Sinatra’s Columbia years were truly special, so romantic. As much as I treasure his Capitol and Reprise years, his Columbia years have always been special to me. His voice has a gentle sweetness during this time.

The gates of Heaven just opened and I'm here. Whoever made this God bless their soul forever.

Sinatra fans come in three categories: those that love the Reprise years, those that favor the Capitol era and a few (like me) love the Columbia years. Why? This collection tells the whole story of how Tommy Dorsey’s “boy singer” cut loose and became a superstar. Along the way you hear, through the various songs, how he perfected his craft and was not afraid to try new genres: novelty tunes, Broadway and even Gospel music. And we witness the downfall in which Columbia boss Mitch Miller gave him material that was popular at the time, but not Sinatra’s style (Sinatra and Dagmar sing “Mama Will Bark”). Finally “Why Try to Change Me Now,” the prophetic tune released before Columbia dropped him. It would take more bad movies and bad times before his Academy Award-winning role in “From Here to Eternity”and a record deal with Capitol Records before Sinatra was back on top and better than ever. If you're a serious Sinatra fan this collection is worth every penny.

Frank's early years, 1943-1952 were with Columbia. Most of these songs are syrupy ballads, but when Frank sings them, you just want to keep listening. Highly recommended to any Frank fan who still doesn't have this.