Best Of Holly Cole, The

Holly Cole | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 22, 2011)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note
• ASIN: B0000508UB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,961 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #94 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Vocal Jazz

Editorial Reviews

Best Of Holly Cole, The by Holly Cole

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Surprise!, November 28, 2000

By 

Beth Johnston - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Of Holly Cole, The (Audio CD)

I picked up this CD by chance, and still can't believe my luck. Cole is a smooth crooner with an unusual twist: she tries far more interesting material than the average vocalist. Her voice is a bit like her fellow Canadian, Diana Krall, but much richer, more versatile, and resonant. She also has a great sense of rhythm and a remarkable ability to express the meaning and message of a song, even something as seemingly forthright as the Beatle's "I've Just Seen a Face." Unlike Krall, Cole doesn't accompany herself on piano, but she has the perfect partner in Aaron Davis's sensitive playing.

It takes a bold young woman to make a Beatle's song so completely hers, and the other choices on this Best Of album are equally quirky, which makes me want to seek out her other recordings. There's a trio of Tom Waits' songs, several standards, a Lyle Lovett cover--and yes, the "I Can See Clearly Now" is her take on the song Jimmy Cliff made famous, and it's dynamite. The most astonishing to me, though, is her rendition of Elvis Costello's passionate "Alison"--her varied, nuanced delivery makes Costello's sound like a nursery rhyme in comparison. I can't wait to learn and hear more about this terrific singer!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canadian lady unlike any other, July 14, 2002

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Of Holly Cole, The (Audio CD)

Canada has produced many great female singers (Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, Terri Clark and Shania Twain to name a few) but Holly Cole (from Nova Scotia, like Anne Murray) while completely different from any of them, is outstanding in her own way. Holly's first love is jazz, but she has absorbed musical influences from many different genres. This shows in her music, which is jazz-based, but with everything else added into the mix.

Holly specialises in cover versions, but always takes the songs apart and rearranges them in such a way as to sound original. I've heard plenty of rearranged covers by many different singers, but it is rare to find somebody who does it with such consistency. Listen to her version of I've just seen a face (the Beatles song) or I can see clearly now (the Johnny Nash song, which has been covered by lots of people, but never quite like Holly's version).

This is my first Holly CD, but certainly not my last. I now regard her recent Christmas collection (Baby it's cold outside) as essential. I'm intrigued to hear what Holly can do with songs which, brilliant though they are, desperately need something different done to them.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holly, Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways..., September 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Best Of Holly Cole, The (Audio CD)

A brilliant woman, with a fabulous ensemble. Great songs that she totally makes her own, fresh, better than the original. She has the smokey, soulful voice you can just fall into. I've seen a lot of performers... but my one regret is that I've never seen Holly perform live. I, of course, have ALL of her CDs. Personal favs are: Don't Smoke In Bed and Blame It On My Youth... but you can take her for a test drive with this great collection of her best.