Back in 1963, Frank Sinatra, the brawling "rat packer," lounge-lizard wise-cracker took a short retirement to record this album of classic Broadway show tunes, with the emphasis on Rodgers and Hammerstein, lushly orchestrated by Nelson Riddle.

Back in 1963, Frank Sinatra, the brawling "rat packer," lounge-lizard wise-cracker took a short retirement to record this album of classic Broadway show tunes, with the emphasis on Rodgers and Hammerstein, lushly orchestrated by Nelson Riddle.

Instead of re-issuing this yet again, some folks argue that Analogue Productions should reissue newer albums. They are tired of hearing again what they already have. What they forget is that the last reissue of this classic was many years ago. Sorry, but time flies, especially as you get older. And guess what else? That issue by Classic Records is long out of print as is the one Mobile Fidelity first issued around twenty years ago when the label decided to re-enter the vinyl market and press its own records in Sebastopol.

Does an album that didn’t make a Billboard chart blip when first issued in 1987 deserve to be reissued on double 45rpm 180g gram vinyl?

No doubt. Yet no doubt this impeccably conceived, produced, engineered and performed album does not make for easy or even pleasant listening—especially for those old enough to remember and know Marianne Faithful only from her “swinging London” days on the arms of Mick Jagger and as the precious young, sweet-voiced “bird” singing “As Tears Go By.”

No one suggests this is among the "essential Blue Notes," especially since it really wasn't issued as an album when the session was first recorded. In fact, it sat on the shelf for 24 years, much to astonishment of annotator and distinguished jazz producer Michael Cuscuna. It wasn't issued until 1986.

You'll never confuse Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 composed in 1957 with piano concertos composed during the romantic era, except when you get to the squooshy center where the composer goes all Rachmaninoff on you. The cinematic first movement sounds both ominous and light-hearted like a Hitchcock chase scene and it's easy to hear how Bernard Herrmann may have been influenced by this rousing first movement. It will get your heart pounding. 

Before there was Lady Ga-Ga, there was Bette.

The torcher built a following within the gay community playing the  bathhouses, which seems like an odd place to go hear music, or take a bath for that matter—not that Ga Ga’s music was shaped by Midler. David Bowie and Elton John were more likely her listening fare.

Midler had believers everywhere though, including Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records even though at the time (1972) the label was more fixated on rock and roll.

Before there was Lady Ga-Ga, there was Bette.