Watertown (album)
Encyclopedia
Watertown is a 1970 studio album
by the American singer Frank Sinatra
.
It is Sinatra's most ambitious concept album
, an experiment perhaps first started on the 1966 album That's Life
. It charts the story of a middle-aged man in Watertown, New York
, whose wife has left him with his children.
It is similar in tone and nature to Sinatra's earliest concept albums, albums that evoke an air of despair and loneliness, found on such albums as 1958's Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
and 1955's In the Wee Small Hours
.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
describes the album's construction as being a 'Series of brief lyrical snapshots that read like letters or soliloquies, the culminating effect of the songs is an atmosphere of loneliness, but it is a loneliness without much hope or romance - it is the sound of a broken man'. It is this introspection that one consistently finds in Sinatra's later albums, culminating in Sinatra's last concept album, Trilogy: Past Present Future
from 1980.
"Watertown" was produced and co-written by Bob Gaudio, 1/4 of the 1960s pop vocal group The Four Seasons. The songs were co-written by Jake Holmes
.
The album was released to mixed critical reviews and poor sales.
Sinatra would release one further album, Sinatra & Company
, before announcing his retirement.
In 2011, the band CAKE
covered "What's Now Is Now" on their album Showroom of Compassion
.
All songs written by Bob Gaudio
and Jake Holmes
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the American singer Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
.
It is Sinatra's most ambitious concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, an experiment perhaps first started on the 1966 album That's Life
That's Life (Frank Sinatra album)
That's Life is a 1966 album by Frank Sinatra.Sinatra was supported by a studio orchestra arranged and conducted by Ernie Freeman....
. It charts the story of a middle-aged man in Watertown, New York
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
, whose wife has left him with his children.
It is similar in tone and nature to Sinatra's earliest concept albums, albums that evoke an air of despair and loneliness, found on such albums as 1958's Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely is a studio LP by the American singer Frank Sinatra...
and 1955's In the Wee Small Hours
In the Wee Small Hours
In 2003, the album was ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album is also the first album reviewed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery. In 2007, Time Magazine selected it as one of The All-TIME 100 Albums...
.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
describes the album's construction as being a 'Series of brief lyrical snapshots that read like letters or soliloquies, the culminating effect of the songs is an atmosphere of loneliness, but it is a loneliness without much hope or romance - it is the sound of a broken man'. It is this introspection that one consistently finds in Sinatra's later albums, culminating in Sinatra's last concept album, Trilogy: Past Present Future
Trilogy: Past Present Future
Trilogy: Past Present Future is a 1980 triple album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. This album produced the last of Sinatra's many signature numbers, "Theme from New York, New York."...
from 1980.
"Watertown" was produced and co-written by Bob Gaudio, 1/4 of the 1960s pop vocal group The Four Seasons. The songs were co-written by Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
.
The album was released to mixed critical reviews and poor sales.
Sinatra would release one further album, Sinatra & Company
Sinatra & Company
Sinatra & Company is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra released in 1971.The first side of this album is in the bossa nova style, and the second side is influenced by soft rock, featuring a couple of standards from John Denver....
, before announcing his retirement.
In 2011, the band CAKE
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
covered "What's Now Is Now" on their album Showroom of Compassion
Showroom of Compassion
Showroom of Compassion has so far been generally well received by music critics. Metacritic, a review aggregator website, gave the album an average score of 73% from fourteen reviews, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". Many critics complimented the band for sticking to their unique style...
.
Track listing
- "Watertown" – 3:36
- "Goodbye (She Quietly Says)" – 3:06
- "For a While" – 3:09
- "Michael & Peter" – 5:10
- "I Would Be in Love (Anyway)" – 2:31
- "Elizabeth" – 3:38
- "What a Funny Girl (You Used to Be)" – 3:00
- "What's Now Is Now" – 4:04
- "She Says" – 1:51
- "The Train" – 3:26
- "Lady Day" (CD bonus track) – 2:47
All songs written by Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
and Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
Personnel
- Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- vocals - Bob GaudioBob GaudioRobert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
- producer, composer, arranger - Jake HolmesJake HolmesJake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
- lyricist - Charles Calello - arranger, conductor
- Joe Scott - arranger, conductor
- Jamie Alexander aka James Rocco and Diane Dell - background vocals