Comments for Sinatra, Frank, Duets

Sinatra hadn`t made an album in years, since he left his Reprise label after 1984. What a smart idea, then, to inject some much needed life into a career by grouping up with an all-star lineup of musicians, many of which seem to clash with Sinatra`s traditional style. These artists do not seem to be in their prime condition on this album, and old Frank is showing signs of his age. The Chairman is frayed and tired. Luckily, we get songs on Duets that are from Sinatra`s pre-Reprise period, a time marked by more liveliness. But I still cannot shrug this off as a great album, since none of the performers seem to care about what goes on within it. The best part of Duets comes in "I`ve Got You Under My Skin," a duet with Bono of all people. Bono`s half was sent in by satellite to the recording studio, so none of the two ever saw or collaborated with each other. The result is bad timing, since they almost never sing exactly together on the beat. Bono Fans should buy the song on a U2 single instead.