The Capitol Years

used CDs sold as new by Amazon
This is a warning to other potential buyers. I recently purchased this box set from Amazon, which made it appear that the item being sold was new. When it arrived from Amazon it was obvious that the CD was not new. The CD box itself was not factory sealed. The booklet was rumpled and obviously had been handled a bit. One of the CDs had fingerprints. This will certainly affect my own future purchasing decisions with Amazon.

Better than the individual albums?
The virtues of this collection have been well documented here. I'll add that the audio quality is sublime and -- to my ears and played on my equipment -- the same songs sound BETTER on "The Capitol Years" than they do on the individual Sinatra Capitol CDs. Why this is I can't guess, especially since most of the individual albums were remastered in the late 90s. At any rate, "The Capitol Years" from 1990 has the superior sound. For that reason, I think any serious Sinatra fan should pick up this box set IN ADDITION to the separate albums, and new Sinatra listeners shouldn't be afraid to start here.

Chairman Compiled
I'll be perfectly frank when I say that I prefer the individual Capitol albums (oh, come on, who doesn't?), but this is a tremendous compilation guaranteed to bring smiles and tears to any long road trip you might be facing. The rarities and unreleased tracks only make the deal sweeter. Capitol has honored Sinatra's legacy nicely over the years.

Frank's best years
Frank Sinatra had a remarkable career from the early 1940s to the 1990s These records probably reflect his best years Michael

Sinatra did it with so much elegance and class...
This three CD set entitled The Capitol Years has many, many great hits and unforgettable ballads performed as only Frank Sinatra could perform them. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is great. This is a wonderful gift for people who are Sinatra fans and you get liner notes about the songs, too The first CD starts auspiciously with "I've Got The World On A String;" this fantastic tune features Frank front and center--right where he belonged and still belongs! This upbeat tune with music composed by Harold Arlen shines so brightly when The Chairman Of The Board sings it; it's a real treat! "South Of The Border" finds Frank continuing to sing with all his might; his voice is able to convey all the subtle nuances of the emotions of this sweet and cute little ballad. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is truly a major highlight of the first CD; and that arrangement for the brass works very well for this number. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is an excellent number that has just a hint of that older `40s musical style and it all works very well. "Someone To Watch Over Me" is sublime when Frank sings this; you can truly hear the ache in Frank's voice and that's the hallmark of a great performer. "You Make Me Feel So Young" is a terrific ballad along the lines of "I've Got The World On A String;" this love ballad is relentlessly happy and Frank never misses a beat. "Too Marvelous For Words" is yet another track that I really like. "Hey! Jealous Lover" is a song that I always enjoy hearing; and the backup singers harmonize to perfection! Frank's version of "The Lady Is A Tramp" is my all-time favorite; and just one listen will tell you why. Listen for "I'm A Fool To Want You;" how well Frank sings this melancholy ballad. "All The Way" is certainly more optimistic and a very fine tune; and I love hearing Frank sing "Come Fly With Me;" "Come Fly With Me" has a great musical arrangement that fits in just right with Frank's vocals. In addition, a huge highlight of this entire box set is surely "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road);" I could never tire of hearing Frank Sinatra sing this with great sensitivity and that's grand. "The Song Is You" charms me with its beauty; and there's another huge hit when Frank does "Here's That Rainy Day." There's also the cute "High Hopes" which was Frank's theme song for JFK's presidential bid; the children sing their part very well, too. "Embraceable You" is simply unforgettable for obvious reasons; and listen for "On The Sunny Side Of The Street." "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" never sounded so good! "Almost Like Being In Love" has a great arrangement; and "I'll Be Seeing You" is a most sentimental, romantic number. The third CD ends strong with Frank Sinatra performing "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues;" this is a song with which we can all identify at times in our lives--but it's very pretty nonetheless. Frank Sinatra gave us so much I just don't know quite how to put it into succinct words here in this review. Suffice it to say that this is a "must-have" for Sinatra fans and people just discovering Sinatra's elegance will do well to purchase this box set. This is also perfect for people who enjoy classic pop vocals.