Customer Reviews

"Natalie Cole - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since Natalie Cole has a television film in which she stars as herself airing any day now, an autobiography on the way, and this Best Of collection, I have no reservation in believing that things may have been rushed--as this hits package suggests. Also suggested are record label politics as a few of her signature tunes are represented here via live versions (from Natalie Live, which is still in print on One Way Records, as is much of her earlier catalog) or not at all. Included are Natalie's masterpiece "This Will Be" (in its original studio version) and her postumous duet with her father "Unforgettable". Excluded, however, are key songs that placed Natalie consistantly back on the pop charts: the 7" hit version of "Pink Cadillac" (included in its less vibrant LP version), "Wild Women Do" (which demonstrated Natalie as a good a rock vocalist as any other), and "Jump Start" (one of her absolute best, and really the song that first had everyone talking of a genuine creative and commercial comeback). In the places of these are tracks from her last studio album--a highly underrated effort that should be investigated on its own terms. One ballad written and produced with Richard Marx ("Angel On My Should") and one dance number provided by the so-far undefeated Metro team ("Livin' For Love") make up the rest of this disc and are fine selections to be included among some of her best. On both Natalie exudes conviction and experience from having been around long enough to put together a hits package. With just a little more attention to detail (label legalities aside) this collection could have been a very comprehensive collection, perhaps two discs worth. Instead, it is a competent but limited gathering of hits that merely suggests that Natalie Cole had a few great records.

Throughout her career, Natalie Cole was only reflected on as being daddy's little girl, because of her father Nat King Cole. When she finally made a name for herself, it was anything but that feel of heartache. It would lead Natalie in her life, as her music would still survive strong.

The 2000 Greatest Hits Volume 1, showcases one of the most underrated diva's of our time. While many people think of diva's like Whitney Houston, the burned out and oversaturated, "Corporate teen idol" Britney Spears, and Vanessa Williams, many people have forgotten about the style and sonnets of a diva worthy of her many years of storytelling. There are so many good songs on this album prove that Natalie Cole is anything but being ignored in the industry. Songs like Unforgettable, her acclaimed duet with her father, Nat King Cole, A Smile Like Yours, and This Will Be, still are being heavily played on the radio, in a world where 13 year old girls have to hit #1 on the billboard charts. Other anthems like Pink Cadillac, and Live For Your Love, are also signature songs from the multi-grammy award winning diva, that still gives down respect into the world, in a music industry that uses ageism to sell records.

While Natalie Cole has been in the business for more than four decades, she still can pound out a good tune anyday, that is truly unforgettable.

Natalie Cole has always been, in my opinion, very underrated, as an artist, and in particular, a gifted vocalist. This package gives good reason why this opinion has always been unjustified. Though her commercial pop/r&b peak was in the 70's, she actually made several good records in the late 80's, partially represented here by 'Pink Cadillac' and 'Miss You Like Crazy'(as noted on several other reviews,'Jump Start' is conspicuously absent). Also absent is the title track from 'Take a Look', one of her best performances on record. It was nice to see that she did include tracks from her criminally underrated 'Snowfall on the Sahara' project, particularly the stunning title track, which should have been one of her biggest hits and wasn't. Finally, if you need proof of her "divadom", look no further than the album closer 'Livin for Love', a disco throwdown in which she provides probably the fiercest vocal workout I've heard from an artist who doesn't display her vocal range nearly enough. In all, a good overview of a truly gifted artist.

I want to love this, really I do. But Rule One of a Greatest Hits disc is to actually use the hit version of the song. "Our Love" and "Mr. Melody" are here in unnecessary live versions. ("Lucy in the Sky..." was live from the get-go; I don't like it but at least it's the "correct" version.)

If there's ever a Volume 2, it needs to have the above hit versions plus such omissions as Sophisticated Lady, Someone That I Used To Love, Jump Start, Dangerous, A Little Bit of Heaven, and Starting Over Again. What's the holdup? Even U2 put out hits discs faster than this...

Over a span of twenty five years, Natalie Cole has recorded some of R@B greatest grooves that placed her in the upper ranges of the charts. This collection spans the magic of her initial breakthough "This Will Be" in 1975 to her beautiful, but overlooked 1999 recording, "Snowfall In The Sahara." These tracks speak to her longevity and resiliency as a musical performer and artist.

The new millenium finds Ms Cole reflecting on the highlights and low points of her personal and professional career in her current biography "Angel On My Shoulder," an upcoming television movie, a well received, revealing episode on VH-1's Behind The Music, and now this retrospective of hits.

The collection contains many of the chart-toppers that ignited her career in the mid 1970's: "This Will Be," "I've Got Love On My Mind" and "Inseparable." Also included are several choice live performances of the era represented by "Mr Melody," the top 5 "Our Love," and a stirring rendition of the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," which finally makes its first appearance on CD (originally on "Natalie Live" from 1977).

It was during that period that she flirted with many different genres and musical landscapes. "I Can't Say No," and "I'm Catching Hell" are selections that highlight her a gospel flavor. Natalie was cited by many critics to be the next Aretha Franklin when she came on the scene in 1975. Incidentally, Cole actually broke Aretha's incredible 8 year run as the best female r@b performer at the 1975 grammy awards!

On the upbeat and relentless,"La Costa," Natalie experiments with jazz and salsa stylings that would serve as a foreshadowing of her experimental transition to cover her legendary father's songs in the early 1990's. Natalie hesitated to do so earlier in her career because she wanted to be recognized on her own merits and not solely as the daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole. Through the years whatever Natalie choose to sing, she did with elegance and style.

The 1980's were a decade in which Natalie recorded sporadically, but didn't achieve the level of superstardom that she achieved most notably with her earliest recordings. The highlights of that time included here is a highly energized version of Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac" which brought her back to the top 5 on the pop charts in over a decade, and the engaging ballad "I Live For Your Love" from her "Everlasting" disc. Also included is "Miss You Like Crazy" which returned Natalie (righteously so) to the apex on the R@B charts by the end of the decade.

Natalie's sentimental, computer-generated duet with her father, "Unforgettable" is included on the collection. This was the title track to her multi-platinum collection of 22 standards she recorded in tribute to her father, Nat King Cole. 1991 was the year that she dominated the Grammy awards and consistently received regular airplay on contemporary radio and whose breakthough video was consistently aired on most video music stations. That was the year that everyone realized, recognized, and remembered her for the talented performer that she was. On a VH-1 special, record producer, David Foster, cited Natalie as an overlooked diva who deserves all the recognition of the best of her contemporaries.

One of the highlights for me on this collection involved the inclusion of her revival of Leon Russell's poignant and moving "A Song For You." This classic song has been recorded from the ranks of Karen Carpenter to the legendary Ray Charles. Natalie's version ranks with the best of them as she makes the performance, truly one of her own.

Other new songs on this collection includes the Diane Warren penned "A Smile Like Yours," the auto-biographical self penned collaboration with Richard Marx, "Angel On My Shoulder," and the techno and highly danceable "Livin' For Love" (which should become a club favorite) which ends the collection.

Although I give Natalie's delivery and recording production 5 stars, this collection gets only four for several reasons. This clearly could have been a 2 CD retrospective (as the title/Volume 1 speaks to...) It would have been refreshing to have all the hits and the notable album tracks in one place, without having to wait for a Volume 2 to be released.

The most notable omissions are the grammy award winning "Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady)," "Someone That I Used To Love," "Jump Start," "Take A Look," "When I Fall In Love" (her 1987 solo version and the 1990's duet with Nat King Cole on her "Stardust" CD), "Wild Women Do"(from the "Pretty Woman" soundtrack), and the original versions of "Mr. Melody" and "Our Love," which clearly outshines the live performances on this CD.

I also was hoping for comprehensive linear notes. There is a brief blurb written by Natalie herself and the production credits for all songs are listed on the inner contents. I would also prefer a more comprehensive view of Natalie's albums and work with more photos and information. I believed this was omitted to leave the consumer to seek out the auto-biographical book "Angel On My Shoulder."

Nonetheless, the music clearly stands on its own. It's been long overdue for a more comprehensive Natalie Cole retrospective of her 1970's/1980's/1990's output. For those seeking the most viable period of Natalie's recording career, I recommend "The Natalie Cole Collection," which was released in the mid 1980's. For those of you seeking the torch song collections reminiscent of the Nat King Cole era, the most notable choices are "Unforgetable With Love," "Take A Look," and "Stardust." This collection should appeal to any novice of Cole's music because it draws upon an eclectic mixture of styles; rhythm and blues, torch, adult contemporary, and dance.

Natalie Cole made a nice greatest hits album 4 years ago. She selected a lot of good songs for this album, especially This Will Be and Our Love. I liked that she included Pink Cadillac, I Live For Your Love, Unforgettable and others. The songs tend to be more on the mellow side, especially on ballads like Say You Love Me. The new song that she did with Richard Marx is quite good. She's overcome a lot of past struggles to get herself right back on top in her career and this collection proves that. She's one of the more enduring singers still active to this day!

Great disc, if only for acquainting me with the mesmerizing masterpiece "Snowfall on the Sahara", from her 1999 disc of the same name. I'm amazed I never heard this song before. I listened to 20 times IN A ROW last night. What a production! She deserved a Grammy for it.

Maybe now this song will find the audience it deserves. As for the rest of the disc, I'm very happy with it. Always loved her take on "Pink Cadillac," and the two new songs "Angel on My Shoulder" and "Livin' For Love" (she's particularly hot on that one) are great.

This is an interesting overview of Natalie's long and everchanging career. It says volume 1, but so didn't Hall & Oates collection, Rock N'Soul Part 1. There was never a second volume! It seems most of the big ones are on this volume. There is a live version of Our Love and Mr. Melody. The originals are much better. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is also live and was the single from 1977's Natalie Live LP. What's interesting about this recording is that she was on drugs at the time and is thought of by Beatles fans as an LSD trip as outlined in the title and talked about in the song. Most of the tracks stand on their own, but where she shines is on her earlier material. What's missing from this package is her 80's hits Dangerous, A Little Bit Of Heaven and Jump Start among others. There are 2 new songs, the ballad Angel On My Shoulder (the title of her new book and the almost techno song Livin' For You (which will be really hot if remixed!).There are also a lot of filler tunes like Song For You, Say You Love Me, I'm Catchin' Hell, and I Can't Say No. They could have saved that for a box set and made one complete Greatest Hits disc.

This GREATEST HITS VOL. I package is a nice collection of Natalie Cole's hits, but I was a little bit disappointed that some of her other songs that were popular were not included, such as "Just Can't Stay Away", "Annie Mae", "Sophisticated Lady", "When I Fall In Love" and "Take A Look" (one of my Natalie favorites). But still I am satisfied with the tunes that were compiled for this disk. It has tunes from her Capitol, EMI, and Elektra years. I can't pick out which song I like the most because they are all superb. Listening to this CD brought back a lot of childhood memories for me. The two new songs, "Angel On My Shoulder" and "Livin' For Love" really deserve to get airplay. "Angel" is sort of an autobiographical work, telling of how Natalie made it through hell and back, and she sings it with a lot of gusto. "Livin' For Love" is a nice, upbeat dance track that should be a big hit in the clubs. Let's hope Volume II is chock full of even more goodies!

Natalie Cole has never really had a comprehensive "greatest hits" collection. The 1987 release "The Natalie Cole Collection" is the best, offering full album versions of her early hits. This one, "Greatest Hits Vol. I," includes her late '80s material but not enough of the superior Captial tracks from the '70s. The three "live" cuts are from the now out-of-print 1978 "Natalie Live" album. Why not just re-release that album and all the others, including the platinum-selling, 1977 LP "Unpredictable"? The title of this new collection suggests that another volume will follow, but who knows? That may be years from now.