Fancier Grodin

Overall Album Score: 7.8 out of 10

Nancy Sinatra albums seem so difficult to digest sometimes. There were a few interesting and near-great moments on her previous album How Does That Grab You?. While this album definitely has its fair share of moments, there's quite a bit of mediocrity.

At the very least, this album isn't as bad as Boots. The vomit-inducing moments are lovingly kept to a minimum. But let's not dwell on those. Let's talk about the highlights! I do like how this album starts. Certainly Sinatra's take on "On Broadway" could have been much worse. But there's something interesting about the instrumentation that just manages to grab my ear. It was nice that the producers weren't just making corny music ---- although they certainly screwed up songs like "I Can't Grow Peaches On a Cherry Tree" royally.

Speaking of the production, I definitely have a love-hate relationship with it. On one hand, their brand of '60s rock is usually enjoyable. The drums pack a powerful punch and there's the charming use of the type of bass guitar that was popularized by Johnny Cash. They also like lending the songs an epic feel thanks to some elaborate violin (and sometimes horn) arrangements, and these vocal 'oohs.' Unfortunately, they go too far with that frequently and end up drowning out Nancy's voice, which I do like very much.

Naturally, this album is full of covers, and a good handful of Lee Hazlewood songs. He doesn't contribute anything as great as he did in the previous album, but he does at least deliver with "100 Years." That's a great, complex song that should be loved by everyone. I also enjoyed the song "Summer Wine." But Hazlewood is awfully spotty sometimes --- his compositions "Shades" and notoriously "Tony Rome" just don't deliver.

And the funniest songs is "Life's a Trippy Thing," a duet with Nancy and her father. Actually, that's a horrible track, but at least we get to hear Frank Sinatra sing "I'm glad to be a ding-a-ling." I guess that just proves I never matured past the third grade since I laughed at that so frequently!

Overall Album Score: 7.8 out of 10 (This is a passable Nancy Sinatra album, but excuse me if I don't proclaim its glory from all the hilltops.)

Average Song Score: 8.0 (There is a solid number of nice Hazlewood originals and well-done covers. And an equal number of mediocre ones.)

Album Tilt: 8.0 (The album makes an easy listen. It's only when you start paying attention to it do you realize that it's not so wonderful.)

Artist Rating: 7.5 (Docked points! Why? Because they don't care much about the art. The Hazlewood songs are considerably less artistic than his contributions in the previous album.)

Track Reviews

On Broadway 9/10

An interesting cover of the famous tune begins this album. Although normally such a cover might phase me a little bit but at least this is pretty odd. Sinatra sings this as if she was too powerful for it. The instrumentation is pretty good although it's similar to the commercial rock from her previous albums. What I like about it is that it progresses and picks up in dynamics through its run. Hey, that's what you're supposed to do!

The End 9.5/10

This is not a cover of the Doors! Hah, this album was a year before the Doors were ever known. Anyway, this is a pretty ballad. Sinatra's vocals are mixed a little bit quietly, but the instrumentals were at least done well enough to warrant that. I like this tune --- it's catchy. The overly dramatic instrumentation gives it a nice texture!

Step Aside 8.5/10

Here is a cutesy pop song that plagued her debut album except this is done with a distinctly country tone. Although that's easier to take here in small dosages. For some reason, Sinatra is convincing when she sings country songs. The instrumentation is fine though it's too freaking cute.

I Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree 7/10

This is alright though even more cutesy and "sunshiney" than the previous track. The bad thing is that I don't like the melody that much. There's a lucid quality to it, but I'm more annoyed with it than anything else. Sorry.

Summer Wine 9.5/10

Nancy's famed collaborations with Lee Hazlewood finally surfaces here, and this is even a duet. Well, he is a good songwriter. I incorrectly evaluated him once based on the boring songs he contributed on Boots. He has the nice ability to make his songs much more dramatic than they ought to be. There's some kitsch quality there. This guy is absolutely obsessed with James Bond. Don't you hear the theme in here?

Wishin' and Hopin' 8/10

This is not surprisingly a Burt Bacharach composition! This is verging on the edge of total, unrelentless cutsiness that's really annoying coming from Sinatra. The quality of the songwriting is good enough to save the track, but --- just so you know! You've got to avoid that sort of thing! Seriously...

This Little Bird 8.5/10

This is a decent ballad although nothing spectacular. The instrumentation seems pretty genuine and gloriously overproduced with thick string sections, which certainly gives this a good quality. The melody is enjoyable, and I do like Sinatra's vocal performance.

Shades 7.5/10

This is the second Hazlewood-penned track although it's not that special to be honest. It's a straightforward country-tinged song. The horn and string sections are too busy here --- seriously, give the vocals the spotlight! The melody is fine though decidedly average. There are a few awkward passages here and there.

The More I See You 7/10

This is OK though it's so dated that it's almost uncomfortable. The drum line seems a bit misfired. It's way too busy. You almost didn't need those drums. I do like the xylophone in the introduction but even that was misfired. Again, the orchestration was just too much. Let Sinatra's vocals be king --- or queen.

Hutchinson Jail 7.5/10

This is another Hazlewood composition. It starts out strangely and not that appealing. I swear that guy must be a mental case .... yikes. Otherwise, this is just the generally straightforward country music (done with '60s instrumental standards) that sounds like it shouldn't have ever made it into the '60s. Yeesh. Despite the unforgivable cheesiness of this, it's enjoyable enough as long as you're not paying direct close attention to it.

Friday's Child 8.5/10

This is, yet, another Hazlewood song. This one's a blues song, which means that it's definitely better than country music! (I'm so biased, it's not even funny.) It's pretty generic for the genre apart from some aspects in the instrumentation. I do like the strings they add on here for once. It gives the song an epic quality that just a straight blues song wouldn't have had. I love Sinatra's lead vocals but her quick repetition of "Friday's Child" as background vocals would have been better left off... honestly...

100 Years 9.5/10

Hazlewood makes a nice contribution. I swear, that guy is such an inconsistent songwriter that it's dizzying. This is such a well-written song, and it's also slightly nutty! Hey, I like these kinds of songs the best. The production was done well --- no overbaked violin tracks? Sinatra's vocals are given the spotlight? Hooray!!!!

You Only Live Twice 9/10

My official stance on that I hate this song, but that's mostly because I used to work at a movie theater that wouldn't play anything else expect James Bond theme songs for a few months straight. Fortunately, the pain of working there had worn off significantly. Actually, this is a well written song. The melody is catchy! I'm sure you all know it. Sing along if you feel like it. (Do you know what my favorite James Bond theme song is? Yeah--- it's the Duran Duran one.)

Tony Rome 6/10

This is the final Hazlewood composition. This is really rather awful. Those horn arrangements are just as bad as they were in Boots. Really horrible.

Life's a Trippy Thing 5.5/10

I'm not joking. Frank Sinatra is singing "I'm glad to be a ding-a-ling." Well, who am I to argue against him? This song is almost difficult to listen to. It's another duet with her famous father. They don't sing it too well --- they're laughing through the end of it though Nancy does have a sexy laugh. (Frank thinks it's ridiculous that he has to sing "I'm a Ding-a-Ling" no matter how true that was.) This sounds like bad Broadway musical song from something that should have closed after one night --- only it didn't because everybody's an idiot. (Yeah! Everybody's an idiot! There! I said it!!!)

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