It's been almost 40 years since the storied days of the Rat Pack and their reign over the flashing lights and glitz of Las Vegas night-life; 40 years since there was no hotter seat in town than a table in the Copa Room of the legendary Sands Hotel to watch Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra take the stage night after night mixing jazz standards with off-color jokes. They were three men-a short Italian, a tall, dark and handsome leading man, and an African-American Jew-united by friendship, music, women and liquor.

The three legendary showmen owe their moniker to Lauren Bacall. When her husband, Humphrey Bogart, came home after a night on the town with Sinatra and the other cats, she pouted, "You look like a goddamned rat pack!"

If you weren't alive 40 years ago, you can only dream about seeing their antics first-hand; but with the release of "The Rat Pack-Live at the Sands," all you have to do is close your eyes and you can practically see Frank, microphone in one hand, highball in the other and the rest of the "merry triumvirate" living it up. The same old songs are here: Broadway showtunes, "new songs" and even a few touching ballads. But most of all, there is the dialogue.

Previously unreleased, the album is an unedited live performance from Sept. 7, 1963, offering a taste of the charm and talent that made the Rat Pack the icons they are today.

By today's standards, the jokes are still just as tasteless and racy as they were then. More showmen than singers, the banter between Frank and Dean about the latter's drinking problems and between Sammy and Dean about the former's race and religion is priceless. You'll find yourself skipping over the songs to hear the 10-minute tracks of chatting and teasing that will make you laugh out loud. These three men were brothers and, as Sinatra biographer Bill Zehme writes in the liner notes to "The Rat Pack-Live At The Sands," "[t]he center of the world was where these guys were standing."

After the 1960 success of the caper classic, "Ocean's 11," which introduced America to the trio plus Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, the Rat Pack was firmly established as the iconic group of the Swinging Sixties. In anticipation of the new remake of "Ocean's 11," Capitol records has also released a set of studio recorded hits by Sammy, Dean and Frank. While Eee-O-11 doesn't feature any of the lively repartee, the tracks feature some classic hits that remind you just how great the Rat Pack was at its prime. From the playful Sammy and Frank rendition of "Me and My Shadow" to Dean's rendition of "Volare," the compilation highlights the cream of the big band crop.

The ripe voices of the Pack coupled with the crisp sounds of the Capitol studio orchestra will leave you wanting more, but that more isn't there. These guys sound great in a studio, but they really shine on a stage with a cocktail and an audience.

Both albums are great, but "The Rat Pack-Live At The Sands" has that extra punch of live performance that makes it even better. This is how these guys would want to be remembered, entertaining and having a ball.