I don't how you can measure a career like the one of Mr. Francis Albert Sinatra, otherwise known as The Voice. And as Ol' Blue Eyes. And as the Chairman of the Board. His discography is outlandish and groundbreaking. His voice is stellar, and his singles are well known. He's known for his arrogant sense of class and style-- as well as maturing into one of the best performers of the past 100 years. Now, let's compact his entire discography, which include 59 studio records alone, into a greatest hits disc. Now, on top of that, let's try and please a bitter music writer on Epinions who absolutely detests compilation albums. I don't know how they did, but they did it. This man has been bombarded with horrible compilations for years, and if you wanted a suitable one, you either had to make it yourself or pay out the wazoo for a box set. This 21-track collection, to date, does the best job of showcasing why this man was so big.

Let's start out with the classics: The Best Is Yet to Come and Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) are here, two of his most well-known songs. Right of the bat, the sound on this collection is stellar and each track has been remastered with an appropriate flair for sound, rather that just increasing the volume levels. We've got incredibly sounding jazzy tunes like Come Fly With Me. Really, I don't need to go into too much depth on his classics, because ..well, they are classics. His voice is obviously gorgeous and the instrumentation is great. Rather than having a problem with these standards, I have a problem with the fact that Warner Bros. Records decided not to include two very important Sinatra signatures: I've Got You Under My Skin and I Get a Kick Out of You. No, I don't know why they aren't present. Yes, yes, I know they are very important. Troublesome, ain't it?

I like the inclusion of Somethin' Stupid, which featuring background vocals from his daughter Nancy, of whom I'm also a big fan. Unfortunately for Nancy, her voice is overshadowed by that of her father's. There's no just contest. The lyrics are catchy and the melody is overly romantic and buttery smooth, though, making it one of my favorite Sinatra songs of all time. The 1950's stylized That's Life is included, which evokes true emotion of persistence, sadness, and determination. These songs are here in their true versions. Well, all but one. Of interest is Strangers in the Night, which has an extended outro that was never released before this collection (though, I'm sure it's circled on many-a-bootleg.) This is another one of the best tracks he's recorded, though I absolutely detest the "doobie-doobie-doobie-doo" interlude.

Not every song delights me, though. My Kind of Town doesn't thrill me the way the other songs do, and neither do songs like Drinking Again; I don't care if they are classics. Frank, of course, sounds amazing, and the production is fine, but the melodies are forgettable. I think that, with a man like Sinatra, you pick and choose the songs you like until your head is full. No song is truly hate-able, but once you have the songs your love, you don't care about the rest of them, which is, I guess, the downside of having a 21-track compilation album. I'm not a fan of the dramatic Bewitched, though I liked the re-recording on Duets. Instead, I like the big-band, jazzy title track Nothing But the Best, which just oozes style: "I like to eat lobster directly from Maine. I'm gonna start livin'. You wait and see: nothing but the best is good enough for me." As dodgy as the man might have been in real life, you still wanted to be him. Then, when he puts on his mask of being a hopeless romantic, you get the incredible Summer Wind, which still sends shivers up my spine.

As far as compilation albums go, this one is very good; at least, by one-disc albums. There are better two-disc sets, but for those who just want something simple and to the point, Nothing But the Best does a great job. Casual fans who have only heard New York, New York (originally written for Ms. Liza Minnelli) will have something to look forward to aside from the overly popular singles.

TRACK LIST
Come Fly With Me (4 Stars)
The Best is Yet to Come (5 Stars)
The Way You Look Tonight (4 Stars)
Luck Be a Lady (5 Stars)
Bewitched (3 Stars)
The Good Life (4 Stars)
The Girl from Ipanema (5 Stars)
Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) (5 Stars)
Summer Wind (5 Stars)
Strangers in the Night (4.5 Stars)
Call Me Irresponsible (5 Stars)
Somethin' Stupid (ft. Nancy Sinatra) (5 Stars)
My Kind of Town (2 Stars)
It Was a Very Good Year (2 Stars)
That's Life (5 Stars)
Moonlight Serenade (4 Stars)
Nothing But the Best (5 Stars)
Drinking Again (2 Stars)
All My Tomorrows (2 Stars)
My Way (4 Stars)
New York, New York (5 Stars)

Overall score: 4 Stars (4.01-)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying