Frank Sinatra 2008 Wall Calendar
Face it: 2008 is coming and you need to put something on your wall. It may as well be Sinatra.
Sinatra: Vegas (Box Set, 4CD/1DVD)
Last year’s big surprise remains the best Sinatra boxed set released since 1995’s Complete Reprise Recordings. If you haven’t yet purchased a copy, what have you been waiting for? And if you still need some nudging, see my review.
I remain hopeful that some Christmas all those unreleased Capitol Records alternate takes still in the vaults will be released in one breathtaking boxed set. Alas, this isn’t that year. Still, new or seldom heard material of any kind is always welcome. This year’s offering for Sinatra fans is a retrospective of Sinatra’s early years - The Harry James/Dorsey/Solo period from 1939 through 1952. Though most notable for being the very first time those era’s have appeared in one package, there is much more to recommend this set than that. In my opinion, 4 Sinatra CDs boxed with a 100+ page book for under $40 (as of this writing) qualifies as a bargain. Second, there are more than enough unreleased airchecks on this set for the collectors. Finally, and most importantly, this set perfectly and succinctly chronicles Sinatra from his early days as a buttery-voiced crooner right through to his metamorphosis into the swaggering powerhouse that ruled the 50s and beyond.
Sinatra: Frank and Friendly, A Unique Photographic Memoir of a Legend
Most people would be honored to be asked by Sinatra to photograph him. For more than 20 years, beginning in 1967, photographer Terry O’Neill had that honor. This book reproduces some of his best shots of Sinatra during that period.
Who knew Sammy was such a photo buff? I certainly didn’t. But it turns out Sammy was clicking the shutter quite a bit during his glory days, as this book amply demonstrates in more than 350 pages of photos that feature Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Paul Newman and hundreds more.
My favorite book of 2007. See my earlier review. I anxiously await the premier of HBO’s Don Rickles Project in December.
A perennial favorite and the 2nd best music you can play on Christmas day, with A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
Brunswick 8443 - Frank Sinatra’s First Record
For the fan with deep pockets and a serious sense of historical perspective, there’s nothing like owning your own copy of the legendary Brunswick 8443, Frank Sinatra’s first record from 1939.
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