Join Frank, Dean, and Sammy for a rollicking good time with two recently released albums, The Rat Pack Live at the Sands and Eee-O 11 The Best of the Rat Pack. These two recordings, released in honor of the remake of the movie Ocean's Eleven, showcase the ingredients that made the Rat Pack so popular.
The Best of the Rat Pack, a compilation album, splits its time evenly between songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Most of the songs you'll recognize are by Sinatra, like "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Witchcraft." Martin's "Volare" is also wonderful, with a skillful vocal track by Martin and well-arranged orchestration. Davis performs duets with both Martin and Sinatra that prove to be the highlight of the album. In "Me and My Shadow," Sinatra and Davis sing in harmony, in counterpoint, and in every complimentary method known to a duet - the result is a great song.
In "Sam's Song," corny lyrics remain second to gag contention between Davis and Martin, with Davis winning the match, and therefore the title of the song. The atmosphere is wonderful throughout the album, although it is only through duets that the listener gains appreciation for the relationship between the members of the Pack.
The Best Of is good background material for any listener interested in the trio, but the material is taken from different recordings. Inconsistency in production therefore leads to annoying distortions from time to time. In Martin's "Volare," for example, the orchestra is too quiet and Martin's voice is shrill. In the following track, Sinatra's "Mr. Success," the orchestra is loud enough, but Sinatra sounds like he is standing behind a wall.
But the big attraction of the Rat Pack wasn't it's collective sound, but the individual style and attitude of Frank, Dean, and Sammy. In Live at the Sands, the recording of a show in Las Vegas in 1963 with Sinatra, Martin, and Davis, the atmosphere is full of the three experienced showmen's camaraderie. Martin is the star of the recording, and is involved in every wisecrack and story. His introductory song, where he pretends to be drunk, sets the tone for the evening. Sinatra and Martin keep returning to the subject of drinking, joking about what would happen if the they were pulled over on the highway: "There's nobody drivin' officer, we were all in the back seat."
After joking for over 15 minutes, Sinatra and Martin retire for Davis to sing a great version of "The Lady Is A Tramp." The two return to make it a trio for the remainder of the show. The tone is great, with Martin repeatedly shrugging off politically incorrect jokes with the excuse, "Sorry folks, just trying to have some fun." Sinatra leads the three through the show as the responsible one, and Davis enjoys himself despite being the butt of most of the jokes. If you ever wondered why the Rat Pack was so popular, get this album and pay attention.
The jokes - the album is hilarious; don't listen to it while you study - are just the beginning of the story. By 1963, when this live show in Las Vegas was recorded, the Pack was at its prime. Nothing is spontaneous - every joke and cymbal crash is planned - but the three were clearly having fun. The Best Of contains the best songs of the Rat Pack, but the real treasure here is Live at the Sands. You just can't get this anywhere else.
The Best Of : 3.5 stars
Live at the Sands: 5 stars
