Ms. Sinatra's last name doesn't mean a thing to me. I love her father's timeless music, sure, but as far as I'm concerned, Nancy is entirely separate from a certain crooner named Francis. After a slew of very, very unsuccessful singles in the mid 1960s, the record company was at their wit's end with her, gearing up to drop her in favor of someone who could actually be profitable. Isn't that just how it goes, though? In 1966, her signature track was released, not only taking her off the company's hitlist, but also kick starting her off and on musical career. It's quite easy to write Nancy Sinatra off as a daddy's little girl who decided to play dress up one day; that she was the original Paris Hilton who got bored in the middle of the week and thought that singing would be an easy way to kill time. Maybe her reason's for becoming a singer were to be just like her father-- I really don't know. I haven't studied her life. All I know is that her 1966 debut album Boots is classic pop music that I can really sink my teeth into.

There's something to be said about the incredible instrumentation on this record. Music in the 1960s had a grace about it-- like they were building art in an elegant way. Everything from the guitar to the cello has a place on this record, fusing jazz with pop with rock with soul very, very well. There are melodies on this record that didn't exist back in the 1960s, nonetheless today. Credit, however, mainly goes to various artists-- the least of which is Nancy herself who only contributed to only two of the tracks (one of which becoming a minor success pre-break out stardom). The bulk of this record is a a collection of covers from The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Beach Boys-- this was not an uncommon practice. The best songwriting on this record, though, is not Dylan (go ahead and crucify me). Instead, Lee Hazelwood is the star of the writers' ring, creating a certain magic that's his own on tracks like Leave My Dog Alone.

Nancy has a voice. I don't care if nepotism helped her get her way-- Nancy has a voice, and, for the most part, she knows how to use it. She whispers through As Days Go By, a Joni Mitchell-like track with a subtle Latin instrumentation of Spanish guitar and soft maracas. This track more or less set the mood that you'll hear on Boots. For a pop record, it's sad and dark-- all delivered with love from Nancy's strangely deadpan vocals. She has this way of evoking anger, depression, and joy; she can sound as sweet as a lollipop or as dangerous as a revolver, all while sounding too bored to even breathe. As with any debut, there are some hiccups and slight missteps. The two Beatles covers, Daytripper and Run For Your Life leave me non-plussed and go against everything I love Nancy's first record. Rather than being slick and controlled, they are both sloppy with obnoxious backing tracks. I skip these...always.

I like Nancy best when she's singing Hazelwood's tracks. Leave My Dog Alone is a cute, little diddy with a biting metaphor all wrapped up in folky hook that you'd expect from Big Mama Thorton. Oh, people won't you leave this girls alone?, she pleads just after comparing her own life to that of an ostracized pet. It's a clever track that would make for a great (unsuspecting) protest track, methinks. The best track on this album was originally a b-side not found on the original LP, but included on the CD edition: The City Never Sleeps at Night is the only time that Nancy ever remotely sounds like her father-- it's basically her New York, New York, except that Nancy sounds like the sweetest candy. This cutely quiet song has the best hook on the entire record that's a bit of a throwback to the 1940s: Old men, young men, preacher's sayin' "amen," taking up collections, banging on a bass-drum... How come the city never sleeps at night?

The signature song of Nancy's career is always present. Duh. These Boots Are Made For Walking is classic 1960s, classic Sinatra, classic pop, and the greatest kiss-off song ever. Not even Alanis Morissette's You Oughta Know could pull of this slickly shaming feeling that this song omits from it, with its distorted cello breaks and attitude-driven lyrics. Jessica Simpson recently had a hit with this song, degrading it at every other turn in her obscenely short booty shorts and tied-up racing shirt. Her version does not come close-- not many songs do, be them covers or not. Are you ready boots? START WALKING (all over Jessica's behind). Covers of It Ain't Me Babe (popularized by Bob Dylan and The Turtles) and Flowers on the Wall (from The Startler Brothers) are here, and they are fantastic. Nancy's voice shines brightly on these songs, because if it's one thing she can do, it's sing a good kiss-off.

In My Room is a giant misstep, as is I Move Around, both of which just feature Nancy singing like a woman on downers. But then we get the over-energized Lies, which is the most obnoxious song on this album. That said, it's fun, catchy, and it will be in your head for..ever: Lies! Lies! I'm gonna make you sad someday. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm a little afraid of Nancy Sinatra. I mean, we've all heard about those mob connections to her father... I'm just saying...

Tragically, Nancy Sinatra won't get the respect she deserves. She'll forever be the one-hit wonder daddy's girl who has really cute boots. But she's so much more than that. Boots is crafty, classy, dark, and one of the strangest pop albums I've ever heard. It's essential listening. She sounded like a early version of Debbie Harry on this record.

TRACKLIST
"As Tears Go By""Day Tripper" "I Move Around""It Ain't Me Babe""These Boots Are Made for Walkin'""In My Room" "Lies""So Long, Babe""Flowers on the Wall""If He'd Love Me""Run For Your Life"

Bonus tracks (CD VERSION. NOT FOUND ON THE VINYL.)

"The City Never Sleeps at Night""Leave My Dog Alone""In Our Time""These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" [Mono Single Version]

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying