A lot of ‘real’ music fans turn up their nose at compilation albums. Although a full album experience shows the true artistic vision of the singer/band, sometimes a compilation can knock you out with the sheer volume and quality of hits.

An example of this is Nothing But The Best by Frank Sinatra. I wanted to cover a different genre on this page, and thought there’d be nothing better than one of the all-time legends of jazz and music in general.

There are, of course, some classic albums by Sinatra that are worth listening to. In The Wee Small Hours from 1954 deals with sombre themes such as depression, lost love, introspection etc. It is seen as one of the first concept albums due to this. In contrast, an album like Songs For Swinging Lovers from 1956 showcases a happier, more joyful side of his music.

Nonetheless, with Nothing But The Best you get all the styles of Sinatra, with all the classics present. Highlights for me include “Come Fly With Me” and “Luck Be A Lady.” There is a good mix of slow, relaxing tracks and more upbeat, swinging tracks, with big drum fills and crash cymbal hits (I’m a drummer). For flow, I would move track five to the opener, place track 14 second, track 16 fourth and track 18 seventh, to spread the slower songs more evenly throughout the album

Another thing I noticed about this style of music is how timeless it sounds. If the songs were recorded today, they would sound roughly the same. I think this is largely due to the understated drums needed for this genre, compared to typical pop/rock music.

It is an excellent introduction to vocal jazz. I want to explore more of this genre, as the vocals and compact song structure is more accessible than longer, instrumental jazz. I will certainly try out other famous singers such as Dean Martin. Many of these crooners have recorded the Christmas standards played every year, and this genre gives me the same warm, nostalgic feeling. Thanks for reading this short review.

Other notable tracks:

“That’s Life”

“Drinking Again”

“My Way”