CORPORATE LINE: It’s starting to sound a lot like an Ol’ Blue Eyes Christmas with this hearth and heart-warming TV-marketed collection of Yuletide favorites. On traditional carols and holiday favorites from the American popular soundtrack, no one can deliver a vocal like Sinatra!
THE ALBUM: Can you recall when Frank Sinatra released a bad song? Well the Christmas Collection isn’t much different. It starts off with a bang as Sinatra offers his standard “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm.”
Then there is Sinatra’s “The Christmas Waltz” which is absolutely blissful—in 3/4s time of course. Then there is the wonderful duet with Bing Crosby as they sing “We Wish You The Merriest” and send us into Christmas heaven.
The previous unissued tracks like “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” are wonderful. Even better are the two previously unissued tracks that feature Bing Crosby; “The Christmas Song” and “White Christmas.” “White Christmas” was recorded for the “Frank Sinatra Show” televised the night of December 20, 1957. These shows were live and you can sense it is never in sync and yet there is a magic to these two giving it a go on the spot. If only we had artists today who had the guts to be creative on their own without all the comforts of the studio, producers, writers, directors, and scripts.
The only miss is “The Twelve Days of Christmas” which features Tina, Nancy, & Frank Jr. It’s over the top and doesn’t hold up over time nearly as well. However when they all sing “The Bells of Christmas (Greensleeves)” it feels much more natural and there is a genuine chemistry.
The bonus “Silent Night” was recorded in 1991 long after Sinatra’s prime. It’s heartbreaking to hear Sinatra this way after hearing him belt out songs where he bounces effortless from note to note. It’s poignant but we know at what expense. “Christmas Memory” is a gem that was released in 1975 and is a very nice gift to Sinatra fans.
FRANKLY: The unissued tracks are absolute gems. And the songs performed by Frank Sinatra alone are certainly worth every cent. When you combine these crooners with Christmas standards it’s hard to imagine any combo that could make better music together—even on the fly. The Christmas Collection is a must for Sinatra fans and fans of music alone. This has become part of my Christmas collection and I can guarantee I’ll be listening to it as much in ten years as I am right this very moment.
+ Charlie Craine
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