Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole - The Very Best of Nat King Cole

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Nat King Cole's death in 1965, this compilation is the CD companion of an excellent DVD/documentary. Produced with the blessing of his estate, this disc is a thorough survey of his timeless genius--all recorded on the Capitol label. It captures his sumptuous and soothing tenor voice crooning on the pop tunes he made famous, like the ethereal "Nature Boy," the melancholy "Mona Lisa," and the bouncy "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and "Route 66." It also features Cole's often-overlooked skills as an Earl Hines-style pianist. "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)," and "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup," attest to his international appeal, and see if you can keep a dry eye when you listen to Natalie Cole's posthumous, digitally-enhanced duet with her father on "Unforgettable." From strings to big bands, Nat King Cole is never out of style. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Watch Free Clips about Nat "King" Cole

The World of Nat "King" Cole (high bandwidth) (300k stream)

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One of the great classics of 20th century music

This is a must-have for any collection of classic music. The mellow and inspiring sounds of NKC's music can literally turn your rough, less-than-ideal day around. Seriously. Some of my personal highlights include Nature Boy, Unforgettable, Sweet Loraine, and L-O-V-E (multi-lingual version). October 10, 2008

I love it. No complaints ever.

The product was delivered on time - in good condition and I absolutely love it. Thanks so much for everything.

Catharine Ruhlman August 26, 2008

Records are better

Although i'm far from an audiophile, more than half of the songs on this CD don't even sound like Nat King Cole! I had several of his record albums and they were much better. Overall, I'm very disappointed. August 6, 2008

MOTHER'S DAY SUCCESS

I bought some CD's for my Mom on Mother's Day. We'd ( kids) gotten her a new/used car for her birthday that had a CD player and she didn't have any. 37 years a widow who love's to walk down a "Big Band" memory lane. It had a song that she loved to dance to when they were courting. This CD was in excellent shape and she loved it as well as the others I'd gotten her. Happy Mother's Day for both of us. May 15, 2008

fine single CD retrospective--as far as it goes, that is

The Very Best Of Nat King Cole is a single CD compilation of what are truly just some of the best from Nat King Cole. No single CD could EVER contain all of Nat's best work; he did so much beyond perfection that the title of this CD is a stretch of the imagination. However, what we do get here is very high quality controlled words and music; and that does impress me nonetheless.

"Stardust" starts the track set off with a beautiful love song sung by Nat in his best form. The lush musical arrangement also enhances the beauty of the number; but it's truly Nat's vocals that make this rendition of "Stardust" an instant Nat King Cole classic. "Sweet Lorraine" is a favorite of mine; Nat does this up right with his excellent diction and he imparts to his listeners every subtle nuance of every word he sings. "(Get Your Kicks) On Route 66" sparkles like gold when Nat sings it; this works so well in Nat's capable hands. "Route 66" is a very playful song; I really like this number with its excellent piano accompaniment.

"What'll I Do?" always tugs at my heartstrings; and when Nat sings this I really am impressed. Wow, how Nat does this with great sensitivity. The relatively simplistic musical arrangement keeps the focus on Nat's singing--which is where we want it!

"Unforgettable" is, of course, completely sublime! "Mona Lisa" also gets the royal treatment by Nat. Nat sings "Mona Lisa" with all his heart and the strings do a fine job on "Mona Lisa," too. "Smile" also tugs at my heartstrings; "Smile" is a stunning ballad and Nat sings this perfectly. I could listen to Nat singing "Smile" over and over again--and I have!

"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" is another one of my very favorite tunes; the upbeat flavor belies the sadness of the lyrics. Nat does this up right without making this tune schmaltzy or silly sounding--it's very invigorating to hear Nat sing "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter." Moreover, "That Sunday, That Summer" is easily a highlight of this album; it doesn't get the attention it deserves but hopefully when people hear Nat sing this they will recognize the incredible beauty of this ballad.

"L-O-V-E" features Nat singing in French--and other languages--to symbolically make the statement that love is special anywhere in this world of ours. The CD ends strong with "I Wish You Love." The piano arrangement is perfect; and this live track shows off the excellent rapport that Nat always enjoyed with his adoring audiences.

Sure, there are many more songs that could be in a several CD set entitled The Very Best Of Nat King Cole. No single CD, as we have here, could truly do Nat justice. However, as a single CD goes, this one does give us quite a bit to be happy about. Diehard fans of Nat King Cole can find CD sets for sale on this website as of this writing.

Four stars.
February 23, 2008

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