BEST OF THE CAPITOL

All arrangements by Nelson Riddle Includes liner notes by Will Friedwald with track-by-track annotations excerpted directly from the Frank Sinatra box set, THE CAPITOL YEARS. Digitally remastered by Larry Walsh at Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, California in July 1990. This 20-track disc, selected from the 3-CD box THE CAPITOL YEARS, represents perhaps the best single introduction to the vocal art of Frank Sinatra in his '50s prime. Sinatra recorded for Capitol from 1953-1960, a mere seven years, into which he poured a lifetime's experience and musical artistry, releasing several singles and full length albums each of those years in addition to movies, concerts, rat-packing et al. The classic tailor-made songs like"Young At Heart," Witchcraft," and "All The Way" are all included here. So is the lesser-known, hard-swinging gem "Learnin' The Blues" and, of course, the exhilirating "I've Got You Under My Skin," perhaps his greatest single recorded performance, indelibly arranged by Nelson Riddle (who provides nearly all the other scoring on this collection). Out of necessity, the collection emphasizes the extroverted, swinging Sinatra, though selections from his greatest ballad album IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS are also included. All listeners are advised to go there next.