7) Frank Sinatra: 'Songs For Swingin' Lovers!'

There’s both good and bad news about Sinatra’s second mention on this list. Again, Sinatra teamed up with the genius that is Nelson Riddle. However, the results are as different as chalk and cheese. If ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ was the lonely, heartbroken, ballad-heavy side of Sinatra; then this is the day after the night before. Sinatra comes across as simply euphoric, confident, and back in love. It’s like a warm sunny walk, or more of a skip, in the park.

The maturity Sinatra brings to this album is partially why it works. The way he sings through these 15 songs in his carefree and confident manner with swinging sophisticated swagger, is great. Sinatra is also in fine voice as he eases us effortlessly through these songs. Similarly, this album includes many of the songs which many associate with Sinatra; From the opener ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ to the climatic build of ‘Anything Goes’. It’s 45 minutes of classic Frank!

Not enough credit can be placed upon Nelson Riddle. Without him, this album would not be anywhere near as highly regarded as it is. The arrangements are full of life yet subtle throughout and demonstrate his versatility after listening to ‘In The Wee Small Hours’. Although these songs are up to twenty years old, Riddle’s arrangements are fresh and new, giving new life to them. Also, given that most of these songs were originally written for piano or small jazz combos, these grand lavish arrangements are astounding.

Now for the bad news, it is this very familiarity which works against it for me. On any given day on radio stations, at any wedding reception, or any occasion which so happens to have the tag ‘jazz’ or ‘big band’ attached to it, Sinatra is not far behind and these songs are the ones played. Consequently, these songs have become a bore to listen to. On top of this is every TV reality singer wanabee and second rate singer looking to cash in on some easy money (yes Robbie Williams I’m talking about you) singing big-band Sinatra as well. The result is overkill and completely destroys these classic songs rendering no impression being left on me at all of these songs. In short, it’s quite hard to enjoy these songs.

So in conclusion, there is no doubting that this is a classic album. It’s ageless, the singing is great, the arrangements fantastic. For any Sinatra fan this is probably some of his best work. However, I will not revisit this album anytime soon. That is to say, I won’t intentionally revisit this album anytime soon. No doubt I will be subjected to inferior cover versions of these songs as well as the originals without ever intentionally wanting to.

Stand-out tracks: ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘Anything Goes’

Rating: 4/10 for the album as a whole (9/10 for Nelson Riddle)

6) Duke Ellington: 'At Newport'

If someone told me I had to sit down and listen to the best part of two hours of jazz I would probably have opted for another Louvin Brothers album. I like jazz but it has to be in relatively small doses. The running time didn’t sit well with me at all. However, this is Duke Ellington we are talking about and this is probably one of the best jazz albums I have ever listened to.

Being a giant of the jazz world, Ellington’s name is pretty much synonymous with the genre with a career spanning in excess of fifty years. Not only was he one of the best there was, his band was also composed of some of the other jazz greats to ever have lived. It was Ellington who melded this talent into a cohesive powerhouse. ‘Ellington at Newport’ was a live recording of the bands appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956. It is often regarded as one the best performances of his career and certainly one which resurrected his career.

With the emergence of various, and more popular, sub-genres of jazz such as bepop, the dominance enjoyed by big bands in the 1920’s to 1940s was waning. It had led to the end of many big bands yet Ellington and co. soldiered on playing small venues and not securing a record contract. In spite of their unquestionable talent they just weren't fashionable. This concert was enough to turn that all around, and rejuvenate Ellington’s career until his death eighteen years later.

So why is this album so great? Well things certainly don’t start out like a career saving performance. As they took to the stage for a rather tepid version of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ some of the band couldn’t be found which led to a truncated set consisting of ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’ and ‘Tea for Two’. Both are solid yet nothing awe inspiring.

Two hours later the full band return, and what a way to return with a personal favorite of mine ‘Take The A Train’,which is quite stunning. Ellington then chose to showcase new material named on the day as the ‘Newport Jazz Festival Suite’ consisting of three pieces. It's just phenomenal to listen to this orchestra at work. The band clearly work well, and enjoy performing, together yet there is a certain level of competitiveness between them which is explosive and results are pure pleasure.

However, it is the next part which was to be the pinnacle of the set; 'Diminuendo in Blue' and 'Crescendo in Blue' bridged by a solo from Paul Gonsalves. The improvised nine minute tenor solo by Gonsalves lasted a full 27 choruses and turned a rather sedate audience into a vivacious and rambunctious one. It’s certainly a song you can listen to and wish it would just never end, it's fantastic stuff. There are also two great tracks after this in ‘I Got It Bad’ and ‘Skin Deep’.

This album has to be listened to from beginning to end and played loudly. The ride from hesitant start to dramatic climax is one every music lover should experience. As Ellington use to sign off his concerts with; “You are very beautiful, very lovely and we do you love madly” the same can be applied to tthis album. It’s very beautiful, very lovely and I do love it madly!

Stand-out Tracks: ‘Take The A Train’, ‘I Got It Bad’, ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’

Rating: 9/10

5) Fats Domino: ‘This Is Fats’

Listening to Fats Domino is like slipping into bed on a cold winters evening. He is relaxing, provides warmth, and gives that overall feeling of safety. ‘Blueberry Hill’ epitomizes this completely; it’s a song for young and old alike. In fact, the majority of Domino’s songs follow in a similar vein, there is not much to dislike about Fats.

He is the most popular exponents of the classic New Orleans R&B sound, selling more than any other black R&B star throughout the 1950s. He may not have been as innovative as Chuck Berry or charismatic as Little Richard, yet he is certainly one of the grandfathers of rock and roll and made his mark on music history with his distinctive 12/8 piano led boogie woogie sound. Indeed his 1949 single, ‘The Fat Man’, is consistently mentioned as candidate for the first rock and roll record. Domino’s sound was tried and tested in New Orleans and never really changed throughout his entire career. However, far from being a hindrance, between 1955 and 1963 Fats racked up 35 top 40 singles influencing countless of other musicians along the way, including; the Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

So, therefore, for anyone interested in the early origins of rock n’ roll Fats Domino is a must and this album is a great place to start as it gives an overall feel for his work. The steady beats, the thumping piano, the crooning vocals, and the saxophone solos are all present in this repetitive, albeit distinctive, style. Domino didn't change the world with his music but he sure did make pleasant music to listen to, and dance to for that matter.

Three songs give a great feel for the Fats Domino sound: ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘Honey Chile’, and ‘Blue Monday’; all of which are classic sounds of the 1950s and a great place to start to get introduced to Domino. However, it’s some of the other tracks here which provide the highlights of this album. The ‘Fat Man’s Hop’ plays like a blues jam session and clearly demonstrates Domino’s piano prowess which is always understated in many of his well known songs. ‘Trust in Me’ is a fantastic rock n’ roll number which just makes you want to dance. The R&B track ‘You Done Me Wrong’ is undoubtedly one of the best tracks here with its 12 bar blues and call and answer structure, all underpinned with a swinging rhythm, it’s fantastic.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘You Done Me Wrong’ ‘Trust In Me’, ‘Blue Monday’

Rating: 7/10

4) Louis Prima: ‘The Wildest!’

Best known for playing the role of King Louie in The Jungle Book, Louis Prima famously sang one of the best loved Disney songs ‘I Wanna Be Like You’. However, there was much more to Prima than this, as this album clearly demonstrates. He was a gifted musician active from the 1920s right up to his death in the 1970s. Throughout his career he embraced the trends of the day; from New Orleans Jazz, swing, big band and then, throughout the 1950s, as a Vegas lounge act.

It is the latter part of these musical styles to which we turn to on ‘The Wildest!’ The move to Las Vegas was not really a choice for Prima as work was becoming hard to come by. So with his new wife of half his age, Keely Smith, and band in tow they set-up residence at the Sahara and became an instant success. No doubt their surge in popularity was largely due to the excellent stage chemistry between Prima and Smith. One half was a loud, boisterous, cavorting Sicilian-American and the other was a cool, sophisticated and highly talented singer whose detached stage demeanor worked excellently with Prima’s. In many ways they were the early blueprint for Sonny and Cher. Whether that’s a good thing or not is another matter entirely.

In spite of the train wreck this pair may have inspired, it is Prima who was heavily influenced by another man who shared the same name, Louis Armstrong. Prima’s gravelly voice, trumpet playing and scat singing style play offs with his band are all similar to Armstrong’s. Yet unlike Armstrong, Prima was never taken seriously. He was always viewed merely as an entertainer. Such a label is rather harsh and unfair. Prima was a seriously talented musician and a great singer, as was Smith.

‘The Wildest!’ was an attempt to capture the energy and mood of their live Vegas act, and boy did it deliver. It demonstrates a mixture of rock and roll, jump blues, R&B, jazz, and, most importantly, humor throughout. In short this album can be summed up in one word, fun! The personnel totaled no more than eight yet the sound is as full as any big band could create. The wonderful live feel of the album takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. The music is by no means as groundbreaking as many albums are considered, but is certainly no less an album for it.

‘Just A Gigolo – I Ain’t Got Nobody’ and ‘When It’s Sleepy Down South’ although very similar are great numbers which encompass what is great about this album with strong orchestration and confident singing. Songs such as ‘For My Baby’ and ‘I’ll be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal’ demonstrate the great play off humor between Prima and Smith. Whereas ‘Body and Soul’ and ‘Night Train’ showcase Prima’s great trumpet playing. Whereas ‘Body and Soul’ and ‘Night Train’ showcase Prima’s great trumpet playing. However it is ‘Jump, Jive An’ Wail’ which is the highlight of this album. It is as good as any R&B/rock and roll number from this era. This album is highly recommendable for everyone from causal listeners to serious musicians and even those who just want to hear some fun music. A must have for any serious album collection.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Just a Gigolo – I Ain’t Got Nobody’, ‘(Nothing’s Too Good) For My Baby’, ‘Jump, Jive An’ Wail’, ‘Buona Sera’.

Rating: 8/10

3) The Louvin Brothers ‘Tragic Songs Of Life’

I’ll be honest, I was against this album before I even listened to it. Firstly, I had never heard of The Louvin Brothers; secondly, the thought of having to listen to 1950s southern country music was almost soul destroying. If that wasn’t bad enough the cover of the two brothers grinning from ear to ear with guitar and mandolin in hand was enough to make me run for the hills, a mandolin for crying out loud!

I did a little research prior to listening and it would appear the lives of the brothers, well one of them at least, was tragic enough. Charlie and Ira Louvin were in fact real brothers. Yet that is the only thing they appeared to have shared. Whereas Charlie was the sensible brother of the two; Ira was an alcoholic, womanizer, short-tempered sort who was shot in the back three times by his third wife only to survive that to be killed by a drunk driver in 1965.

Anyway, time to get to the album. On first listen I was thinking the album’s title should be shortened to The Louvin Brothers ‘Tragic Songs’. It was fairly uninspiring stuff and the urge to hit skip halfway through was irresistible. In fact if you weren’t listening intently it was hard to decipher where one song ended and the other began.

Always one for punishment, I persisted. The repeated listens were certainly rewarded. This album certainly has some strong points. The first which stands out from the very start is the flawless close harmonies. Charlie’s baritone and Ira’s pure high tenor trade off and fuse with breathtaking ease and effort as only brothers can. Their close harmony set the bench mark for others (such as the Everly Brothers) to follow.

The dichotomous nature of the album is also quite interesting. If you were to read the lyrics alone it is clear this is an album of heartbreak, misfortune and even murder yet play the album and you will realize this is set to upbeat catchy melodies. I’ve been humming many of them without even knowing it the past few days. It’s happy and uplifting music set to very simple arrangements of guitar, mandolin, bass fiddle and snare drum. It’s simple yet very effective and these songs certainly succeed in telling a story, very much in the tradition of old folk music.

Yet it is also this very reason which makes this album rather challenging at times. The BPM rarely shifts throughout the entire album, everything is simple 4/4 or 3/4 time and although the vocals are technically perfect, there is little emotion contained within them which makes it hard to connect to the lyrics being sung.

In general the album starts off very well, the first four strong songs but there is certainly repetitiveness to the whole affair and a few songs are forgettable, especially in the middle section of the album. However, the brothers have succeeded in turning what could have a been a depressing and mundane album and turned it into something quite enjoyable, in places.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Kentucky’, ‘Let Her Go’, ‘What Is Home Without Love’, ‘Katie Dear’

Rating: 6/10

2) Elvis Presley: 'Elvis Presley'

Who could possibly have imagined the revolution this relatively unknown 21-year-old (outside of Memphis) was to have on popular music when he released his debut album back in 1956. Elvis' eponymous debut was an amalgamation of different recording sessions throughout January at his new record label RCA with additional material supplied from his first label, Sun Records.

Protocol of the 1950s dictated that the ‘better’ songs, with greater selling potential, were released as singles; whereas albums were usually filled with lesser qualities songs. Therefore this album is by no means perfect, in fact given today’s standards of albums it comes across as a rather clumsy record in production and execution.

However, that should not detract from some greatness contained within. There is no mistaking Elvis’ idiosyncratic vocals and the overall energy of the album is infectious, such as the cover of Charles’ ‘Ive Got A Woman’, Richards’ ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down’. The energy is not only contained to Elvis, but also his great musicians; the pioneering Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D J Fontana. There simple yet effective arrangements work perfectly for Elvis and together they venture on quite a wide range of genres which is admirable in itself; covering country, rockabilly, R&B, blues and pop.

Proceedings start off excellently with the infamous ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (only included as Perkin’s had already released the song himself and Elvis was contractually obliged to wait until he could release it as a single himself). In saying that I still enjoy Perkins' version as much if not more than the Kings. Some of the Sun recordings included, such as ‘I Love You Because’ and ‘I’ll Lever Let You Go’ come across as less than impressive. Also, although Tutti Frutti’s frenetic pace is a great effort, I would still rather listen to the original any day.

Yet there are gems included. ‘Trying To Get To You’ is one of the best early recordings Elvis ever made. Similarly, Elvis’ stripped rendition of ‘Blue Moon’ complete with falsetto oohs is exemplary. The final track ‘Money Honey’ starts off like Mancini’s ‘Pink Panther’ theme tune but transforms into a fantastic R&B number.

The albums cover is similarly a landmark. It is one of the most iconic photos of Elvis and was subverted by the Clash for ‘London Calling’ twenty years later.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Trying To Get To You’, 'Blue Moon’, 'Money Honey’

Rating: 7/10