Frank Sinatra’s long-forgotten outer space album that won a Grammy: “Uranus is heaven”
When discussing the legacy of Frank Sinatra today, it’s rarely in relation to space-themed abstraction. In fact, those kinds of discussions are usually reserved for names like Brian Eno and David Bowie, with Sinatra typically celebrated for his immense vocal ability. However, he not only once ventured further afield, he also won a Grammy for stepping into unknown territory.
While Trilogy: Past Present Future wasn’t just about space, it was most certainly Sinatra’s most ambitious and innovative work yet, delving into the three different themes with varying experimental tones. The third record, Future, leaned into more theatrical and space-inspired tones in a way that sounded quintessentially un-Sinatra, which, for many, seemed like a dramatic jilt in the wrong direction.
In fact, some even suggested that the Future segment was far too self-indulgent. It appeared less like Sinatra genuinely exploring realms outside his usual game and more like an overt attempt to appear artistic, though in a way that came off as entirely pretentious. What made this even more perplexing was that, to many, Sinatra was anything but inauthentic, which only made the trilogy feel even more out of place.
The easiest way to understand this was that usually, when musicians dabble in experimental sensibilities or abstract arrangements, they already seem well equipped to do so or already have an established artistic identity based on executing such projects. Bowie, for instance, had already embraced such creativity with an expression that was already heavily rooted in doing the unexpected.
As a result, Past Present Future wasn’t just seemingly out of the blue but also perceived by some as a poor attempt, with certain parts of Sinatra’s vocal performance feeling entirely out of place or somewhat forced. In other words, it was so far outside of his comfort zone that it failed to land entirely, leaving many to wonder if it was more of a musical mishap than an attempt at reinvention.
For instance, one track, ‘What Time Does The Next Miracle Leave’, runs for around ten minutes with several lyrics that don’t entirely make sense. However, that’s the point, as it sees Sinatra travelling around various planets, including Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus, oscillating between states of joy and ecstasy, before likening Uranus to “heaven” because they meet him “with some cheese and some mayo pizza.”
Mixed reception aside, this record was actually considerably successful and wasn’t only nominated for a handful of Grammys but also bagged the accolade for ‘Best Album Notes’. While it was also in the categories for ‘Album of the Year’, recognition for its liner notes was perhaps the best thing that could have happened, as it allowed fans a glimpse into the mind behind the magic, even if the resulting music wasn’t exactly what anybody expected.
However, while many regard it as ahead of its time, perhaps the reservations signalled a misunderstanding among Sinatra’s audiences, who struggled to pick up on the irony and comedy he filtered throughout many of the songs, particularly on Future. Innovative qualities aside, the entire thing seemed a little too dense to understand or connect with, leaving many unsure of how it was supposed to be experienced.
