London

"[The] centrepiece [is] the patchy 1962 studio album Great Songs from Great Britain, supplemented by some spoken intros recorded for radio, outtakes from the sessions and three live performances on the BBC. The album tracks are Sinatra at his lushest: all strings and low, muted horns; but the songs just aren't consistent enough to sustain the album ... Also included are DVDs of Royal Festival Hall shows from 1962 and 1970. The former, especially, is a delight - but wouldn't CDs have been better than DVDs? The pleasure, after all is in the listening rather than the viewing".

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"Sings Great Songs from Great Britain isn't forceful, it's a subtle, insinuating record -- the kind of thing to turn to once all the great Sinatra albums have dimmed slightly, because that's when it'll sound rich and fresh. And so it is here with the box: now that it's placed on a handsome boxed pedestal, the lushness of Farnon's arrangements contrast nicely with Frank's slightly weary, weathered voice. It's also interesting to hear the session tapes on disc two, as they offer insight on how the conductor and singer collaborated, but the BBC sessions are even better: bold, robust performances that capture Sinatra on the cusp of his '50s revival (the spoken sessions from the special are little more than period curios). Finally, the third disc is pure Chairman of the Board shtick, all swinging Vegas brass that is fun but seems a little gauche compared to the rest of this fine, understated box".

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