Academy Award Winners

AMG Review of Academy Award Winners

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Featuring a selection of Oscar-winning standards, ranging from 1934's "The Continental" to 1962's "Days of Wine and Roses," Academy Award Winners is professional and stylish album, but it only yields a handful of true gems. That isn't the fault of either Frank Sinatra or arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle. Although their performances aren't quite as distinguished as their past collaborations, they are nevertheless highly enjoyable. Sinatra is charming and lively, even if he doesn't demonstrate the full range of his technique on each track, while Riddle's charts are light and entertaining. The main problem with record is how it plays as a series of individual moments, not as a cohesive collection. Granted, some of the moments are first-rate -- "The Way You Look Tonight" is one of Sinatra's classic performances, and "Three Coins in the Fountain" and "All the Way" are nearly as good -- but the moments never form a whole, which makes the album an occasionally frustrating listen.