Originally encased in a small, leather-bound trunk and comprising a grand total of 20 discs, Frank Sinatra's The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings is easily the most lavish box set ever assembled. In addition to the 20 compact discs, the set comes with an hardcover book containing insightful essays by respected Sinatra scholars like Will Friedwald. Sinatra founded Reprise Records in 1961, and he continued to record for his label over the next two decades, completing nearly 500 songs. By and large, the recordings are sequenced according to session order; the only exception are concept albums like September of My Years or the "Future" section of the triple album Trilogy. (Strangely, the song cycle Watertown, which tells a story with its songs, is presented out of order.) Frequently, the sequencing of the original studio albums is more effective than the set's strict chronological presentation, but that's not to say there aren't immense rewards in any one of these long discs. Throughout the set, Sinatra comes to grips with rock and contemporary pop songwriting, as well as arrangements that had more in common with soft rock and easy-listening pop. While the quality of his voice does decline during the two decades documented on the box set, much of the music is compelling; although they might not match the consistently brilliant efforts on Columbia and Capitol, the Reprise recordings are rich in variety and drama. The chronological sequencing is effective in portraying Sinatra's evolution, even if the presentation is a bit academic and intimidating for some listeners. For listeners willing to spend $500 on a box set, The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings will be endlessly enjoyable and fascinating. [Originally released in 1995, the box was reissued in a simpler cardboard format several years later.] — Stephen Thomas Erlewine
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO RECORDINGS contains 452 songs--every Sinatra recording on the Reprise label from 1960 to 1988 in chronological order. It features more than 24 hours of music, and is available in both a standard edition, and limited edition in a leather box. Compilation producers: Gregg Geller, Lee Herschberg, Joe McEwen, Ric Ross.
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO RECORDINGS was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Historical Album and Best Recording Package - Boxed.
In 1961, Sinatra inaugurated his own label, claiming the artistic freedom he longed for in the fifties. He then proceeded to do it his way, and this 20-disc set is the painstakingly detailed account of that artistic journey. These recordings are the heart of the heart, the very epicenter of 20th Century popular music; we're talking time capsule material here. From well-known tunes to obscure experiments, from near-rock to bossa nova, with all stops in between, the Reprise years are laid out here in an elaborate but accessible manner.
Given free artistic rein in the '60s and '70s, there was virtually no avenue that Sinatra, restless and curious by nature, left unexplored. There's the sparkling swing of his collaborations with Count Basie and Duke Ellingon, the aforementioned U.S - Brazil summit of his recordings with Antonio Carlos Jobim, the elegant, timeless pop stylings of "Strangers In The Night," even a fling with contemporary electric instrumentation on THE WORLD WE KNEW. Throughout, Sinatra's artistry is unquestionable. As THE COMPLETE REPRISE box makes undeniably clear, it takes a brave man to make a career out of taking one artistic risk after another, but it takes a once-in-a-century genius on the order of Frank Sinatra to make those risks work. |