AMG Review of Concepts

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

More of an investment than a conventional box set, Concepts is a 16-disc collection of Frank Sinatra's Capitol concept albums. Housed in a wooden box, the set contains every one of his original studio albums for the label, as well as the instrumental Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color, which was previously unavailable on compact disc. However, the set is by no means complete. Lacking any of the singles compilations or soundtracks Sinatra released on Capitol, the box misses too much prime material for it to be labeled definitive. While the box does contain much of the greatest music he recorded -- including In the Wee Small Hours, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, Only the Lonely, and Come Dance with Me! -- all of these albums are easily available elsewhere. In fact, when purchased separately, the individual discs are considerably cheaper than Concepts. Since Concepts adds no new liner notes, the only added bonus to the set is the wooden box. Buy accordingly.