NATALIE COLE — I Love You So (1979-1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

If, in 1979, anyone still had illusions about Natalie Cole being a hardcore soul purist, they were shattered by I Love You So. Although this is primarily an R&B effort, Cole laces her R&B with a big dose of pop. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing, because most of the material is solid and enjoyable. Those who like Cole as gritty, funky soul shouter should appreciate "You're So Good," but she also gets into everything from sleek disco ("I Love You So") and a Fleetwood Mac cover ("Oh, Daddy") to a commercial R&B/adult contemporary blend ("Who Will Carry On"). Meanwhile, "Your Lonely Heart" (a Cole original that also appeared on her We're the Best of Friends album with Peabo Bryson) is the sort of pop-country ballad that wouldn't be out of place at a Dolly Parton or Reba McEntire session. I Love You So isn't among Cole's essential releases, but it's a satisfying effort that underscores her ability to successfully tackle a variety of musical styles. Alex Henderson

Tracklist :
1. I Love You So (5:05)
 Chuck Jackson / Marvin Yancy
2. You're So Good (3:50)
 Fred Freeman / Harry Nebls
3. It's Been You (4:57)
 Chuck Jackson / Marvin Yancy
4. Your Lonely Heart (4:47)
 Natalie Cole
5. The Winner (3:47)
 Chuck Jackson / Marvin Yancy
6. Oh, Daddy (4:05)
 Christine McVie
7. Sorry (4:48)
 Chuck Jackson / Marvin Yancy
8. Stand By (4:18)
 Natalie Cole / Marvin Yancy
9. Who Will Carry On (3:39)
 Natalie Cole
Credits :
Arranged By [Horn & String Arrangements] – Gene Page, Paul Riser
Arranged By [Rhythm Arrangements] – Gene Barge, Mark Davis
Backing Vocals – Anita Anderson (tracks: 7), Chuck Bynum (tracks: 4), Sissy Peoples (tracks: 7), The Colettes, The 'N' Sisters
Bass – Bobby Eaton, Jeff Eyrich, Keni Burke
Contractor – Billy Page, George Bohanon, McKinley Jackson
Drums – Alvin Taylor, Teddy Sparks
Guitar – Chuck Bynum, Johnny McGhee, Norman Zeller, Phil Upchurch, Richard Fortune
Keyboards – Linda Williams, Mark Davis, Marvin Yancy, Sonny Burke
Oboe – William E. Green
Percussion – Oliver C. Brown
Steel Guitar [Electric Steel Guitar] – Stephen Dietrich
Trombone – George Bohanon, Maurice Spears
Trumpet – Nolan A. Smith, Jr., Oscar Brashear, Robert O. Bryant, Sr.
Woodwind – Ernest J. Watts, Fred Jackson, Jr., William E. Green

NATALIE COLE – Still Unforgettable (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Natalie Cole's liner notes for Still Unforgettable make it sound like the Great American Songbook had been collecting dust on her shelf since 1991, when she recorded Unforgettable, the album that shot her into the mainstream. (She had been releasing Top Ten R&B albums since 1975, but Unforgettable was something else, a cultural phenomenon that inspired a Saturday Night Live skit.) Still Unforgettable features another duet with father, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," but its make-up isn't that much different from albums like Take a Look (1993), Stardust (1996), or Ask a Woman Who Knows (2002). While she has been reinterpreting classics on and off for nearly two decades now, she can't be faulted for phoning it in; in fact, she seems to be having more fun with the songbook than before. If you're keeping score at home, Nat King Cole was 32 when he recorded "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"; Natalie was in her late 50s when she recorded the duet with her father's vocals -- which would, for the sake of the song here, make her old enough to be her father's mother. Andy Kellman           Tracklist + Credits :