Strangers in the Night

marked 's return to the top of the charts in the mid-'60s, and it consolidated the comeback he started in 1965. Although he later claimed he disliked the title track, the album was an inventive, rich effort from , one that established him as a still-viable star to a wide, mainstream audience without losing the core of his sound. Combining hits ( ) with and , the album creates a delicate but comfortable balance between instrumentation. Using strings, horns, and an organ, constructed an easy, deceptively swinging sound that appealed to both 's dedicated fans and radio. And 's singing is relaxed, confident, and surprisingly jazzy, as he plays with the melody of and delivers a knockout punch with the assured, breathtaking Although he would not record another album with again, would expand the approach of for the rest of the decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine