A Man Alone (album)

A Man Alone (fully titled A Man Alone: The Words and Music of McKuen) is a 1969 studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, arranged by Don Costa. ^[1]

In a tribute to the poet, all songs on this album were written by Rod McKuen. "Love's Been Good to Me" reached No. 8 on the British charts, and was also notably recorded by Johnny Cash.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album two stars, stating: "A Man Alone was intended to be a serious statement, but much of it comes off as embarrassing posturing. McKuen's compositions are lyrically slight and musically insubstantial, but what saves A Man Alone from being a total failure is the conviction of Sinatra's performance, as well as Don Costa's skillful arrangements. Sinatra and Costa pull so much out of so little on A Man Alone, it makes the listener wish they had applied their talents and ambitions to a similar, but more substantial set of songs. As it stands, the album is an intriguing listen, but ultimately a failure." ^[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Rod McKuen

1. "A Man Alone" – 3:47
2. "Night" (Spoken) – 2:25
3. "I've Been to Town" – 3:13
4. "From Promise to Promise" (Spoken) – 1:31
5. "The Single Man" – 3:01
6. "The Beautiful Strangers" – 2:41
7. "Lonesome Cities" – 3:18
8. "Love's Been Good to Me" – 3:27
9. "Empty Is" (Spoken) – 2:46
10. "Out Beyond the Window" (Spoken) – 2:45
11. "Some Traveling Music" (Spoken) – 2:36
12. "A Man Alone (Reprise)" – 1:30

Personnel

• Frank Sinatra – Vocals
• Don Costa – Arranger, Conductor

References