The Vaults / CD Reissues

*** “High Society” soundtrack. Capitol. It’s a shame there wasn’t more interaction between Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in this rare teaming of the two most influential male pop singers of the pre-rock era. Still, there is much to enjoy in this 1956 Cole Porter musical, including Crosby’s duets with Sinatra (“Well Did You Evah?”), Louis Armstrong (“Now You Has Jazz”) and Grace Kelly (the hit “True Love”).

** 1/2 Charlie Rich, “Set Me Free,” KOCH. How can a blues- and country-flavored singer this great be so uneven? Take the best of this late-’60s album, starting with “Just Like Old Times,” and you’ll see why Rich is one of the great vocalists of the modern pop era. Much of the work here, however, is oddly routine.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (essential).