5.1 won't happen on any Capitol Sinatra material. 3 track at best. Some are mono only, from full track mono.
Sorry to quote myself here -- and all the sorrier that my remark is slightly tangential to the thread. But, my gracious, that MFSL Gold mono Sings for Only the Lonely sounds sweet. So good. Not making comparisons to the 2018 right now, just listening in wonderment.
But that's right. At the time of passing the multitracks of 3 tracks step to 5.1 leaving two channels mute because it is necessary to standardize the audio format.
Just received the 2CD set today and loved hearing the "what could have been..." of Lush Life. I found the arrangement at the beginning a little strange and, for some reason, unsettling. It would have been interesting to hear what he would have done with it if he ever tried it again. It also made me realize that Nat King Cole somehow made that song sound easy. (The Acoustic Sounds "Nat King Cole Story" 5LP is a thing of beauty. Only realized I got the evil version - 666! - recently. Thank you Steve for this set and all the other NKC Acoustic Sounds releases. I wish that the Capitol brass would realize they could do the same Sinatra.)
Sinatra and gang were approaching the song from a far more dramatic angle than was Cole -- but yes, the breezy version by NKC sounds effortless. Had Sinatra and Riddle come back and made a successful take, it would have been nothing short of a masterpiece. What's here is quite breathtaking, powerful evidence of just how this song scaled in the hands of these two geniuses at their peak. Honestly, I actually love the intro/beginning most of all. It's that casual piano-side, storytelling Sinatra/Riddle combo -- words, melody and musical arrangement functioning at the highest levels of the art. It's the quality that I love most about Frank's earliest Capitol albums.
One thing I noticed in one more audition of this album: The songs conducted by Felix Slatkin convey the emotion and the climate in more depth. In turn, the songs conducted by Nelson Riddle are with their structures rigidly organized, with the instruments in their due emphasis and breathing more.
I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but if you go for the 24/48 download, the track listing is wrong, and all of the bonus tracks are put as the last tracks of the release. This is the correct (re-titled, and in order) sequence: Only the Lonely [3-Track Stereo Mix] Angel Eyes [3-Track Stereo Mix] What's New? [3-Track Stereo Mix] It's a Lonesome Old Town [3-Track Stereo Mix] Willow Weep for Me [3-Track Stereo Mix] Goodbye [3-Track Stereo Mix] Blues in the Night [3-Track Stereo Mix] Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry [3-Track Stereo Mix] Ebb Tide [3-Track Stereo Mix] Spring is Here [3-Track Stereo Mix] Gone with the Wind [3-Track Stereo Mix] One for My Baby [3-Track Stereo Mix] Only the Lonely [1958 Mono Mix] Angel Eyes [1958 Mono Mix] What's New? [1958 Mono Mix] It's a Lonesome Old Town [1958 Mono Mix] Willow Weep for Me [1958 Mono Mix] Goodbye [1958 Mono Mix] Blues in the Night [1958 Mono Mix] Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry [1958 Mono Mix] Ebb Tide [1958 Mono Mix] Spring is Here [1958 Mono Mix] Gone with the Wind [1958 Mono Mix] One for My Baby [1958 Mono Mix] Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry [Mono Alternate Take - May 5, 1958] Angel Eyes [Mono Alternate Session Takes - May 5, 1958] Lush Life [Mono Session Takes - May 29, 1958] One for My Baby [Mono Test Track - June 24, 1958]
If you want to read my text about this album, the link is here: Grandes Discos: Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (Capitol, 1958)
Just a thought. We all know that this masterpiece is concepted almost like a movie. And it's so nice that when you look at the 4 continuing songs on side two "tears out to dry" "ebb tide" "spring is here" and "gone with the wind" that he is outside and it is daytime. You can see him in the morning after the "Blues in the night" hanging his tears out to dry, then walking down to the beach (ebb tide etc.) for reminiscing. It's so beautiful. Almost like a little musical suite in itself.
´ Still have my old UK Mono copy and don't need no "upgrade". . The same goes for No One Cares. My two favorite Sinatra LPs. . I prefer his melancholic, world-weary work over his easy-going, optimistic swing albums ..............................
Conceptualized. Astute observation, I agree it's so beautiful and almost like a little musical suite in itself.
Thanks for your replys! Just thinking, that when you listen to Nelson's arrangements of this little "four song suite", the mood and sound of the arrangements are much brighter than the rest of the album. "Tears out to dry" describes a "sunny weather" "blue sky" day. And Nelson perfectly fits the mood for those four songs "outside".
The deluxe CD set is down to $16.49 on Amazon, the cheapest it's ever been. I suspect the price will jump back up over $20 once they move the discounted Amazon Warehouse copy. I don't recommend gambling on the discounted Warehouse copy, by the way. The discount isn't big enough given Amazon's trends of late. https://www.amazon.com/Sings-Only-Lonely-Anniversary-Stereo/dp/B07GRRCRRB
Anyone know how successful the sales figures were on this release? I hope they can do some more. I would love to see "Come Dance With Me" given a nice stereo remix with the depth and detail that this one has.
I have the stereo remix of this album available in the UK '98 Capitol Years box set (my favorite version) and also the mono MFSL. Does this new mastering improves on anything? If not, are the bonus tracks alone worth the purchase? Cheers.
If you want other great sound references of this album, yes. And one of them is the Australian LP of 1972.
Actually the MFSL mono release is not an SACD. It is a gold CD. But thats just being picky because it sounds really great as recommended above.
