I remember being very excited when this album was first released. It had been a few years since his previous album and if memory serves me correctly, the single "Theme from New York, New York" was on the verge of being Frank's biggest hit in over a decade. I bought the original three record set for myself and as a gift to my parents, as well as treating myself to the three reel-to-reel set from Columbia House (oh, what memories!).My favorite of the three discs has always been "The Future." To this day the lush orchestration always puts me in a relaxed mood as my imagination always envisions what Frank is singing about (e.g. "I like to sit outside on a summer night with a drank in MY HAND"). I've never grown tired of this very long medley and can listen to it over and over.As for the rest of the album, the "Present" disc with such songs as "Something" and "Just the Way You Are" is nice to listen to (a cover of the Carpenters' "Close to You" is noticably missing somehow), and "Past" introduced me to another style of music I might never have known.This album was really up to date at the time and some twenty years later I still find the album very fresh and new. I've introduced the "Future" disc to some of my rock oriented friends who have since turned into Sinatra fans (really!). What can I say? The guy's cool.I highly recommend this album.

This album is NOT for the beginning or casual Sinatra fan but MUST have for the serious music critic.

Perhaps one is overhelmed by the amount of music. Perhaps the fact that this album sold VERY well influences ones review.

But I simply LOVE almost all the music on the PAST and PRESENT and I am amused by the FUTURE which was defintely influenced by STAR WARS which came out a few years before this album.

Frank's singing on all albums is strong; his voice now older but still dramatic and very effective and romantic. The arrangements are ALL top notch and yes while some of them remind us of the 1940s a bit (so what??), they are updated and fresh which places them into the timeless category. Plus, the sound quality of 1940s recordings was of course nothing near what we had 1979 and since. Overall the sound is good; perhaps a bit bright but other than that, the albums sounds fat and solid..which it should, they're huge orchestras on here. If only DUETS I and II had sounded like this....

The songs themselves vary from classic (e.g. STREET OF DREAMS) to 2nd rate material (e.g. THAT'S WHAT GOD LOOKS LIKE) and some of the contemporary songs were already OLDIES by 1979 e.g. LOVE ME TENDER which came out in 1954. It just shows that standards are TIMELESS - a song can be written in the 20s and still sound fresh 50 plus years later when Sinatra sings it. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE on the other hand sounds dated by today's standards - it is an oldie reminding us of the late 70s - but a good one it is and Sinatra does one heck of a job swinging it hard. Perhaps when Sinatra sings a song it becomes a standard. YOU AND ME and MAC ARTHUR PARK are stunning and Costa outdid himself on the arrangmenents..same goes for SUMMER ME WINTER ME.

SINATRA's heart is in all the songs whether they're from the AMERICAN songbook (1920-1965) or from the rock era.

Granted, the FUTURE is a bit hard to digest at first but it will grow on you. Think of it as a movie on record....and then use your imagination......

When I first heard this recording nearly twenty years ago I knew for sure that this singer was the master of the lyric. Franks phrasing and the great big band sound on Billy Joel's hit "just the way you are" brings an excitement to this ballad. All the material on this album is consummate Sinatra, I recommend getting this cd.

The only reason to buy this Frank Sinatra Cd for me was the very underrated ballad YOU AND ME(WE WANTED IT ALL).This song is simply the greatest love song Sinatra has ever sung .Ole Blue Eyes mystical voice range is shown off in this little known classic gem! His voices rises and dips as does the metaphor in this song about a love affair gone bad, but we are told was once the best!Mark my words if you don`t enjoy this Sinatra ballad you just have no heart.This 2 cd set is all best explained on disc 1 with the formentioned song.The Chairman Of The board also gives us his rendition of the Neil Diamond hit Song Sung Blue. And then theres the always powerful New York New York theme that will simply knock your socks off!Disc 2 is quite forgettable as Sinatra tries to take us on some journey through time in 6 stanzas of quite forgettable tunes.Overall a good cd for Francis Albert fans!!

This album is like an old friend. After not hearing it for a long time, I'm glad we have it back.