Sinatra: A Man And His Music

Amazon.com Reprise released this double-album (now two-CD) set in 1965, in honor of Sinatra's 50th birthday. As an attempt to sum up the singer's career to date, A Man And His Music unfortunately falls short. Part of the problem is that Sinatra, as on the previous Sinatra's Sinatra, re-recorded the material dating from his RCA, Columbia and Capitol periods; while the new versions of these songs are fun, they offer no insight into Sinatra's growth as an artist. More annoying is the running commentary provided by Sinatra, which actually overlaps many of the selections; though fascinating from a historical standpoint, Sinatra's narration renders the prospect of repeat listenings less than enticing. For true fans and musical archivists only. --Dan Epstein