Ring-A-Ding Ding!

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Ring-a-Ding Ding!, Frank Sinatra's first album for his own record label, broke somewhat from the strict concepts of his Capitol Records; in the process, it set a kind of template for the rest of his '60s Reprise albums. Instead of following a theme, the record captures the atmosphere of Sinatra in 1961 -- a time when he was running the Rat Pack, so it's no coincidence that the album is named after one of his favorite phrases of the era. The title track was written especially for Sinatra by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. And that song reflects the brassy, swaggering feeling of the record -- even the ballads are arrogant and self-confident.