Week 13: 50 Albums That Changed Music
Without further ado, this week's entry is Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers - 1956
The previous year Sinatra had cut In the Wee Small Hours, a brooding cycle of torch songs that was arguably pop's fist concept album. Once again working with arranger Nelson Riddle, he presented its complement; a set of upbeat paeans to romance. Exhilarating performances of standards like "I've Got You Under My Skin" defined Sinatra's urbane, finger-snapping persona for the rest of his career and pushed the record to number one in the first ever British album chart. Without this, the "singer as song interpreter" wouldn't have been born, karaoke menus would be much diminished.
I have to say that I was never much of a Sinatra fan and just never "got it" I suppose. I would actually prefer to hear Dean Martin or Bobby Darin if I'm going to visit that lounge type of music, although I suppose he may have influenced both of them. What say you?
Swish
I'll have to get back to ya...
call me in about 10 years. Don't have anything against Sinatra, but I ain't got no opinion, since I can count on one hand the number of times I've listened to an entire album of music like this.
However, I can say that this album was hugely influencial on several hundred lounge lizards of the last half of the 20th century...unfortunately.
BTW: the "diminished karaoke menus" crack is yet another ridiculous statement layed down by this article's woefully ameturish writer/s.