Search - Nat King Cole :: L-O-V-E: Complete Capitol Recordings (W/Book)

The last 5 years of a great career...

Reader | Louisville, Kentucky | 05/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second of two deluxe sets covering the last ten years of Nat King Cole's career (the first is STARDUST, which covers 1955-1959). They are both outstanding productions, and each has a full-sized hardcover book filled with rare black and white and color illustrations, and an outstanding essays on each album by Nat King Cole expert Will Friedwald. Friedwald writes with insight and with wit, and for a Nat King Cole fan it's priceless to hear what he has to say about each song.



Nat King Cole was in his own way a rather restless artist, who often wanted to try something new. But he also sang classics, and revisited songs that earlier had brought him success.



There are 292 songs on this set, and many of them are excellent, and so keep that in mind if you are deciding whether this set is worth the money. If you are a Nat King Cole fan, you must buy this set, even if it means sacrificing a bit in some other area of your life.



Here are some of the great albums on this set:



First is Nat King Cole at the Sands, an outstanding live set recorded in the wee hours of the morning. Songs like The Continental just have such joy and beauty in them that they really need to be heard. And don't miss the hilarious song Mr. Cole Won't Rock and Roll where he parodies rock and roll and himself at the same time. You will almost certainly laugh out loud while hearing this 8 minute epic.



Second is NKC's experimental album Wild is Love. I've never fully warmed up to this rather strange lp, but I do enjoy that he was stretching himself. And it is interesting!



Third is The Christmas Song, which is obviously a great classic for the holidays.



Fourth is The Touch of Your Lips, a great collection of romantic ballads that just make you feel good.



Fifth is the giant three album collection called The Nat King Cole Story, which features stereo remakes of many of the greatest hits from this star of popular music from earlier in his career, including Mona Lisa, Smile, Unforgettable, etc. There are 36 classics on this album. Outstanding!



Sixth is the jazzy fast-paced Let's Face the Music and Dance...



Seventh album, eighth, 9th, 10th, etc., etc. plus singles. To find out about them you'll just have to buy the set yourself. And don't forget you'll get that great large-format 182 page coffee table hardcover book by Nat King Cole expert Will Friedwald.



Bottom line: buy this set if you are a Nat King Cole fan. You won't regret it! In fact, buy Stardust too while you're at it!



"

Here it is at last!

smuthdude | 10/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Put simply, a Nat King Cole fan's dream! Everything is here from 1960-64. That includes live shows, albums, singles, b-sides and outtakes. Lots of rare stuff here. The book is by music historian Will Friedwald, and contains scores of color photographs(struck from the negatives) of Cole from his album cover sessions. Highly reccomended!



However, a few things to note:



If you own or are used to hearing the US CD and or LP versions of the albums, you may notice some changes. The Bear Family folks appear to have altered the stereo tapes a bit. Intruments, rhythm sections and choral accompaniments often appear differently than they did on the original CDs. Some are rearranged, others piled on top of each other in one channel or ear. The tracks for "Nat King Cole/George Shearing Plays" for instance, have Nat singing in the left ear, instead of the usual center. Nothing major, just different.



Also, if you plan on making legal, backup copies of these discs (I sure don't want to be jamming these rare CD's in and out of my car CD deck!), a word of warning. They will often leave small popping noises on the copies. The sounds aren't noticable on speakers. But they are in earphones."

L-O-V-E is the word indeed!

song-of-love | Land of Golden Sun! | 08/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nat "King" Cole is arguably the greatest vocalist of the 20th century. He is bar none, the absolute finest interpreter of popular music I have ever found, and remains to this day my favorite male vocalist all time. This collection by Bear Family records is the collectors dream come true. Both sets (Stardust 1955-1959) cover Mr. Cole's entire musical output from his first solo effort to his final posthumously released recordings. There are no words to express the fine detail and exceptional quality possessed in these two box sets. Bear Family stands as a beacon of light among music preservationists.



I am heartsick to read that these two sets are now out of print, as every generation needs to hear this master showman at his finest. In addition to 11 jam-packed CDs filled with master takes as well as alternate (previously unreleased) versions, this set comes with a hardcover 200+ page book replete with glorious pictorial essays pertinent to the times these songs were recorded. Many of the pictures shown are out takes of various images used in the original album cover shoots. The book also details the trials and tribulations Nat had to endure during a time steeped in racism. A highlight of the book is a career study that succeeds as a definitive exhibition of a man who when singing had the unique ability to touch souls and take human beings as close to heaven as possible on earth. I can't recommend these sets more, they are the foundation of my music collection, and should be required to be in the library of any serious student of music.

"