Customer Reviews

Dont Look Back

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a Perfect Title for Natalie Cole's 1980 Album since it is her first album of the 1980's while retaining her magic of the 1970's.The Disco side contains Don't Look Back,I'm Getting In To You,and Cole-Blooded.The R&B side contains (I've Seen) Paradise,Hold On,Someone That I Used To Love,and Beautiful Dreamer with the Jazzinest of the Ella Fitzgerald Remake of Stairway To The Stars and the Rock/Gospel tinged Danger(Up Ahead).Unfortunately this Album is not talked about enough and it is Out-Of-Print.

This album, Natalie Cole's 6th studio record and first of a new decade (1980,) would show an evolution of sorts.

Firstly, she would continue with the same soulful music which made her a star since her debut in 1975 with such poweful offerings as the imperative title cut as well as the torchy, "(I've Seen) Paradise" and the Quiet Storm beauty of "Hold On." THEN, she would, for the first time in her career, sink her chops into an AC ballad, Michael Masser's gorgeous, "Someone That I Used to Love" and do it with such effortless mastery, that one would have expected even more similar musical moments here, however, such was not the case; The music as well as the public image began to show signs of incredible wear.

If one were to look forward, however, one would see that in the excellent "Miss You Like Crazy" and "Starting Over Again" from 1989, that greater things were surely to come.

As solidly as "Don't Look Back" begins, there are quite a few lackluster moments here which include the rockish and completely out of place "Danger Up Ahead" and the plain ridiculous "Cole-Blooded" with its sad employment of a pun. Melodically, it's pretty mediocre too.

What's good about "Don't Look Back" is that she DIDN'T. She pressed on. What's bad about it is that it was poorly sequenced, thus appearing more as a mish-mash of styles as opposed to one cohesive package. Given this, you end up with an album which would be her first not to go Gold and an eventual drop from the label where she had enjoyed so much chart success and Industry acclaim for the previous five years.

Did she rebound? Yes. Everyone knows that she did. Via her impeccable phrasing and ear for a good melody, she proved to the world that with "Someone That I Used to Love" and a Big Band re-reading of Ella Fitzgerald's "Stairway to the Stars," she wasn't to be labelled as strictly an R&B artist and that she could, like many of her peers at that time, certainly handle a great Pop or Jazz song and with it, broaden her appeal TOO. This would all become apparent with 1989's very Pop, "Good to Be Back" album and in 1991's monstruous, multi-platinum, "Unforgettable with Love," a tribute to her father, the late, great Nat King Cole.

Not much better vocal styling than "someone" or anything else on this hard to find release. Personal favorite would have to be "danger up ahead"....rocking!!!! awesome.

I love this Natalie Cole project from 1980 because it was the first one that she decided to try different styles on one album: R&B, pop, rock, and jazz. The results are amazing. Though this may be one of her least know albums (the others being HAPPY LOVE and DANGEROUS), this set proves that Natalie could do it all. We got previews of her abilities on the NATALIE LIVE! set, but this studio effort was the first project in which she did all the songs in the studio. My favorites are "Hold On," "Someone That I Used To Love," "I'm Getting Into You," "Beautiful Dreamer," and "Danger Up Ahead." Dag, was that all the songs on the album? Well all of the songs are great!

I am a NATALIE COLE fanatic. I have al of her albums in both CD and LP form, save for a few. So of course I alredy love the album, but from a non-natlie cole fan, they might be dissapionted. My favorite song is a ballard, entititled "Paradsie" the second track. It reaslly captures Natalie's sooth and refine vocals. The title track "Dont look back" was also another great track with a more R&B/pop type theme. "Cole-Blooded" is a song where natalie tries to dapple in the rock type pop and somewhat suceeds. The cd has good pionts and some non-natalie cole fans would like it but this is not one of her best.