	3:17
B3	I'll Be Around	2:59
B4	Ill Wind	3:46
B5	It Never Entered My Mind	2:42
B6	Dancing on the Ceiling	2:57
B7	I'll Never Be the Same	3:05
B8	This Love of Mine	3:33

Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours (1955)

Having grown up in the era where the songwriter part of the singer/songwriter is what brings respect, it is difficult for me to really like someone like Sinatra, who is a performer singing other people's songs and compositions.

Then I realised I'd done the same thing with Ray Charles and really enjoyed him, so now I just blame Sinatra. Big reputation, this doesn't show me why.

This is a looooong (ok well, it felt long) collection of melancholy, sad love songs, sung by Sinatra, arranged by Nelson Riddle. The problem is that every single track has the exact same feel and the exact same vocal performance and the exact same...well you get the idea. As everyone probably figured out when I reviewed Time Out, I HATE background music and yet this is all this is.

It's not that it's particularly bad or unpleasant, but it drags and drags relentlessly without offering much of substance. I don't get any genuine feelings of sadness in his voice - I get 'entertainer pretending to be sad'.

I guess some music isn't quite as timeless for erm...me.


Score - 5/10

Recommended - No