Cycles

IF “SINATRA-67”SAW FRANCIS ALBERT AT HIS PENULTIMATE PEAK AS A RECORDING ARTIST-AT LEAST IN THIS REVIEWERS OPINION-THAN “SINATRA 68”VIA THIS ALBUM ISN’T VERY FAR BEHIND.WITH THE”CYCLES ALBUM”SHOWING SINATRA STILL EXPERIMENTING AS AN ARTIST OF CONSEQUENCE IN THE TONE,FORM AND TEXTURE OF HIS RECORDINGS.THIS FORAY INTO 60’S PSYCH-POP-ROCK PERHAPS HAVING BEEN SUGGESTED A YEAR EARLIER IN A LOOK MAGAZINE ARTICLE TITLED: “FRANK AND MIA”WHEN SINATRA COMPLIMENTED THE”BAROQUE QUALITY”OF THE BEATLES NEW MUSIC ,AS WELL AS THE THEN “NEW ROCK”IN GENERAL.-PLEASE SEE PHOTO OF SINATRA MEETING WITH GEORGE HARRISON ON THE BACK COVER OF THE CYCLES VINYL LP-IN FACT HIS SHORT-LIVED MARRIAGE TO MIA FARROW MAY HAVE INSPIRED EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ONE OF THE GREATEST PROGRESSIVE PEAKS OF HIS BRILLIANT CAREER?AS MS.FARROW ALONG WITH DAUGHTER NANCY KNEW AND IN TURN INTRODUCED SINATRA TO MANY OF THE YOUNG FOLK-ROCK MUSICIANS AND SONGWRITERS WHOM FRANK WORKED WITH DURING THIS PERIOD.AS HIS VERSION OF JONI MITCHELLS”BOTH SIDES NOW”MAYBE ONE OF THE MOST CRITICALLY DISCUSSED AND DEBATED RECORDINGS OF SINATRAS LIFE?WHAT MOST REVIEWERS AT THE TIME FAILED TO RECOGNIZE WAS THE SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF FRANK’S VERSION OF MITCHELLS SIGNATURE SONG.AN OLDER MAN TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF A 60’S COUNTER-CULTURAL WORLD 🌎 THAT IN 1968 AT THE AGE OF 53 WAS CHANGING OUT FROM UNDER HIM EVEN AS HE SANG!WHILE PRETTY COLORS-RAIN IN MY HEART AND THE BEAUTIFUL WANDERING ALONG WITH THE POIGNANT COUNTRY-ESQUE TITLE TRACK CYCLES ALL SHOW US AN AGING BUT STILL VITALLY SUBSTANTIVE AND ICONIC ARTIST AT THE ABSOLUTE PEAK OF HIS RECORDING POWERS DELIVERING AN ALBUM FOR THE AGES TO COME! MARTY NOEL AKA;”REVOLUTION ROCK.”