Obviously the compilation album concept had filled in the Cole collection quite nicely. Top Pops and Unforgettable were true classics and proved to be very triumphant on the charts. With Looking Back, however, the trend was set aside and no truly “essential” Nat King Cole recordings were included.
As such, Looking Back feels almost like a blunder. Capitol’s Dave Cavanaugh was charged with putting the record together. The idea was for Cavanaugh to add overdubbed rhythm and to “refashion” the sound to make the songs more contemporary. Big mistake. Nat King Cole’s timeless music stands on its own proudly and extends beyond its era, so the unnecessary move did more to clutter the music on looking back than to enhance it.
Fortunately for Nat King Cole collectors and fans, Collectors’ Choice has arranged their copy of Looking Back with the ORIGINAL recordings of the tracks. So, instead of hearing Cavanaugh’s attempts at modernizing Nat King Cole, you’ll hear the tracks as intended by this one-of-a-kind artist.
“Looking Back” is a gently, swaying ballad that reminds us just how gentle Nat’s voice is. “The World in My Arms” is an impeccably-composed track that sways with bouncy glee. And “Again” is probably the album’s best track, with Cole’s deep vocals taking the genuinely beautiful song to another level.
Not only has Collectors’ Choice saved us from a musical misstep with Looking Back, but they’ve assembled one of the better Riddle/Cole pairings with Songs from St. Louis Blues on one disc. This twofer is a must-have for collectors, fans, and curious eventual Cole fanatics. It’s great stuff!
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