Collectors’ Choice has compiled another interesting twofer, arranging a collection of songs that not only highlights Nat King Cole’s impeccable baritone but also the work of Ralph Carmichael. Carmichael served as the arranger throughout the last phase of Cole’s recording phase and introduced a fuller, string-based sound.

The first record on the twofer is 1961’s The Touch of Your Lips. This is a sumptuous, romantic album perfectly suited for dancing under starlight. Carmichael’s stunningly abundant strings create a more inclusive sound for the orchestra, replacing the hook-composing of Nelson Riddle with a softer and deeper string section.

Cole certainly found his style to be in-sync with Carmichael’s, as the songs on this record are among the greatest found in his later period. The Touch of Your Lips is comprised mainly of standards, each one containing a slower pace than some of Cole’s other works. Carmichael’s approach to the music was often to set a tempo and build strings around it, leaving a lasting impression as the song rises and falls.

This use of tempo fits idyllically with Cole’s deep and tender voice, following him flawlessly through songs like Bing Crosby’s sweeping “Only Forever” and the classic Johnny Mercer track “I Remember You.”

The theme of The Touch of Your Lips is one of hopefulness, although Cole is distinctly broken-hearted and dejected on one track: “Funny (Not Much).” Despite this, Cole and Carmichael have certainly set the stage for love and romance with this entry.

The other record on the twofer is I Don’t Want to Be Hurt Anymore. This may seem like an unusual bedfellow at first for the collection and, truth be told, it did strike me as a bizarre pairing.

The country theme is a radical departure from the soft and delicate tone of The Touch of Your Lips. Alas, the common denominator here is Ralph Carmichael and it is interesting to note the diversity contained in the composer’s repertoire.

Where The Touch of Your Lips sets up a romantic relationship gone right, 1964’s I Don’t Want to Be Hurt Anymore sets up one gone wrong. The title track is a sinewy, convincing example of the central philosophy for the record, as Cole’s intonations vibrate over a choral backdrop and a tinkering piano.

Having heard the other two forays to the Dark Side of country-western music (Ramblin’ Rose and Dear Lonely Hearts), I can say with full confidence that this is the best one. The pastoral feel doesn’t simply feel like a pop singer transplanting his sensibility over a country song and hoping the makeover goes unnoticed. Instead, there is some authority here.

“You’re Crying on My Shoulder” and “Was That the Human Thing to Do?” make full use of the arrangements by Carmichael and the guitar playing by Glen Campbell and James Burton, pulling some natural rural aroma out of Nat King Cole and still leaving his status in one piece.

Overall, this twofer is quite compelling. It isn’t the strongest collection of music, but there are many highlights throughout the two dissimilar records. It is an attractive peek at Ralph Carmichael and shows off his diversity, but there are far better Nat King Cole twofers to pick up from Collectors’ Choice for those with just a fly-by-night interest.