Cycles – FRANK SINATRA***

Rain In My Heart/From Both Sides Now/Little Green Apples/Pretty Colours/Cycles/Wandering/By The Time I Get To Phoenix/Moody River/My Way Of Life/Gentle On My Mind

On Cycles Frank Sinatra makes another attempt to modernise his style this time with covers of recent country/folk songs. Critics had mixed opinions on the result. (US:18)

"This was the first album he made that took the songs popular with the pop-rock/folk crowd at the time, and made them his own. I love this album because so many songs on it sound like he is speaking the lyrics, which you can only get with Frank in the way he does it. No album has so many soft-sad songs on it like this one."

"Cycles was an attempt by Frank to modernize his sound and is a very successful effort. The songs are excellent, Frank's voice is in fine shape, and so are Don Costa's arrangements. This is a great attempt at contemporary pop that shows Frank could survive the ever changing music world."

"This was considered to be Sinatra's stab at a contemporary, folk-rock sound. The results are interesting, if not entirely successful. No matter, I absolutely love the title track. The contemporary, folk-rock sounds have Frank stressed out."

"Cycles is Frank's first serious foray into the soft rock/folk music scene in the late sixties. It is an eclectic mix of tunes. This is clearly new musical territory for Frank, and he stamps each song with his own unique interpretation that makes the album work. The mood is mellow and reflective, and Don Costa's soft strings provide the perfect backdrop for Sinatra's vocals. This is not a great album compared to his incomparable body of work with Capitol and his early work with Reprise, but Sinatra's voice is still excellent, and his timing, phrasing and diction are flawless."

"Sinatra sounds great, the arrangements and material choice are what really let this album down. Sorry I really don't need to hear Sinatra cover Both Sides Now and Little Green Apples. No wonder Sinatra looks so depressed on the cover. The problem is the material is a bit of a mixed bag - the title track is just lovely and Frank handles Jimmy Webb's By The Time I Get To Phoenix really well, the sheer drama of Rain In My Heart is also clearly right up Frank's street but he doesn't sound comfortable singing the likes of Both Sides Now or Gentle On My Mind, and Moody River is pure cheese. It is surprisingly listenable though."