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Natalie Cole - Leavin'
(Verve)
Released: Septebmber 26, 2006
Natalie Cole had me at "Mr. Melody" some 30 years ago. I bought her
records through good times - "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" and
"Unforgettable" - and bad times. If you've followed Ms. Cole's career, you
know there was a long stretch of bad times.
But I always believed. If ever there was an heir apparent to Aretha
Franklin, it's Natalie Cole.
This disc is the real deal.
The first track, "Criminal" stands up to anything, and I mean anything
that Ms. Franklin has ever done.
And that includes Ms. Franklin's own song - "Day Dreaming."
This is a great bunch of covers - and to be fair, they don't all work. Ms.
Cole's treatment of Neil Young's "Old Man" seems wildly out of place.
(I'll simply drop it from the 'pod transfer.)
The title tune, Shelby Lynne's "Leavin'" is also one of the must-haves,
along with Kate Bush's "Man With The Child In His Eyes," and the original
tune "Five Minutes Away" from Producer Dallas Austin, Cole, and keyboard
man Marvin "Chanz" Parkman.
Hell, buy the whole album at iTunes. That way, you'll also get the tune
with Keb' Mo', "Lovin' Arms." This guy is doing his best work with women
these days. Go check what he did with Amy Grant.
Good stuff. I really love a lot of Ms. Cole's Jazz work. It's nice to hear
her back under an R&B Umbrella.
Verve is going to have her for the best years of her career, I think.
Buy this disc. Now. Play the good parts loudly. Float along to the rest.
Highest recommendation.
Four
microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(9/27/06) |
