Released around his 50th birthday,
A Man and His Music is an ambitious double-album set that provides a brief history of
Frank Sinatra's career. Though the concept sounds quite promising in theory, the execution is somewhat lacking. Instead of using the original recordings -- which were made for RCA, Columbia, and Capitol, not his then-current label, Reprise --
Sinatra re-recorded the majority of the album's songs. That in itself isn't bad. Many of the new versions are quite enjoyable, with lively, inspired vocals. However, there is also narration from
Sinatra that runs throughout the album. Although it does offer some amusing anecdotes and gives a sense of his long, complex history, the narration prevents the album from being a consistently engaging listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine