Review

December, 19th 2016

It is impossible to compare the versions of Frank Sinatra and Seth MacFarlane. The version of Frank is so original, indigenous, and distinctive. It is full of flying notes that expose the voice of magnificent Frank to the fullest extent, which is still unreachable by many-many performers of this world. The version of Seth McFarland is absolutely different though it follows the main line. It is very smooth, it doesn't have the sharp corners. These two have different voices – the one has more octaves while the second has one or two octaves lesser. Frank Sinatra has differences from the performance of Mr. McFarland in the way that he didn't firmly follow those little small moments that he had to fill with his voice, it is called indigenous way, His way.
If to compare these two versions of singing, they must be compared in the same way as the song ‘Hallelujah’ was sung by, for example, Rufus Wainwright and the original by Leonard Cohen. The same is distinctively heard here – the covers both have no sharp corners, they have no little unevenness in the lines that originals have, and in generally it is felt that there is much more commercial essence sits in this songs that in the originals. If it is good or not – judge for yourself. But we always prefer the originals before the cover versions even if they are sung by more skillful persons as it may seem at the first glance (for the teenagers). They are more skilfull only in the ways of soothing the songs for today’s showbiz product, not improving them.
The version of Frank Sinatra somehow emanates the overall feeling of upcoming Christmas (and New Year), while there is nothing similar to that sensation in the version by Seth MacFarlane. It is much more serious, mature, and, unfortunately, commercial. Maybe that is why Frank had much more love than any of his followers who tried to cover his items. It is not in any way the shortcoming of Seth MacFarland because we understand there are some requirements from the sound studios that are responsible for the making the soundtrack to films. And we definitely understand that the singer currently has undergone the procedure of arrangement of the style of his singing with the own conscience, to find that golden midst that would allow him to do what he likes, earning money for living simultaneously.
The song by Mr. Frank was recorded in December of 1968 in Los Angeles. It is considered a traditional pop despite all its waltz way of performance. In the United Kingdom, where it has originated, it has almost 1 million sales, which is the outstanding number for that time (50 years back). Several other versions are available at the moment and these are by Dorothy Squires and the most famous, by Elvis Presley, amongst the others. Since the time of origination, it was covered by fantastically numerous times and Wikipedia doesn’t know even about the tenth part of it.
Somehow, it is associated with the Christmas and the New Year’s Eve. But not always in a good way. As for us, it is mostly associated with the loneliness of being completely on your own at this time of the year, when everybody supposed to exchange their warm thoughts and gifts, but you are left completely alone in your apartment, eating yourself for being alone.
It is not that we say about the loneliness that emanates from this song, as it shouldn't be like this. We only say about the imperfection of the outer world that we associate with this song with a very slow pace. Anyway, this is just our feeling, you may have your own, absolutely polar sensation about it. Reference: Seth MacFarlane sings "My Way"