Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Can Music Be Perfect? Vol. 18

The three greatest Frank Sinatra songs of all time? The question came up today, and is unanswerable, absurd. Yes, some overrated old warhorses, like "My Way" and "New York, New York" can be eliminated immediately, but that still leaves scores in the running. Listening to some old faves this evening, I'd also rule out songs like "Mood Indigo," which demonstrated that Frank was not a jazz singer, no matter how jazzy and jazz-informed he was.

Many Sinatra fans seem to agree that "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)" ought to be in the top three. I could live with that. The stars aligned: Arlen and Mercer, and the greatest popular singer of all time sitting at the bar stool next to you... drunk, depressed, but in perfect control of his exquisite, incomparable instrument.

4 comments:

  1. Somehow never been that big a fan of Sinatra.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I never said I wasn't a fan, just not crazy. In that way I'm not that big a fan of Michael Jackson. Preferred Dino tbh.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dino, eh?... you've just been written out of my will...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Out of curiosity, what pray tell were you going to shovel my way. Perhaps the royalties to some future endeavor in the arts.

    ReplyDelete