Track Listing

1. Moonlight Becomes You
2. Moon Song
3. Moonlight Serenade
4. Reaching For The Moon
5. I Wished On The Moon
6. Oh You Crazy Moon
7. Moon Got In My Eyes
8. Moonlight Mood
9. Moon Love
10. Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125428 in Music
• Released on: 1997-02-17
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
It's been a timeless symbol in all the arts for centuries: the moon. Poets, authors and songwriters have expended untold amounts of energy trying to convey the mystical aura and metaphysical connections evoked by that pale, barren globe that orbits our planet. It's only fitting, then, that the finest popular vocalist of the twentieth century should step up to the plate, with an album full of songs that explore lunarimages as seen through the eyes of popular song's greatest composers.
Reaching back to his big band days, Sinatra comes up with a distinctive reading of Glenn Miller's luxuriant, swaying "Moonlight Serenade". He sets his swoon gun on "stun" for the Van Heusen/Burke evergreen "Moonlight Becomes You". Irving Berlin's astrological issues are addressed with aplomb as Sinatra tackles "Reaching For The Moon". Ultimately, MOONLIGHT SINATRA fits in nicely with the singer's other concept albums, and it provides us with a fresh perspective on the tunes chosen for inclusion.

Customer Reviews

Smooth and Romantic Album from Frank Sinatra
I think this album from Frank Sinatra is one of the most romantic of his Reprise era .Whereas alot of his other ¨mood¨albums were sad and sometimes a bit morose the love songs in this album are warm and uplifting.The arrangements of Nelson Riddle add to making this a lovely album and a must for Frank Sinatra fans.

Spend a romantic evening with Sinatra singing about the moon
"Moonlight Sinatra" was a 1965 follow-up to the classic album "September of My Years," which solidified Frank Sinatra's reputation at the age of 50 as the premier vocalist of his generation. The 10 songs on this album all mention the moon in their title, which explains the Beethoven inspired album title. The arrangements this time around are from Nelson Riddle, providing an ideal setting for these mostly romantic little numbers. But you also want to pay attention to the order in which Riddle has laid out these songs: make up your own mind as to the pattern they suggest, but I think you will definitely find something there. One thing you have to admire with Sinatra's albums is their thematic unit and even if the songs are not among Sinatra's best this time around they are still quite enjoyable.

However, be aware that "Moonlight Sinatra" (arguably the cutest Sinatra album title of all time) is also a tribute album of sorts, since four of these songs were recorded earlier by Bing Crosby: "Moonlight Becomes You," "I Wished on the Moon," "The Moon Got In My Eyes," and "The Moon Was Yellow." This was also the year that Sinatra and Crosby worked and sang together in the film "Robin and the Seven Hoods," so I find this to be a bit more than coincidental. However, the song that I find most interesting has to be Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade," which I was surprised to learn had lyrics. But if Frank Sinatra wants to sing "Moonlight Serenade"...

Perfection! No other word for it.
Being a massive Sinatra fan, a owner of ever studio album he ever produced, a singer, a cancerian (we are very effected by the moon ok!) and a man with a keen interest in cosmology this album is the quintessential embodiment of perfection to me.

An album best enjoyed after dark, this is without question the most achingly romantic album Sinatra ever produced. In his career we saw albums of reflection, heartache, swing, dance and travel yet we see very few of pure romance and they do not come any better than this.

The song selection is inspired. So easily it could have been an obvious replica of previous moon based songs e.g. "Fly Me To The Moon" or "Moonlight on the Ganges" as Sinatra often did under reprise, however we see a fantastic selection of songs not recorded under capitol or even recorded by Sinatra before this album. Sinatra at aged 50 is a debated topic. Some would say it was the beginning of the decline in his vocal flexibility, however for me as his flexibility declined his voice gained incredible warmth and no where is this warmth more applicable than on this album. This was Sinatra at his best blend of flexibility and warmth (listen to "September of My Years" if you are in any doubt).

The theme of this album is the best of any concept album ever. The title is clever, a play on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and an album purely about the moon is a recipe for romance. Very few artists could have pulled this off with the same mysterious romance that is produced by Sinatra, I doubt even Crosby could have made it work (and I am a massive Bing fan).

Possibility not Sinatra's best sung album. Not his most critically or commercially successful album. Not the highest quality album, but without question his most romantic, and one I have the most feeling for. Who can explain love, all I know is that I love this album more than any other. Whether you have a love in your life, or are in search of one this is an album everyone can relate to. Under the right circumstance and setting, there is no other album you will want.

Go for a quiet walk at night with a full moon in the sky and have this on your portable music player, you will experience something magical.

The star track off this album for me is "Oh You Crazy Moon", a whimsical blend of romance, tenderness, brashness and playfulness however all the albums songs work so well as a package it is a crime to listen to them individually.