Frank Sinatra’s Watertown is wonderful from start to finish, but I consider ‘For a While’ its first truly transcendent moment.
The song swells to life with an orchestral flourish before settling into an easy stroll over which Sinatra gives one of his most effective vocal performances.
I’ve read criticism of Sinatra’s voice on this album, and certainly he was on the other side of his best years when he recorded it, but I find these among his most heart-breaking vocals.
Song Two of my ten-day exploration of Frank Sinatra’s Watertown takes place chronologically earlier than the opening track. Here Sinatra sets the scene of the married couple’s break-up.
One of my favorite things about Watertown is how much lyricist Jake Holmes conveys about these characters in very few words. In the excellent liner notes of my Watertown CD, Holmes is interviewed about his use of subtext throughout the song cycle and touches on some of the moments I’ve always loved in these tunes.
Last November I dedicated a theme week to an entire album for the first time. That was Ben Folds Five’s self-titled debut. Over the next two weeks I’m doing the same thing, with a very different record: Frank Sinatra’s Watertown.
Watertown was released in 1970 to tepid sales and lukewarm critical reception. It probably doesn’t show up on most lists of Sinatra’s best albums, regarded more as a curiosity than an essential recording.
But this tear-soaked concept album is both a touchstone of my childhood and one of my favorite Sinatra records. I’ll be thrilled if I can give it some much-deserved exposure (no matter how little) through my blog.
Meet Me In Montauk 