Frank Sinatra - in the We Small Hours - 180 Gramm Wiederauflage von Capitol

I see this as a companion album to 'Sings only for the lonely'. Like that album, this album is brilliant, Sinatra at his best, pouring his own personal pain into songs that bewitch and beguile. Its quite simply a great album that should be in everybody's collection.

In 1955, Sinatra's career was in trouble, deserted by the bobby soxers & looking for a new direction. His record company introduced him to Nelson Riddle. The rest is history. Riddle's superb arrangements were Frank's sprinboard to success. Songs for Swinging Lovers, in a completely different mood, was to follow. Here there's nothing upbeat and probably no track that would feature on a complilation of greatest hits which the public would recognise. But, man, it's in the groove. For an evening of low lights with a mellow drink, it can't be beat!

Very good no problems

This would be the single malt in the Sinatra selection. It is a classic distillation of his 50's torch song repertoire. The songs are all evocative and, to assist your decision, I would say that they are probably for Sinatra aficionados. This does not mean that they are not classically done and brilliantly executed and would appeal to a wide non-Sinatra audience, it is merely to highlight that for Sinatra fans, this is Frank with a piano, a great haunting Nelson Riddle arrangement and a despairing mood that he exploits with great phrasing. Certainly one of the classic albums and, as described, this is the first concept album, therefore, the songs are generally all of the same type so don't expect a variety of tempos and moods. This is the album for late night subdued lighting and reflective contemplation as you cradle a glass of single malt.

The vocals on this recording are the highlight. The music is often relegated behind Sinatra’s vocals. After the opening of some tracks the musical richness is dialled back to emphasise the vocals. I have not set out to write reviews of the music content as “beauty is in the ears of the listener”. These reviews are about the quality (or not) of the recorded sound. To read about how the reviews are done please see my profile. • Clarity – Excellent very transparent • Channel separation – very limited sounds as if a mono recording • Channel balance – virtually no use made of the left and right channels. It sounds as if it is a very high quality mono recording. However there is no clarification on the leaflet notes • Sound Stage – exceptionally limited as sounds as if a mono recording. However the sound of the band behind Sinatra is excellent • Distortion – non audible • Compression – good highs and lows does not sound overly compressed. There may be limitations due to when the recording was made • Atmosphere – very warm and intimate. Sounds as if it were a personal recording made just for the listener. The band is sparse and restrained. • Bass – low frequencies – good, but limited and restrained. Has little depth and is on the whole un-intrusive. The bass on Sinatra’s voice is excellent • Treble – high frequencies – overall very good, measured and balanced. The horns and strings are very good. Unlike the vocals the music does not soar • Vocals – superb, deep, rich, honeyed, evocative As a general rule of thumb recordings from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s are nearly always better on the original vinyl. Remasters often fail to please as it’s just not possible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, i.e. the original recording lacks the necessary detail to be processed digitally and show an audible improvement. Indeed such processing can make the sound worse. Modern recordings which have been processed digitally from start to finish can be as good as vinyl. CD’s are often unfairly criticised for being poor quality. This is not the case, it is the original recording or the process which is to blame. Modern “remasters” can both enhance and degrade a recording. The statement GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is the limiting factor. Ignore this at your cost.

Arrived in great order and very well packed. The album itself is probably one of Sinatras best.

Didn’t realise Frank could be so good in his beginning days. I think I prefer this to his later, much more polished show biz affected work. Very pleased I discovered this one.

Atmospheric vinyl perfect for any occasion

I heard these songs at home growing up in the 50's, not on a record as we didn't have a turntable. But when my parents entertained occasionally on weekends. We were all supposed to be upstairs sleeping or not. But anywhere rather than downstairs. We would sneak down, sit on the stairs, or maybe even peak into the living. There we would see my dad standing there, a drink in his hand resting on the mantle, a cigarette in his other and singing, entertaining their company. Sometimes I was a little embarrassed. We were young and didn't know any better. But if you heard him sing you never forget it. So it was nostalgia that brought me around to this C.D. I'm so glad it did. I don't think I've enjoined something so much in a long time. Silky smooth, I don't know what to say. If you are around my generation, buy it, you won't regret it. And oh yeah, who do I like better? Well.....

Mi disco llegó en muy buenas condiciones y lo mejor, la caja es de plástico y no de cartón, estoy muy satisfecha

Disco chegou bem embalado e sem ruídos ou chiados aparentes, resultando no que se espera de um disco novo e totalmente lacrado Fiquei satisfeito com a compra do produto :)

Released in 1955 when most albums were just collections of individual songs, "Wee Small Hours" was a concept album - more than the sum of its parts. The songs fit together and are well-sequenced. Sinatra and Nelson Riddle intended this music to be listened to as an album, though it's true that individual songs did extremely well on the radio. You've probably read that Sinatra's marriage to Ava Gardner was disintegrating during this period; Sinatra was heart-broken by Gardner's infidelities, despite having affairs of his own during this time. The songs are about failed relationships, lost love, and loneliness. On the cover is a sad-looking Sinatra on a lonely, unnamed city street in the middle of the night, by himself, looking pensively downward. Nelson Riddle's orchestral arrangements on this album are amazing, and the orchestral mix is perfect. Riddle's orchestrations and the melancholy vibe throughout really transport you to another era. The vinyl pressing of this Capital reissue is very good. There is very little surface noise. The record is perfectly flat and the grooves are perfectly centered around the spindle hole. The record is in mono, as it was made in 1955, just a year or two before the stereophonic era began. While I much prefer stereo to mono, I find that my ears adjust to the mono very quickly; then I forget it's not stereo and I just enjoy it. The sound quality is phenomenal for a recording from the 1950s--warm and airy with good soundstage and good separation between Frank's voice and the various sections of Nelson Riddle's orchestra. This recording is available on CD, too, and if both had the same sound quality I would choose the CD for the greater convenience of digital. But for this record, I strongly recommend the vinyl LP over the CD. The CD sounds good compared to other CDs of recordings from this period. But the CD isn't as warm-sounding and doesn't have as much dynamic range as the LP. Plus, as Trent Reznor says and it's especially apt here, this record is a physical object that exists with you in the real world, not just a bunch of 0s and 1s that can streamed over the internet or stored on your phone and listened to with less intense attention while you check your emails and stock prices and weather. Nope. The vinyl demands your full attention, and rewards you with a real experience. A great record, highly recommended--especially on vinyl.

Todo perfecto