Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love (Deluxe 2 CD Edition)

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(5 stars) - old Sinatra fan
Altho' I have most every recording he made, it was good to get this mostly repackaging of some of his material. What else can you say about the master. It's great!

(5 stars) - "Sinatra - Unparalleled Seduction Artist"
"This was, and forever will be, the sublime exemplary power of Francis Albert Sinatra - unparalleled Seduction Artist, deity to all who aim to disarm, notoriously capable of locating female vulnerability with the pinpoint precision of a laser scope." ~ Bill Zehme ~

Let the Chairman of the Board with a beautiful set of blue eyes and an adorable one-of-a-kind-voice serenade you and seduce you with thirty-two, yes, thirty-two of his loveliest songs of all-time contained in this highly recommended Deluxe Edition of "Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love."

This sublime compilation is a mix of the most popular Sinatra staples and lesser-known songs like "Then Suddenly Love," "This Happy Madness," "I Like To Lead When I Dance" and "Talk To Me Baby." These are the more obscure Sinatra songs that are seldom heard and recorded, but they are definitely welcome additions to this two-CD-set.

Disc One reveals a set of well-known and best-loved songs of all-time starting off with the opener, "Prisoner of Love" which sets the album's theme down to the last track, a very favorite of mine sung in the most heartfelt fashion, "That's All." Disc Two is a bonus disc that contains ten songs that are all pretty much remarkable in every way.

An ear-candy from this collection is a previously unreleased, alternate take of Rodgers and Hart gem of a song "My Funny Valentine." I enjoyed its novelty, but in my humble opinion, I loved the original recording in Songs for Young Lovers/Swing Easy more than this rendition. Other favorites include "Misty," "All The Way," "It Had To Be You," "I Had The Craziest Dream," "More" and "The Second Time Around."

Almost all of the finest Sinatra arrangers and orchestrators are represented here namely Nelson Riddle, Johnny Mandel, Claus Ogerman, Billy May, Quincy Jones, Eumir Deodato, Ernie Freeman, Joe Parnello and of course Neal Hefti who passed away last year and to whom this wonderful project is dedicated.

This is surely one of the most well-produced compilation CDs ever made with its excellent and winning material, its fourteen-page-CD-booklet which include an interesting four-page essay by Bill Zehme titled "The Man With The Golden Charm" and seven seldom-seen-photos of the Chairman--one of which is with Neal Hefti, and not to mention the over-all-packaging--a creative and beautifully made glossy three-fold CD case. And of course last but not least, that oh-so-attractive cover photo by Bob Willoughby who is the author of one of the most interesting Sinatra books, Sinatra: An Intimate Collection.

At the White House, Frank D. Roosevelt once commended the Chairman for his prowess saying..."You know, fainting, which was once so prevalent, has become a lost art among the ladies. I'm glad you have revived it."

As Bill Zehme reveals on his Liner Notes the secret of Sinatra's charisma was...

"Truly, though, it was the focus of his high-beam gaze that slew whoever fell into depth-of-field range."

(5 stars) - Must Have
If you are any part a romantic, this is a must have collection. Smooth, sweet, and at times a bit erotic. These songs have been happily stuck in my head since i got this one, and i cannot wait to get home each day to hug my wife close and dance her around for awhile.

And what timeless advice that the worst thing you can do in front of a lady... yawn.

(5 stars) - Labor of love
This is a first class "follow-up" compilation to Nothing But The Best. As beautifully packaged as Nothing But The Best, if you buy the deluxe edition (digipack), which you really must, Seduction: Sinatra Sings Of Love is another labor of love.

Instead of the more familiar hits on Nothing But The Best, this new compilation largely concentrates on stylish, classy love songs, which are the perfect romantic setting for seducing that special someone. The first song Prisoner Of Love with its heart-tugging string arrangement...Phew! Sheer class, pure bliss! It's one of those delicate songs - like, say, Moonlight Serenade - that isn't catchy in the traditional sense, but Frank's performance and the tasteful arrangement just command your attention, it's that beautiful.

I've always loved Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing and having Frank's version of this standard on this particular collection is...well, let's just say that I am very pleased about it, since it never fails to give me goosebumps. Other songs worthy of mention - well, they all are, really, but other songs worthy of special mention are: I Concentrate On You, How Little We Know, The Second Time Around, At Long Last Love, The Look Of Love, Secret Love, I Wish You Love - and Then Suddenly Love (sounds so good when towards the end Frank sings: "Ding, dong, ding, I'm a-hearin' those church bells ring"). Not forgetting the charming All The Way Home, which makes me think of the Bruce Johnston-penned Beach Boys ballad Disney Girls - not because they sound similar, but because the performances and the evocative lyrics of both songs (about summer days gone by, etc.) ooze irresistible, sentimental nostalgia.

Have a glass of wine - or like me, Jack Daniels - and let yourself be "seduced" by Sinatra singing of love.

(5 stars) - A Seductive Selection For Beginners.
I'll admit that when I first heard about "Seduction," my reaction was decidedly ho-hum. I already had all of these songs, and the lone new track was merely an alternate recording of a well known Sinatra classic whose originally released version was already perfect as is.

However, when I finally was given the opportunity to buy "Seduction" today, I couldn't help but be seduced.

For starters, "Seduction" digs deeper into Frank's back catalogue than any other compilation in recent memory. Of all the hundreds of Sinatra "love song" compilations released over the years, this one is by far the best, not least of all because it digs deeper into his catalogue than any other compilation to date. Not one of the tracks here was a major single, nor are they anywhere near as famous "New York, New York," "My Way," or the song that seemed like a mandatory inclusion on all previous "love song" comps, "Strangers In The Night."

The songs chosen perfectly reflect the theme presented in the album's title, as these are some Frank's most sensual and evocative performances. "Prisoner Of Love," which begins the cd, is one of his powerful performances, whose virtues are extolled beautifully in the spotlight review by my mutual Sinatra aficionado, Mark Blackburn of Canada, so much that it would be pointless (not to mention extremely difficult) to add anything else to say about it.

Elsewhere, we get Frank's deep throated, smooth as silk rendering of "It Had To Be You" (to think had to wait 40 years to officially record this timeless standard, and yet he still created the definitive rendition), the sexy "Teach Me Tonight" from 1984's "L.A. Is My Lady," the luscious "That's All," and many other lesser known gems that will give the casual fans a deeper insight into Sinatra's genius.

Five of Frank's most beloved classics from his Capitol years are presented in their lesser known Reprise recordings. "I've Got You Under My Skin" isn't as technically astonishing as Frank and Nelson Riddle's first attempt in 1956 (for the magnificent "Songs For Swingin' Lovers"), but this rerecording boasts a smoothness and charm of its own that holds up well against its more lauded predecessor. "Witchcraft" leaves the restrained 1957 recording in the dust. The tempo is much faster, and Frank's singing is swingier and sexier, making the song's suggestive lyrics ring with a lusty intensity lacking in the original. "All The Way" is given a deeper rendering of the lyrics by Frank, while Riddle's arrangement, while not as enveloping as the 1957 version, has a lush sound of its own that again lets it stand up well against the original. "Young At Heart" lacks the whimsy of the original, but his deeper, more introspective reading by an older (and wiser) Frank lets the listener look at the song in a different light. "How Little We Know," like "Witchcraft," is taken at a faster tempo that fits this song far better than the comparitively lighter 1956 take.

Most notable is that several of these songs have not been made available on cd for over 10 years, such as the little heard 1983 masterpiece "All The Way Home," a tender ballad that is one of Frank's best post-retirement recordings, sung with a burnished, toasty sentiment that brings a tear to the eye of any listener.

And as for the new recording of "My Funny Valentine," it is even better than the original released take from 1953's "Songs For Young Lovers." It dates to 1965, judging by the rich, resonant tone of Frank's voice, similar to many great recordings from that era ("Everybody Has The Right To Be Wrong," "Available"). The tempo is slower, and his phrasing slower and sexier, not dissimilar to the style in which a beautiful woman slips in and out of a pair of sexy lingerie.

The sound quality is excellent, as the songs are given the same sharpness and resonance as "Nothing But The Best." The packaging is also noteworthy, and the liner notes, featuring a disarmingly interesting essay by Bill Zehme entitled "The Man With The Golden Charm," are the best ever written for a Sinatra compilation.

"Seduction" is an excellent compilation, perfect for Valentine's Day as well as for Sinatra fans.

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