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Only the Lonely

 
Album Review: Only the Lonely
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Only the Lonely

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  • Artist: Frank Sinatra
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1958
  • Total Time: 59:45
  • Genre: Vocal Music

Review

Originally, Frank Sinatra had planned to record Only the Lonely with Gordon Jenkins, who had arranged his previous all-ballads album, Where Are You. Jenkins was unavailable at the time of the sessions, which led Sinatra back to his original arranger at Capitol, Nelson Riddle. The result is arguably his greatest ballads album. Only the Lonely follows the same formula as his previous down albums, but the tone is considerably bleaker and more desperate. Riddle used a larger orchestra for the album than he had in the past, which lent the album a stately, nearly classical atmosphere. At its core, however, the album is a set of brooding saloon songs, highlighted by two of Sinatra's tour de forces -- "Angel Eyes" and "One for My Baby." Sinatra never forces emotion out of the lyric, he lets everything flow naturally, with grace. It's a heartbreaking record, the ideal late-night album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Only the Lonely (Lyrics) Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:09)
Angel Eyes Matt Dennis, Earl Brent Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (3:44)
What's New? (Lyrics) Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (5:12)
It's a Lonesome Old Town Harry Tobias, Charles Kisco Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:16)
Willow Weep for Me Ann Ronell Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:49)
Goodbye Gordon Jenkins Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (5:45)
Blues in the Night (Lyrics) Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:45)
Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry (Lyrics) Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:02)
Ebb Tide (Lyrics) Robert Maxwell, Carl Sigman Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (3:17)
Spring Is Here (Lyrics) Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:46)
Gone With the Wind Herbert Magidson, Allie Wrubel Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (5:15)
One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (4:25)
Sleep Warm [*] Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Lew Spence Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (2:45)
Where or When [*] Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle (2:25)

Credits

Bob Norberg (Remastering), Sammy Cahn (Liner Notes), Frank Sinatra (Vocals), James Van Heusen (Liner Notes), Frank Sinatra (Art Direction), Larry Walsh (Remastering), Nelson Riddle (Conductor), Voyle Gilmore (Producer), Nelson Riddle (Arranger), Pete Welding (Liner Notes)
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Wikipedia: Only the Lonely
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
This article is about the Roy Orbison song. For other uses, see Only the Lonely (disambiguation).
"Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)"
Single by Roy Orbison
from the album Lonely and Blue
Released May 1960
Label Monument Records
Writer(s) Roy Orbison, Joe Melson

"Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson.[1] Recorded by Orbison, it became his first major hit. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, described by the New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency".[1] It is seen as a seminal event in the evolution of Rock and Roll. Released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in May, 1960, "Only The Lonely" went to number two on the United States Billboard pop music charts and to number fourteen on the R&B charts [2], and number one in the United Kingdom. It stayed in the UK charts for over 6 months.[3]

The song was longer than most pop and country songs of the time,[4] and had an unusual structure.

In 1999, "Only The Lonely" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #232 on the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time list."

Contents

Cover versions

The song also appears on Orbison's 1962 album, Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits, and his 1989 posthumous album A Black & White Night Live, from the 1988 HBO television special.

In 1969, country singer Sonny James recorded the song and had a Number One hit on the Billboard country music charts [5].

The song has also been covered by Chris Isaak, among others.

In popular culture

Succession

Preceded by
"Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ricky Valance		 UK number-one single (Roy Orbison version)
October 20, 1960 (2 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley
Preceded by
"To Make Love Sweeter For You" by Jerry Lee Lewis		 Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single
(Sonny James version)
March 8—March 22, 1969		 Succeeded by
"Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos

References

  1. ^ a b http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2D81239F932A35752C0A96F948260
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 443. 
  3. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1737084.stm
  4. ^ http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_nashville_skyline_29/
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 172. 
  6. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1D91F3CF93BA35754C0A967958260
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