All Alone

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Originally, All Alone was going to called
Come Waltz With Me
. Although th e title and the accompanying specially written title song were dropped before the album's release, the record remained a stately collection of waltzes, arranged and conducted by
Gordon Jenkins
. Out of all the arrangers Sinatra regularly worked with,
Jenkins
had the most overt classical influences in his writing, making him the perfect choice for the project. Nevertheless, All Alone is an uneven album, even as it is one of the most intriguing records Sinatra recorded. Divided between standards and relatively recent tunes, the most distinctive element of the album are the rich, neoclassical arrangements by
Jenkins
. Sinatra doesn't strictly follow
Jenkins'
intentions. Instead of playing close to the vest, he wrenches the emotions out of the songs. Most of the time, the results are quite moving, especially on the opening and closing
Irving Berlin
ballads, "All Alone" and "The Song Is Ended." When the results aren't quite as successful, they are still interesting, and the elegant, rumanative music makes All Alone a necessary listen for dedicated Sinatra fans.