Post: #1

does anybody here listen to Frank Sinatra & other members of the Rat Pack? I love listening to those artists because they're one of the few good examples of celebrities who were good examples of masculinity and for Dean Martin & Sinatra, they were first generation americans like me (their parents were Italian nationals).

Post: #2

My favourite song of that era is by Bobby Darin - who alas was not part of the Rat Pack.

Post: #3

Almost every night before going out.

Post: #4

(03-08-2014 07:25 PM)Christian McQueen Wrote:  Almost every night before going out.

i listen to them in the morning when I am in a very mellow mood, when I am reading a book, and before I go to sleep.

Post: #5

my favorite song from Dean Martin

Post: #6

I've been a Sinatra fanatic since high school -- which bewildered (and annoyed) my rock-loving parents. I'm into his music, not so much his movies.

The reason Frank connects is because when he was at his best he was able to embody a song. Others, like Tony Bennett, had better voices. But you could hear them "singing" just to sing. Sinatra sang to communicate.

Even though he could swing, I think he was at his best on his albums of depressing music. I'm not throwing the word "depressing" around. Sinatra didn't record soft, beautiful music. When his music was sad, it was despondent in the way Ian Curtis, Phil Ochs, and Nick Drake would be in the future.

For me, the "must own" albums are the following, in chronological order:

"In the Wee Small Hours" -- his first with Nelson Riddle and one of the first 12" albums ever released. Gloomy but gorgeous. And jazzy in spots.

"Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely" -- its classical feel is hard to grasp at first, but the black mood makes it timeless. This is an album, I think, that mostly appeals to men because there's a certain sense of displacement and not belonging that I think it strictly a male thing.

"Point of No Return" -- dismissed by critics, it's much better than its reputation and has him tacking a bunch of obscure tunes.

"September of My Years" -- recorded when he turned 50. A wistful look at life, love, and mortality.

"Watertown" -- DO NOT get this album if you're prone to suicidal depression. It's a Sinatra's attempt at a (soft) rock opera, a first-person account of a guy whose wife leaves him and his two sons behind. Co-written, oddly enough, by the guy who originally did "Dazed and Confused," which Led Zeppelin put their names to (and got sued for).

"She Shot Me Down" -- His last great album and one of the bleakest he ever recorded. His frayed voice makes the material ring true and works in his favor.

There are other fine albums, like "Where Are You?" and "Songs for Swingin' Lovers," but the above have been my favorites since before I could drink, so I don't think I'll be changing my mind about them anything soon.

This is my take on how he became popular with younger music fans:

By the 1980s, a lot of people didn't care anymore and saw him as an irrelevant old man. Then hack journalist Kitty Kelly tried to destroy him with her "scandalous" bio "My Way." It painted him as a mercurial, maladjusted, overly emotional, and tons of other negative things.

Ironically, the wild stories she recounted had the opposite effect. They cemented his legend and made people think he was more a precursor of artists like Keith Richards and Axl Rose than a boring contemporary of "granddad" singers like Perry Como. It inadvertently rendered him more "artist" than "entertainer"...and endeared him to a new generation of rock fans, culminating in his 1990s revival. Nice job, Kitty!

Post: #7

Great breakdown Days of Broken Arrows.

+1

Post: #8

(03-08-2014 07:25 PM)Christian McQueen Wrote:  Almost every night before going out.

Damn McQueen this hit me hard for some reason. I knew you were an old school dude. Really, you listen to Sinatra almost every night before going out? That's fucking beautiful.

Post: #9

I start with Sinatra while getting ready, suiting up and having my first drink.

Then I switch to EDM and have my driver (if I don't drive, usually don't) pump music to get me psyched for the night.

Post: #10

(03-08-2014 08:43 PM)Christian McQueen Wrote:  I start with Sinatra while getting ready, suiting up and having my first drink.

Then I switch to EDM and have my driver (if I don't drive, usually don't) pump music to get me psyched for the night.

Here's a little treat for you. Great movie ("Pal Joey", Sinatra has never been cooler) and great, great song.

Post: #11

(03-08-2014 08:10 PM)Days of Broken Arrows Wrote:  "Watertown" -- DO NOT get this album if you're prone to suicidal depression. It's a Sinatra's attempt at a (soft) rock opera, a first-person account of a guy whose wife leaves him and his two sons behind.

She didnt lft dude, she died.

Post: #12

My favorite from Sinatra is "Strangers in the Night."





Some others from The Chairman of the Board:

Post: #13

(03-08-2014 10:15 PM)germanico Wrote:  

(03-08-2014 08:10 PM)Days of Broken Arrows Wrote:  "Watertown" -- DO NOT get this album if you're prone to suicidal depression. It's a Sinatra's attempt at a (soft) rock opera, a first-person account of a guy whose wife leaves him and his two sons behind.

She didnt lft dude, she died.

Where did you get that from? According to the lyricist, Jake Holmes, she left and didn't come back. I think this is what makes it a real tragedy: he has to face his own failure as a man. If it were death, that's something that would have been out of his control and in a way easier to deal with.

Below are some of his quotes about why she left. This is from a Jake Holmes interview that breaks the album down, song by song (source here from his own Web site).

"THE TRAIN: "...is the story. We find out that he really didn't communicate anything to her, and she isn't coming back. Although we're getting all of this story from him, she never got any of this. If she had heard this album, she might have come home. She never saw this side of him. It gives the story a very deep resonance.""

WHAT'S NOW IS NOW: "...an indication that she had obviously gone with somebody else. She has had a relationship, and he hadn't been able to accept it. That is partly what drove her off to the big city. There is a guilt theme in that song. It is the song that opens up the story.""

Post: #14

Sinatra did a version of this song...but I like Martin's much better.
Some nice art work in this video.

Post: #15

Indeed, love Dean Martin....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb4P-MZMzJs

Post: #16

(03-08-2014 07:21 PM)Hispanic_Reasoning Wrote:  does anybody here listen to Frank Sinatra & other members of the Rat Pack? I love listening to those artists because they're one of the few good examples of celebrities who were good examples of masculinity and for Dean Martin & Sinatra, they were first generation americans like me (their parents were Italian nationals).

Post: #17

A great collection for Dean Martin is the "Dino: The Essential Dean Martin" CD. Ain't That A Kick In The Head was mixed in stereo for the first time on this CD, and the sound quality of all the tracks is superb (all mixed from 1st generation sources).



http://www.amazon.com/Dino-The-Essential...B00021LPIS

Thanks to Family Guy I discovered this great song and movie:

Post: #18

(03-09-2014 02:35 AM)buja Wrote:  



Sinatra did a version of this song...but I like Martin's much better.
Some nice art work in this video.

I fucking love songs about running away to Mexico, getting drunk, hanging on the beach, and fucking sexy Mexican girls.

Something about these songs really connects with me.

I guess that's in your blood when you have a father who basically lived on his Harley for 20 years.

Post: #19

Felt it was prudent to revive this long-dormant thread, considering that today is Sinatra's centennial.

Let's take some time today to honor the legacy of a true American artist, a singer who led the way for so many who followed him, yet remains untouched by any who came after. A man who represented class, artistry, and a masculinity that is no longer seen in popular music. Sinatra may have sang love songs which, to many on this forum, may seem Beta to the core. But even at his weakest, there was a certain kick to his singing, a swagger that was present in his uptempo songs and a deep wisdom seen in his torch songs, which very few male singers show today (the only one who comes close in my opinion is Harry Connick Jr., who was greatly influenced by Sinatra).

For those of us who are already Sinatra fans, let's take a little time to truly appreciate the man and his musical legacy, one of the greatest in the history of music. And for those of us who would not normally listen to Sinatra or music of his contemporaries, take some time to listen and expand your musical horizons. Who knows, you might even learn to like it!

Happy 100th Frank!

Post: #20

Netflix has a great two-part documentary on Sinatra.

Sinatra: all or nothing at all





Edit: relevant Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All (Documentary) /thread-47325...pid1028219