Frank Sinatra - The Voice of Frank Sinatra (Limited Edition Vinyl Reissue) (1946/2018) [24bit/192kHz]

The Voice of Frank Sinatra is the first studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released on Columbia Records, catalogue C-112, March 4, 1946. It was first issued as a set of four 78 rpm records totaling eight songs, the individual discs given Columbia 78 catalog numbers 36918, 36919, 36920, and 36921 The album went to number 1 on the fledgling Billboard chart. It stayed at the top for seven weeks in 1946, spending a total of eighteen weeks on the charts. The album chart consisted of just a Top Five until August 1948.

The original recording sessions for The Voice of Frank Sinatra were made on lacquer coated 16-inch recording discs. As many physical items do, these pre-magnetic tape recording elements have deteriorated over the last 72 years due to use and the chemical composition of the lacquer compound containing the delicate grooves. This deterioration has manifested itself as noticeable sonic blemishes that affect the clarity of the recording: specifically, a light “swishing” or “rubbing” sound. While there are a plethora of digital sonic restoration tools at our disposal, our goal in transferring, restoring and remastering these historic recordings has been to preserve and enhance the quality of the music, especially the tonal characteristics of Frank Sinatra’s voice. Therefore, we have used the least amount of processing in order to present the best musical program possible. Despite our best efforts, some anomalies — such as the “swishing” and “rubbing” present on this recording — cannot be removed without seriously compromising the integrity of the music. When listening, please remember the age of these recordings, their historic and musical significance, and that any noises or defects you hear are inherent in the original masters and are not due to a problem or defect with this newly minted vinyl reproduction.

AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder
Most of the Sinatra recordings available during the 1950s consisted of his contemporary work for Capitol Records. But every so often his former label, Columbia Records, would get something together on LP from among his '40s and early-'50s sides. The Voice was one of a handful of '50s long-players showcasing the first phase of Sinatra's solo career, and at the time it wowed listeners – the focus is on the ballads, and the dozen represented here constitute a bumper crop of classics, all resplendent in the singer's richest, most overpowering intonation and most delicately nuanced work. The sensibilities, from the lushly seductive "Laura" to the gently self-satisfied "(I Got a Woman Crazy for Me) She's Funny That Way," show off a huge emotional range, and the latter song may be the highlight of the album, displaying a soft yet smugly confident brand of machismo, all of it drenched in Axel Stordahl's overflowing string arrangements, yet quietly bold in its emotional content. It's that stretch of subtexts that, coupled with the beauty of Sinatra's instrument and Stordahl's arrangements, make the singer's Columbia material so striking to hear – his subsequent work on Capitol and Reprise would be defined differently, and usually more directly, along with the texture and range of his singing. The Columbia material tended to get neglected, both in the marketplace and most listeners' minds, as his career extended over the decades, but hearing The Voice anew is a reminder of just how overpowering Sinatra's sound could be, even in the early phase of his solo work.

Tracklist:
A1 – You Go To My Head (03:00)
A2 – Someone To Watch Over Me (03:19)
A3 – These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) (03:08)
A4 – Why Shouldn't I? (02:53)
B1 – I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) (02:46)
B2 – Try A Little Tenderness (03:08)
B3 – (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You) (03:11)
B4 – Paradise (02:37)



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