Frank Sinatra, Best of the Best (Capitol/EMI) ***** (From York Press)

Frank Sinatra, Best of the Best (Capitol/EMI) *****

11:01am Friday 6th January 2012 in CD reviews By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

LIKE Sinatra, this is pretty classy, with wonderfully-detailed track-by-track sleevenotes by Frank Sinatra Jr and great studio photos, and pretty much anything you’ve heard him sing is here – Come Fly With Me, My Way, In Other Words.

There are 24 tracks, comprising 1950s Capitol recordings to the Reprise material and the early 80s, apparently the first time they have sat alongside each other, and there’s a two-disc version with rare concert recording and other goodies.

Mack The Knife is a pleasant surprise, with playful new verses, even though his vocals are a little lost in the mix, but on the whole all recordings sound crisp and clear. It’s not the first Sinatra collection, and it’s unlikely to be the last, but if you don’t have one, or want to show a younger relative or Michael Bublé fan how it’s really done, it’s definitely worth picking up.