Music Review: Nat King Cole - This is Nat King Cole (Reissue)

When I think of my grandparents, I think of a couple so deeply in love that they danced together right up until my grandmother’s passing a few years back. The gleam of love in their eyes, the exhilaration they felt towards each coming day with each other, and their everlasting infatuation will always be with me.

If there ever was a single artist who could sum up a sort of soundtrack to the lives of my grandparents and their deep love, it would be Nat King Cole. His baritone filled their home so often that it became second nature. Something was a little off when Cole wasn’t singing in my grandparent’s home and something seemed different on that day when grandma left for heaven.

Nat King Cole wasn’t singing, but I wished he was.

With This is Nat King Cole, Capitol continued their popular concept with one of their best artists. After This is Sinatra and This is Dean Martin, a similar collection for Cole was a foregone conclusion. As with other collections of this ilk, the idea wasn’t simply to create a greatest hits package and pump it out to the public for extra money and exposure. Instead, the inspiration behind the compilation was to introduce songs that, while noteworthy, had just missed the charts (for the most part).

Many of the songs on This is Nat King Cole find him pondering romance with disbelief. The opening track, “Dreams Can Tell a Lie,” describes Cole’s desire to not believe a dream he had in which his love was kissing someone else. “I’m Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life” continues the notion, suggesting that Cole is going to laugh at the unpleasant fact that his love is leaving him.

There are love songs, too, such as the swinging "I Just Found Out About Love" and the impressive "Too Young to Go Steady." Cole is once again paired with Nelson Riddle, giving each tune a reliability that many have come to expect from the talented arranger.

“Annabelle” is a tender love letter and “Someone You Love” is another dreamy ballad that somehow slipped through the cracks of the Cole legacy.

This is Nat King Cole is another fundamental reissue from Collector’s Choice. It contains several solid songs, most of which touched on the edge of the popular music charts upon their release.

When I close my eyes and listen to Cole’s baritone and warm pitch, I can still see my grandparents dancing joyfully with stars in their eyes. I bet grandpa can too.

Article Author: Jordan Richardson

Jordan Richardson is a Canadian freelance writer and ne'er-do-well. He writes stuff here and here.

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