By the writers of Last Word Features

BOXED SETS
Frank Sinatra: “New York”
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Four CDs and one DVD give a career-spanning survey of Sinatra in concert at several venues in his favorite town, New York City. He’s in peak vocal form in the 1955 and 1963 shows that document Sinatra during the years when he was considered to be at the top of his game with his singing. Two 1974 concerts are fine except for ill-advised covers of Bread’s “If” and Jim Croce’s “Bad Bad Leroy Brown.” Sinatra may have been trying to stay contemporary by including a few hits of the day in his live shows, but he sounds almost like a parody of himself in performing the songs.
Three later concerts feature many of his best known songs. And though his vocal range show some wear and tear during these concerts, Sinatra shows that he remained a master of jazz-inflected phrasing and commanding the live stage . — Alan Sculley

Elvis Presley: “Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight”
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The now out-of-print ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s boxes are more comprehensive than the new set. But for an overview of Presley’s career, nothing matches this compilation assembled to commemorate what would have been his 75th birthday on Jan. 8.

Taken from digitally restored masters, the 100 songs sound great. More importantly, the selection isn’t just the same old hits. Instead, the set combines the familiar with deep album cuts and rare tracks, painting a more complete picture of Presley. Listening to the set, the consistent quality of his work comes into focus. I’m a major Presley fan. He was a great singer from start to finish, whether yelping his youthful rockabilly, going “continental” in the ‘60s, or delivering the passion live on “Polk Salad Annie” and “Unchained Melody” in the ‘70s.

The set starts with his 1953 $4 demo of “My Happiness” and wraps up with a haunting live version of the aforementioned “Unchained Melody,” recorded live a few months before he died in August 1977. It’s followed by the remix of “A Little Less Conversation” that sent the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll back up the charts in the 21st century.

There’s nothing “new” or “previously unreleased” on “Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight.” So if you’re an Elvis completist, save your cash. That said, the new set is the best package spanning Presley’s career, stands up to repeat listening and proves why he was and remains the King.
— L. Kent Wolgamott

NEW RELEASES

Jimmy Buffett, “Buffet Hotel”
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Jimmy Buffett’s new album title isn’t a takeoff on The Doors’ “Morrison Hotel.” Instead, the name is lifted from a real hotel in Mali that Buffett discovered.
The disc, his first in three years, is pure Buffett: laid back, Caribbean tinged and filled with stories, such as the circus memories of “Big Top,” the Marilyn Monroe/snorkeling combo of “Beautiful Swimmers” and the title cut recounting his African journey. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Buffett record without some tropical escapism. Here, it’s called “Summerzcool,” while “Surfing in a Hurricane” is his first-ever surf song complete with twangy reverbed guitars. But the best cut on the easy-to-like record is “We Learned To Be Cool From You,” a lilting ballad that looks back at those who taught Buffett to be cool.
— L. Kent Wolgamott

REO Speedwagon: “Not So Silent Night”
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It would be all too easy to envision REO shifting into power ballad mode and making a shmaltzy album of Christmas standards. Fortunately, the veteran Midwest band for the most part avoids sliding into “Keep On Lovin’ You” terrain and lets it rock often enough to make “Not So Silent Night” a refreshing take on the Christmas album.
The band is in particularly punchy form on “Deck The Halls” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee.” The overblown power ballad approach does rear its head on “Silent Night,” but for the most part, the band treats ballads with appropriate restraint. — Alan Sculley