The Rat Pack - Boys Night Out - CD

The Rat Pack is hot again...or is it that they've never stopped being hot? Frank, Sammy, and Dean (the chief Pack cohorts) may be long gone these days, but their impact still reverberates loudly through today's popular culture. And so in the wake of the Oceans Eleven remake (and anticipating the release of the sequel, Oceans Twelve, not exactly a subtle tie-in), Capitol has released Boys Night Out, a compilation that fans the fires still fueling the Vegas-chic mystique behind this unholy triumvirate.

In the past, the "Rat Pack" moniker has always been used when Martin, Davis, and Sinatra performed together, as at the Sands, where the trio famously held court 40-plus years ago. As a group, however, the Rat Packers didn't release studio albums (in fact, the Rat Pack concept feels more ubiquitous today than it likely was during its short lifespan). So what's interesting about this collection is that it consists of studio material; on top of that, except for two instances -- the rollicking, rambling, eternally jocular "We Open in Venice" (from Kiss Me Kate) features all three singing together, while "Guys and Dolls" is a duet between Frank and Dean -- each of the tracks is a solo recording. So it's not technically a "Rat Pack" collection after all.

Neither, too, is it a Rat Pack greatest hits collection. And that's a plus, certainly for die-hard fans who already own the classics. Instead, Boys Night Out pulls together some lesser-known (but still fabulous) recordings, such as Sinatra's sassy and sly version of the (sort of) title track "The Boys' Night Out," his winking vocals layered with snazzy horns, strings, vibrant percussion, and a hard-to-predict rhythm that alternates between lightly prancing and fully brash.

Though really, don't take any of this as complaining. On their own or together, these guys were powerhouse performers. Dean burns up "You Can't Love 'em All" and the silky-smooth "All in a Night's Work" with his patent easygoing charm, while Sam shows off his knockout range and vibrant, full-bodied vocal tone on the good-natured "(Love Is) The Tender Trap." Even Frank's goofy version of "Ol' McDonald" is undeniably entertaining.

The term "Rat Pack" may seem like it's in danger of being overused these days, but as this collection shows, the songs these three recorded still have longevity, inherent strength, and immense appeal. May their music return again and again for years to come.

By A.P. Delaney