Classic
early work from Natalie Cole – packaged here in a sweet 2-CD set! First up is
the album Thankful – the third record in a tremendous early creative and
commerical winning streak for Natalie! Thankful has her sweet, soulful voice
out from of prodcution by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents,
and they give her a nice jazzy sound that made the record one of her best of
the 70s. Richard Evans and Gene Barge arranged, which probably had something to
do with that, too – but Natalie truly deserves most of the credit of the
strength of this set. It includes the standout groovers "La Costa"
and"Annie Mae", but the whole record is really sweet – with
"Lovers", "Our Love", "Be Thankful", "Just
Can't Stay Away" and "Keeping A Light".
I Love You So is a
Capitol killer from Natalie Cole – a really great record from the time when she
really seemed to be starting out her career with a bang! As with other gems on
Capitol, the record features some great production work from Marvin Yancy and
Chuck Jackson, getting a bit of help here from Gene Barge too – all wrapped up
with a strong, sophisticated sound that shows plenty of Chi-soul touches in the
music – a great approach for Natalie's maturing vocals. The sound is
wonderfully balanced, and really stays away from easy hit modes – leaving the
lady in a space that's all her own, on tracks that include "The
Winner", "I Love You So", "Oh Daddy", "Sorry",
"Stand By", and "Who Will Carry On".
Don't Look Back is an
overlooked gem from Natalie Cole – a set that still has her working strongly
with songwriter Marvin Yancy, who really helped her find her sound and style
during the early years of her career! Natalie actually helped with writing a
fair bit on the record herself – sometimes with Yancy, sometimes alone – and
the result is a surprisingly personal batch of tunes that really show a
deepening of spirit in the singer, especially in the mellower moments. Gene
Barge handles the arrangements – still bringing a bit of Chicago soul roots to
the record – that mix of deep and sophisticated modes that always brought out
the best in Natalie. Titles include "Don't Look Back", "I'm
Getting In To You", "Paradise", "Hold ON",
"Danger UP A head", and "Someone That I Used To Love". ~ Dusty Groove
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