POINT OF NO RETURN (Capitol) 1961 Axel Stordahl, Heinie Beau

Set Avatar · #1 06-15-2003, 06:33 AM

Capitol Stereo CD, with 4 1953 Bonus Tracks* in Monaural

Set Avatar · #2 06-15-2003, 06:41 AM

1. When the World Was Young
2. I'll Remember April - arr Heinie Beau
3. September Song
4. Million Dreams Ago
5. I'll See You Again
6. There Will Never Be Another You
7. Somewhere Along the Way
8. It's a Blue World - arr Heinie Beau
9. These Foolish Things Remind Me of You
10. As Time Goes By
11. I'll Be Seeing You
12. Memories of You
13. Day In - Day Out *
14. Don't Make a Beggar of Me *
15. Lean Baby *
16. I'm Walking Behind You *

Monaural Recordings, not available on original LP

Set Avatar · #3 06-19-2003, 03:59 PM

This is in the top 10 in my book
it so good you can't believe it was a rush job to end his contract
with Capitol

Set Avatar · #4 06-22-2003, 08:24 PM

Years a go I heard a DJ say that this version “As Time Goes By” was spliced together from two different sessions. It was said that the last A section of the song was not good enough for release and so Sinatra and Bill Miller came back into the studio on a different day and redid it without the orchestra. Certainly if you listen to the recording it sounds like the last part is recorded on a different day.

Will Friedwald discusses this recording in both “ Sinatra! the Song Is You” and “The Biography of Twelve of America's Most Popular Songs” yet makes no mention of this.

Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

**Marty** · #5 06-23-2003, 10:53 AM

Despite it's origins, this really is one of the finest recordings of the era, although a fan of Riddle's "total" sound arranging, I have always had a soft spot for Stordahl's orchestrations, for the arrangement of strings Alex Stordahl had few peers, they are classical in their scope but perfect in economic elegance Fitting that Stordahl who helped establish "The Voice" in the 1940s should "bookend" Franks career at Capitol.

Set Avatar · #6 07-02-2003, 09:18 PM

A very controversial work in the Sinatra canon -- his last album for Capitol, and one which he was apparently loath to do. Legend has it that the petulant singer refused to do more than a take of any song, even when he messed up a phrase, hence the stories of strange-sounding splices and edits to fix up various flaws. However, Robin Douglas-Home's wonderful (and sadly out of print) book "Sinatra" paints quite a different picture of the sessions, describing Frank as cheerful, friendly, and accomodating.

Whatever the circumstances surrounding the recording of "Point Of No Return," it's an absolutely gorgeous album, melancholy to be sure, but wistful rather than bleak like "Only The Lonely" or "No One Cares." I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Axel Stordahl's Columbia arrangements, but "Point Of No Return" is, I think, his most glorious work with Sinatra. It was also the last time they'd work together; Stordahl died two years after the album was recorded.

Released in 1962, "Point Of No Return" peaked at #19 on Billboard's album charts.

PJ

Rich K · #7 07-03-2003, 06:16 PM

For me, the first two songs on this album are worth the price. ("When the World Was Young" and "I"ll Remember April") And there are many other special moments too....but the Sinatra/Stordahl version of "Somewhere Along the Way" falls short of the Cole/Riddle version. Riddle's arrangement for the song is damn near perfect.
While I don't consider it really a part of the album (rather a temporary addition), the only-recently-discovered version of "Day In, Day Out" is quite a find. Frank sings a bit sweeter on this version than the Riddle-back ballad version recorded about a year later. It also seems that Nelson pretty much lifted the entire middle section of the arrangement, the part that gets dramatic, from the Stordahl chart. Very interesting to compare the two.

Set Avatar · #8 08-06-2003, 10:36 PM

I love this damn album. Just great to mellow out with.

Set Avatar · #9 08-07-2003, 01:07 PM

I remember listening to Johnathan Schwartz around May 1998 after Frank's passing (because I did not know better) and hearing him refer to these recordings as "desultory".
If this was Frank at his lamest, then gimme more!

Set Avatar · #10 08-13-2003, 02:14 AM

Was the 1987 CD rematered by Larry Walsh? I suspect it was due to the fact that the bonus mono tracks weren't widened, a device which Bob Norberg employs on all his remasterings.

Set Avatar · #11 08-13-2003, 07:12 AM

For me, the first two songs on this album are worth the price.>>

Absolutely. This album is right up there with Close to You and Where Are You...

Phil

**Marty** · #12 09-22-2003, 02:35 PM

just for These Foolish Things, and A Million Dreams Ago.

although I still prefer the 1940s Columbia recording of I'll Be Seeing You, Frank's more youthful interpretation really gets me.

hope it arrives soon Yvonne

DOUGofOHIO · #13 09-23-2003, 05:22 AM

Good golf (I hope) morning from:
TROY, OHIO-USA:

I guess I'm so naive...I've listened to this masterpiece since 1968 and never noticed anything but the awsome songs being sung by the greatest love song singer in the world....

I found this album under very very personal romantic circumstances and I still to this day remember her and wish I could tell her again how wonderful it was ....she was like a guiding star.....oh, yes what an album...I think she gave it to me, 'cause I played it over and over as the night of love raced by..

I loved the song, I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN.....I think I wore it out...

Now, I don't think MY LEAN BABY belongs on the new release...I was playing this album yesterday afternoon and was half asleep enjoying memories of beautiful love and MY LEAN BABY came on and it just was wrong and it woke me up.....

Also love MEMORIES OF YOU....waking skies, at sunrise, every sunset too........I like this gentle version much better than the other version...

RICK, this is a great idea, thanks, again.....

Respectfully,

Set Avatar · #14 09-23-2003, 02:47 PM

This is a great album with a great selection of songs and FS singing as great as ever. Every one of these songs are first rate. And the CD release with four bonus tracks - what more do you want?

**Marty** · #15 09-23-2003, 02:52 PM

I know the reasons for the extra tracks being available on this CD, to bookend the Capitol era is usually stated, but Lean Baby does seem out of place, it harkens to those Mitch Miller days at Columbia, sure it's quirky and interesting but really out of place with these impressionistic interpretations of old classics....

DOUGofOHIO · #16 09-23-2003, 07:33 PM

Good nice after golf evening from
TROY, OHIO-USA:

Marty..impressionistic impreterpations....now that's class! Sorry for the poor spelling I thought I could remember it long enough to get this written but it was gone after the good evening thing.....I'm hopeless....anyway, great comment and please try not to run over any of my relatives who might be getting tired near the highways...my lot left there in 1634 ....go figure...anyway, I'm just glad Frank decided to do the album.....my favorites are always the slow romantic ballads and this album never gets boring....

Respectfully,

Yvonne · #17 09-27-2003, 03:40 AM

Thanks, Marty, for bumping up this thread a few days ago. As you know, I received Point Of No Return along with several other albums only the other day. I am just listening to it right now and what else is left to say than I'll Be Seeing You.

DOUGofOHIO · #18 10-27-2003, 05:23 AM

Good frosty Fall morning from
TROY, OHIO-USA:

Thanks Rick for bumping this timeless album....I love reading about it and I find it amazing that it took me almost eight or nine years to find it....especially since these songs seem to be sort of a portrait of my days and nights with falling in love....Ah, yes, alas, those days are just memories....but, believe me, POWERFUL ones !!!! The memories wake me in the middle of the night, making me wonder how I could have been so cold and careless and insensitive so many times.....

EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BRING MEMORIES OF YOU.....this song could not have been done more beautifully and with so much heart. It stops me dead in my tracks....

I would love to have a few moments with some of those obtuse folks that seemed so high and mighty when it came to writing about this album...

Thanks, Rick...there'll (sp) be more after I get the golf and the leaves out of the way....

Respectfully,

Edwin · #19 10-27-2003, 05:57 PM

Many of Frank's concept albums had title songs by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy VanHeusen written especially for the albums. They include Only the Lonely, Come Fly With Me, Come Dance with Me, Ring A Ding, Ding, When No One Cares and The September of My Years.

Can you imagine what those two guys could have done with a title like "Point of No Return" had they been commissioned to write a title song?!?

I wonder if it had been discussed or if either of them had ever been interviewed about that before they passed on. Do any of you know?

Ed S.

**Marty** · #20 12-16-2003, 12:34 PM

for polling purposes