Customer Reviews

Love Is the Thing

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is a reminder that Cole didn't have a great big Las Vegas voice. He sang respectfully, making you lean in to share his secrets. He didn't try to reach the back row; he invited the back row to come closer. His voice glided across the surface of Gordon Jenkins' orchestrations. The interplay is incredible; singer and conductor accomodated each other like they had all the time in the world. Peel these songs away from films like "Sleepless in Seattle," and their true power is revealed.

Yes, "When I Fall in Love" has been done to death. Still, the original survives and surpasses all imitators. "Stardust" is haunting, with a simple, aching beauty that I've rarely found outside of dramatic film scores. Musically, it's sort of a Bernard Herrmann ("Psycho," "Fahrenheit 451") ballad. If you haven't heard it before, it'll hurt you the first time. It'll heal you every time after that. The songs are quite similar in pace and style, which is natural given the orchestra and one singer.

People my age and younger (the grandkids of most Nat King Cole fans) are bombarded with music that either dwells on or plainly celebrates hatred and anger. When this album came out in 1957, that was not the ideal time for a black man to sing to packed theatres and assert his dignity. They needed his songs then, and we can sure use them now.

Six of the songs have "love" in the title. Nowadays, that suggests writer's block. The album is called "Love Is The Thing" - cut the guy some slack. He was just staying on topic. The lyrics never stray from the idea that love is there to be had, and to be lost.

My parents loved this stuff while they were in the world. When I have a chance to stop running around chasing the day into the night, I'm finding comfort in Cole's music. Put on this CD, and the desparate veneer of the 21st century falters - you'll catch yourself believing that Love Is The Thing...

...thank God for reissues. This has got to be the most romantic and beautiful sounding CD I own. I absolutely love it. Nat's voice, as always, is like sipping hot cocoa on a cold winter's day. I am in totally in love with "Stardust"...Nat sings it with such a dream-like quality, it'll bring tears to your eyes. He was no doubt a gifted musician, but he was also blessed with a wonderful voice, it was his destiny to sing to the masses... The sweeping strings of Gordon Jenkins' arrangement is so relaxing, all you'll want to do is sit back, close your eyes, and absorb every note. When I listen to to this CD it reminds me of how much I love Nat King Cole and his music, even though I was only a baby when he died. He is greatly missed by the world.

Plus the three additional songs from 1963's WHERE DID EVERYONE GO? fit in quite well with the original tracks from LOVE IS THE THING, which was by the way, a #1 LP for Nat in 1957. If you are a NKC fan, this CD is a MUST. Buy it, you will love it, too! Through his music, NAT LIVES!

I've had this CD for several years and I always return to it for quiet, romantic, relaxing music.My husband likes it to fall asleep to! My personal favorite is "Stardust". Just listen to those words and the sweep of those strings! Nat's voice is the ultimate, of course. I listened to him, too, growing up, when my parents' his an LP of his on the record player. I think this is the sweetest of his recordings,When Sunny Gets Blueis fabulous and as always, When I Fall in Love and the mellow version of Ain't Misbehavin'. We miss you, Nat! You left us far, far too soon!

Well, first of all, you have THE version of "When I Fall in Love." Secondly, you have other classic songs like "Stay as Sweet as You Are," and "Stardust." Thirdly, you have possibly the greatest crooner who ever lived (unfortunately not showing off his pianistic jazz talents here) singing these classic ballads. Finally, you have sonics which will knock your socks off. The mastering from original master tapes with tube equipment blows you away from the moment Nat Cole enters your living room on the first word of "When I Fall in Love." His voice is so palpable, real, and dynamic. It's hard to believe that this is a recording from the mid-fifties. This is so far ahead of the commercial release and one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard.

Although he made excellent uptempo recordings with BILLY MAY,it is my beleive that NAT was at his best with GORDON JENKINS's lush orchestrations.The reason was simple:the man had great sensibility,and that type of material suits him fine.NAT was probably the best ballad singer of the fifties;he had a great natural understanding of the art of phrasing.LOVE IS THE THING has aged well;just take a song like WHEN I FALL IN LOVE,you can't imagine someone else who could make it sound like NAT;STARDUST was recorded by many artists,but again his version is among the best ever;even the songs that seems ordinary like IF LOVE AIN'T THERE or IRVING BERLIN'S MAYBE I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH receive an upgrade treatment.For me, the most pleasant surprize of this remarkable record is AIN'T MISBEHAVIN;it's almost not the same piece that LOUIS ARMSTRONG had recorded just a few years before.Romantics have the last word here;go for it,it's the nearest way to get to heaven for less than twenty bucks.

I can listen to this album every day, and I have done almost that for weeks. I have owned it in LP form for years; I bought it on CD (which includes additonal songs not on the LP) perhaps 4 years ago. I recently re-discovered it on my shelf, took it to my car, and began to play it on my way to work each day. I seldom removed it from the CD player. Nat's immortal voice smooths the stresses out of my day as no other can; his rich, true, timelessly beautiful renditon of every song here enriches my life with every play. "Love is the Thing", "Stardust", "Stay as Sweet as you Are", "Ain't Misbehavin'"....these songs flow from his throat, backed by Gordon Jenkins' lush strings, like the smoothest, richest dessert in the most exclusive restaurant in the most elegant city in the world. I know every song by heart and sing along with Nat. I know he would forgive me. I love this album. Buy it now; you will love it, too.

This is such a wonderful CD. I have all the songs memorized because my parents used to play the record when I was a child. Now I own this CD. It's the perfect ending to a stressful day. It's a perfect beginning to a new day. I never get tired of this CD. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Hearing The Rich Quality OF This Man's Voice is a Must For People that Respect Their Ear Drums.His VOice is Amazing&Incredible.He Sings Unlike any other.Stardust Sounds Fantastic here.Together with Gordon Jenkins this is a very Essential Must Have Recording.MR.COLE was in a Class all Unto Himself.

After hearing these delightful recordings on an honest-to-goodness record I bought only last week, imagine my delight when I discovered that it was also a CD, with three additional songs! I can now recommend this CD to my friends, so that they might also hear the glorious Nat King Cole at some of the best songs.

PROBABLY THE BEST CD I EVER PURCHASED
I HOPE THEY RELEASE IT AGAIN, SO OTHERS CAN ENJOY.