Frankie Laine – That Lucky Old Sun (Concert DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Concert: C+

 

 

With a career that began in the mid-1940s, Top 40 hits into the late 1960s and a reputation for singing theme songs all the way to Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Frankie Laine had one of the most successful vocal careers around in endurance if not in phenomenal popularity.  Passing away February 2007, he comes the first of what we expect will be several titles in several formats of his work.  That Lucky Old Sun is a 1976 concert he taped in England.

 

Lasting less than an hour and ending suddenly, we do not know how complete this one is, but the tracks are:

 

1)     Lover Come Back To Me

2)     Love Story (Theme From)

3)     Rawhide (Theme From)

4)     That Lucky Old Sun

5)     Feelings

6)     Jealousy

7)     Dream A Little Dream Of Me

8)     Your Cheating Heart

9)     You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

10)  Wrap Up Your Troubles In A Dream

11)  Lord, You Gave Me A Mountain

12)  Jezebel

 

 

The resulting concert is a mixed bag.  His hits work well, but the obscure material is not as interesting and Love Story, You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me and Feelings are not exactly definitive.  However, it is the man at the end of his commercial run and is historical enough to see once.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is very soft, likely from a semi-professional PAL source with limited depth, detail and color.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is barely stereo and also shows its age.  Is this second generation?  Is this all that survives of the concert?  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo