Close to You and More

On the two Frank Sinatra albums preceding 1957's Close to You (In the Wee Small Hours and Songs for Swingin' Lovers), arranger Nelson Riddle achieved perfection with the downcast and danceable sides of the Sinatra coin, respectively. But here he ventures into different territory entirely, framing Sinatra's romantic entreaties with the classical-flavored sounds of The Hollywood String Quartet. It was an experiment that wouldn't be repeated, but not because it didn't work. If anything, this sui generis entry in the Chairman's canon is among his most memorable moments. The quartet isn't alone—for instance, the understated rhythm section on tracks like "It's Easy to Remember" lends a subtly jazzy touch to the proceedings, and elegant harp runs accentuate a number of the tracks. But when Sinatra's voice does its courtly dance with the strings on the title track or on "Everything Happens to Me," Close to You stands as proof that the notion of "chamber pop" emerged long before The Beatles and their contemporaries came along.