Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!

• This is my favorite Sinatra album of all time, and every time I listen to it, I enjoy it more and more. It was arranged by Nelson Riddle, who always puts a really great spin on the music he works with. It’s often regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made, and you can usually find it on different lists of greatest albums. It also happens to be Brian Wilson’s favorite Sinatra album, which I didn’t know until just recently. I’ve always loved this album since I first heard it years ago, and my mind was blown when Brian said this was his favorite. I would easily say it’s Frank’s best album, as well as his definitive album. If someone had never listened to Frank before, this is the album I would play. On every track, he puts so much emotion and feeling into each note. You can almost feel his presence while listening to it, and that’s what gives it such a good feel. Side A opens with “You Make Me Feel So Young”, which is one of the best opening tracks to any album. It perfectly captures the essence and summary of the album, which is about love and togetherness. The first half of Side A also contains “It Happened in Monterey”, “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me”, and “You Brought a New King of Love to Me”. This first half of Side A is extremely strong, and has a great foot-tapping beat. The message of each song is happy, playful, and has a fun, love-struck mood. “Pennies from Heaven” and “Love is Here to Stay” close out Side A, and they’re some of my favorite Sinatra tunes. They have a more mellow tone, although still a hopeful feel. Side B opens with “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, which to me, is not only one of Frank’s best, but one of the best songs ever sung, period. It has such a catchy tune to it, and you can hear the greatness of Riddle’s ability to conduct the crap out of a band. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, and for good reason. “I Thought About You” and “We’ll Be Together Again” continue with the gorgeous love feel. Although I don’t think Side B is as strong as Side A is, it still keeps the mood going. The last two songs on Side B end the album on a great note, and I think it’s one of the best album endings in music history. The second to last song is “Anything Goes”, which delivers both a good message and good tune. Once again, you can really hear the talent of the band behind Frank, and that’s one reason I like it so much. “How About You?” caps off the album, and it leaves you with a feeling of contentment. It makes you feel happy and hopeful. In fact, the whole album does, and it puts me in such a good mood. Overall, I would easily say this is one of the greatest albums ever put together, and I’m really happy I’m able to own it on vinyl. I would highly recommend it to all swing/jazz lovers, and even if you don’t like those genres, I think you would still enjoy it. The pure talent of the powerful duo of Frank and Riddle have a strong presence, and you really learn to appreciate Frank’s strong yet passionate and calm vocals. This album is officially Berry Approved, so go listen to it now!