Frank Sinatra – Strangers In The Night (1966/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 27:05 minutes | 569 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Capitol Records
If there’s one thing the career of Frank Sinatra has shown, it’s that great taste is indeed timeless. In the post-Beatles Sixties, it had begun to look like Sinatra’s star was falling. The revitalized world of rock music knocked Sinatra’s style of popular song squarely out of the box in terms of public interest. The level of Sinatra’s artistry, however, never diminished during this period, and it wasn’t long before he made his commercial comeback with “Strangers In The Night”.
Powered by the monster hit that was the title song, this album conveyed the image of a successful artist feeling his oats, as they say. With soulmate Nelson Riddle grasping the conductor’s baton, Sinatra turned in a bouncy, invigorating set of tunes that smacked of a newfound maturity but sacrificed none of his youthful verve. The bold, swinging ‘Summer Wind’ remains a testament to Sinatra’s interpretive powers and infectious enthusiasm for a well-written song.
Strangers in the Night marked Frank Sinatra’s return to the top of the pop charts in the mid-’60s, and it consolidated the comeback he started in 1965. Although he later claimed he disliked the title track, the album was an inventive, rich effort from Sinatra, one that established him as a still-viable star to a wide, mainstream audience without losing the core of his sound. Combining pop hits (“Downtown,” [RoviLink=”MC”]”On a Clear Day [You Can See Forever],”[/RoviLink] “Call Me”) with show tunes and standards, the album creates a delicate but comfortable balance between big band and pop instrumentation. Using strings, horns, and an organ, Nelson Riddle constructed an easy, deceptively swinging sound that appealed to both Sinatra’s dedicated fans and pop radio. And Sinatra’s singing is relaxed, confident, and surprisingly jazzy, as he plays with the melody of “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” and delivers a knockout punch with the assured, breathtaking “Summer Wind.” Although he would not record another album with Riddle again, Sinatra would expand the approach of Strangers in the Night for the rest of the decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1-01. Frank Sinatra – Strangers In The Night (02:35)
1-02. Frank Sinatra – Summer Wind (02:54)
1-03. Frank Sinatra – All Or Nothing At All (03:57)
1-04. Frank Sinatra – Call Me (02:46)
1-05. Frank Sinatra – You’re Driving Me Crazy! (02:15)
1-06. Frank Sinatra – On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) (03:18)
1-07. Frank Sinatra – My Baby Just Cares For Me (02:31)
1-08. Frank Sinatra – Downtown (02:10)
1-09. Frank Sinatra – Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (02:09)
1-10. Frank Sinatra – The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (02:26)
