Natalie

Natalie

ASIN: B00096S3UO

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Natalie, a native of Houston, struck a chord with lovesick teenagers and pop fans via her wistful first single, "Goin' Crazy." The young Latina's self-titled debut disc proves she's no one-trick pony. The album is filled with pleasant pop hooks and light hip-hop touches that should find a comfortable home amid the sounds of Jennifer Lopez, Amerie, Ciara, and Destiny's Child. Natalie's voice is light and airy, but it works well amid the album's sugary lyrics and conveys just the right sense of girlish emotion. "Energy" is a smooth, summery duet with Baby Bash; "Better Get It Right" rides a groove that seems to draw inspiration from 1980s rock hits; and "I Can't Wait" is a modernized remake of the snappy Nu Shooz hit. Former Vi3 heartthrob and Making the Band finalist Justin Ronan also pops up during "Where Are You," a sweet puppy-love duet. This is hardly a groundbreaking affair, but it does position Natalie as a strong talent with lots of pontential and just the latest diva (Destiny's Child, Brooke Valentine) to break out of Houston's bustling music scene. --Joey Guerra

Tracks:

Overture
Prologue
Jet Song
Something's Coming
Dance At The Gym
Maria
America
Tonight
Gee, Officer Krupke
Intermission Music
I Feel Pretty
One Hand, One Heart
Quintet
The Rumble
Somewhere
Cool
A Boy Like That/I Have A Love
Finale
End Credits

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein's musical update of Romeo and Juliet, with a young Stephen Sondheim's brilliant lyrics, had already galvanized Broadway with its vivid reinvention as a parable of racial intolerance and generational conflict. But director Robert Wise's lavish widescreen presentation broke fresh ground by taking the story to its most impressionable audience, the teenagers who could identify directly with Tony and Maria, and opened up Jerome Robbins's kinetic choreography through bravura camera work. The original soundtrack album was not merely a huge seller but a unique touchstone for an otherwise rock-oriented audience, and its release on CD benefits from an expanded program untenable in its initial LP release, as well as a 20-bit digital transfer. With Richard Beymer, Marni Nixon (Hollywood's vocal doppelgänger of choice, here standing in for Natalie Wood), and Rita Moreno dominating, the show's bounty of terrific songs and exciting instrumental pieces remains an ear-filling treat, mixing operatic passions, tart social commentary, and high comedy. From "Tonight" to "One Hand, One Heart," "America" to "Jet Song," this is a landmark in American musical theatre and film beautifully realized on disc. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

WSS Original Sdtrk........2007-06-11

I ordered the West Side Story cd and it came in excellent condition. it was sealed and everything and if i find anything else to buy from this seller, i will.

west side story music.......2007-04-14

C.D. in excellent condition, arrived soon after order. OH! Played at full volume--made me long to see the movie again. May just do that. The other reviewers complimented the movie orchestration and sound track--they were right.Nothing like Leonard Bernstein, Marnie Nixon, et.al.

West Side Story CD.......2007-01-24

Great music. Just like I remembered it... but even better. Very lively, great instrumentals, and wonderful voices.

LOVE it.......2007-01-09

This is my favorite musical and I love being able to rip it and have it on my MP3 for car listening.

Buy it for posterity.......2006-12-30

Yes, this is the movie version and is an important part of 1960s pop culture, but it pales in comparison to the Broadway Cast. The sound quality is sub-par, and the voices are nowhere near as strong as the 1957 Cast. The movie also cuts some important music, or rewoks the score until it is completely different from the original. The order was also changed from the original show, and it is hard to listen to for someone that is familiar with the original. Overall, 1957 cast over this one, but buy it for the memories if you must.

Average customer rating:

The apple most definitely doesn't fall far from the tree!
Unforgettable
What everyone should listen to before entering dreamland
Heart & Soulful
MUSIC 101 FOR YOUNG "MAROONS"

Unforgettable: With Love
Natalie Cole
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
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Stardust
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The Very Best Of Nat King Cole
"Natalie Cole - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"

ASIN: B000002H8X
Release Date: 1991-06-11

Tracks:

The Very Thought Of You
Paper Moon
Route 66
Mona Lisa
L-O-V-E
This Can't Be Love
Smile
Lush Life
That Sunday That Summer
Orange Colored Sky
A Medley Of: For Sentimental Reasons/Tenderly/Autumn Leaves
Straighten Up And Fly Right
Avalon
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Too Young
Nature Boy
Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
Almost Like Being In Love
Thou Swell
Non Dimenticar
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Unforgettable

Amazon.com essential recording

Four years after her return to recording after a much-publicized battle with drug addiction, Natalie Cole found herself unexpectedly experiencing a virtual reinvention as a bestselling artist and performer, thanks to a project she had longed to do for many years. Unforgettable with Love was the soulful singer's way of paying tribute to her late, legendary father, Nat "King" Cole, and marked her label debut for Elektra Records. Cole, Elektra, and the album's producers--including then-husband Andre Fischer and Tommy LiPuma--were rewarded with a multiple-Grammy-winning set that sold an astonishing 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Cole's selections varied from obvious choices like "Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," "Route 66," and "Straighten Up and Fly Right"--all major hits for her father in the '50s--to more obscure parts of King Cole's repertoire, such as "Avalon" and "Non Dimenticar." The crowning glory was a "duet" with her father, electronically created using his original vocal, which helped expand Cole's audience dramatically and took her career to a new plateau. --David Nathan

Customer Reviews:

The apple most definitely doesn't fall far from the tree!.......2007-06-20

If one were to fill a MUSICAL time capsule, then "Unforgettable: With Love" would be placed in it. Not only is the album does the album pay tribute to one of the all-time greats of music, Cole's father Nat, but it is a multiple Grammy-winner that appealed to fans of many genres.

Cole is very effective singing the standards made famous by her father and realizes that his stamp is emblazoned on most of them. She never tries to imitate him, just offers her own spin on such gems as "Mona Lisa," "Smile," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Nature Boy," and "Our Love is Here to Stay."

Of course, no musical collection would be complete without the landmark and one-of-a-kind (at the time) pairing of father and daughter on "Unforgettable."

The song is just as the title says and worthy of the praise it has garnered since its release.

I can't believe that I didn't buy this album sixteen years ago.

Where was my brain???

Unforgettable.......2006-12-03

Natalie Cole celebrates her father's legacy by singing his songs on this flawlessly produced album. The quality of the music is excellent and Natalie's voice is warm, fresh and vibrant. She performs so well that one listen is never enough: This is a CD you listen to over and over again.

The CD starts off with the romantic "The Very Thought Of You;" this simultaneously suggests that Natalie is thinking of her father as she introduces the CD with this first song. The next two songs, "Paper Moon" and "Route 66" pick up the pace somewhat and Natalie does these songs to perfection.

Other great songs on this album include the Oscar winning, haunting ballad entitled "Mona Lisa;" the playful and joyous love song simply entitled "L-O-V-E;" "Smile," a Charlie Chaplin classic; a guy's romance song called "That Sunday That Summer;" the medley of "For Sentimental Reasons/Tenderly/Autumn Leaves;" "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and the closing grand finale, "Unforgettable," which features Natalie singing this as a duet with her late father using electronic mixing equipment.

The overall effect on your soul is guaranteed to be incredible. I also like the fact there are some of Nat King Cole's lesser known songs including "Avalon."

Look for David "Fathead" Newman to do a great sax solo on "Tenderly" and "Autumn Leaves;" Joe Sample plays piano on "Paper Moon" and "Orange Colored Sky." Great!

The liner notes include an informative essay by Roy Trakin who gets help from Natalie in her own words all along the way; and there are interesting black and white photographs of Natalie with her family when she was a young child. The liner notes also provide the song credits and there's a whopping four pages of acknowledgements and "thank yous."

This is one classy show.

I highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals, fans of Natalie Cole and fans of Nat King Cole; fans of pop R&B and even fans of R&B/Soul.

ENJOY!!!

What everyone should listen to before entering dreamland.......2006-11-06

As a jazz musician, fan and admirer of Natalie's stunning talent, this CD is one of my favorites from the day it was released. We started playing it at my baby son's bedside at night and, to this day, this has not changed. He is now almost five and the sweet, soulful, timeless classics Ms. Cole so elegantly gives us carries my son off to sleep every night. A night without Natalie is a night without dreams. THANK YOU, Natalie and Daddy Cole, for your gifts you have shared with us. I'm now ordering THREE more copies. (Grand daughters!)

Heart & Soulful.......2006-08-29

Natalie Cole put a lot of heartfelt warmth into this collection of songs. Recording this collection must have brought back a lot of wonderful memories of her father, Nat King Cole.

Tender yet soulful, Natalie Cole brings us an updated collection of her father's songs from the 50's that he would have been proud of. For anyone who loves all of those great standards, this is a must for your collection. Natalie brings her own polished style to each one of these classics.

The opener "The Very Thought Of Your" is a sweeping ballad. "Smile" is a grand tribute. "Lush Life" is just that.....lush! "Avalon"s uptempo arrangement is the perfect backdrop for Natalie's vocal. "Nature Boy" is tenderly sweet. The duet of Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole is a classic that will live on forever.

Buy and enjoy!

MUSIC 101 FOR YOUNG "MAROONS".......2006-03-19

From the dreamy, shimmering strings that open this album, to the unforgettable duet between Papa Cole and his talented daughter, Natalie, which closes it, 'UNFORGETTABLE: WITH LOVE' is a gorgeous example of recorded art. It's hard for me to believe that anyone with any musical sense could still be unfamiliar with this hugely popular set, but if you are that someone, then STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT: Get your copy today because it's ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE!

Aside from Natalie Cole's expressive and clear as a Tiffany's crystal water glass vocals, the success of this album lies in Tommy LiPuma's production which flawlessly blends romantic ballads with flat-out joyous Swing numbers, and the updated arrangements of Nat King Cole's hits of decades past, primarily provided by Andre Fischer, Bill Holman, and the deeply soulful Johnny Mandel.

But returning to Natalie's voice: My, oh my, was this gal ever turned on by the concept of this emotional project. On the love ballads, her seductive voice takes you by the hand and pulls you down softly into a gently swaying field of clover and fragrant lavender (e.g., THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU; OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY; and my favorite, THAT SUNDAY THAT SUMMER). But that voice of hers is just as capable of kicking you right in the seat of the pants when it soars through the atmosphere on the energetic Swing tunes that blast off like rockets to distant galaxies! Crank up ORANGE COLORED SKY, AVALON, ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE, and THOU SWELL. You think your favorite "Alternative" band rocks harder? Think again! Yeah, it's driven by horns instead of electric guitars, but it's the same intensity, just far superior musicianship. Now you know why this Hard Rock junkie from the 1970s eventually turned to Jazz instead.

And speaking of instrumentalists: You've got Ray Brown on bass; Joe Sample on piano; Chuck Findley on trumpet; and Pete Christlieb and David "Fathead" Newman on saxophones. Folks, these are some of the best in the business!

And as if all this wasn't enough, you've got the beautifully haunting and philosophical, NATURE BOY on this set - a song that contains the poignant lyric that actually offers the true meaning of life: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to Love and be Loved in return."

HEY YOU! Yeah you - the doofus with the baseball cap on sideways and the untied shoelaces dragging on the ground (Gomer Pyle was the first guy to wear a cap sideways, and you look every bit as "cool" as he did).
You think "music" goes KA-THUMP!...KA-THUMP!...KA-THUMP!...KA-THUMP!? Wrong, dude. Sit down and give Natalie Cole a listen with your girlfriend beside you - the one with the gold bar through her eyebrow and the tattoo on her chest. (Man! She's uglier and more masculine looking than an AWOL sailor on a two-week binge!) This is what a soul sista with REAL talent can do, kiddies! (If I'm right, does it really matter that I'm also a music dogmatist?)

Recording her versions of her Dad's standards on 'UNFORGETTABLE: WITH LOVE' was obviously a very sentimental project for Natalie; the album tugs at my heartstrings, too. It was a birthday gift from my Ma (may she rest in Peace), and it contains the bittersweet, SMILE - the first song my Pa used to get my attention while he was "dying" in the hospital. Since his "death", he has contacted me innumerable times by using the music of Nat King Cole. (No, your loved ones don't really "die", and yes, they can reach you if you're paying attention with Faith.)

Accompanying the CD is a booklet with 8 neat photos and extensive liner notes that include Natalie's lovely acknowledgment of God's blessings in her life. [*Very cool, Cole!] I'd have given this album 5 Stars, but the great music comes to an end every seventy-three minutes and fifteen seconds.

Average customer rating:

nice!
Cheesy and predictable
This Album will Leave You Speechless
Music for SCUM.
Cascada CD

Everytime We Touch
Cascada
Manufacturer: Robbins Ent. Llc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Trance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Euro Dance | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Everytime We Touch
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ASIN: B000E6EJ2A
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

Everytime We Touch (3:19)
How Do You Do! (3:15)
Bad Boy (3:12)
Miracle (3:38)
Another You (3:37)
Ready For Love (3:23)
Can't Stop The Rain (3:28)
Kids In America (3:00)
A Neverending Dream (3:23)
Truly Madly Deeply (4:12)
One More Night (3:42)
Wouldn't It Be Good (3:27)
Love Again (3:28)
Everytime We Touch (Yanou's Candlelight Mix) (3:15)

Album Description

THE DEBUT ALBUM INCLUDES THE #1 DANCE HIT "EVERYTIME WE TOUCH"!!

Customer Reviews:

nice!.......2007-06-20

I like this... there is a compilation I found on itunes called "EURO CLUB HITS VOL. 1" that has more stuff like this, even better some of it

Cheesy and predictable .......2007-06-17

I used to be a big fan of trance music a few years ago but as time went on, the genre became stale and dull. Every trance artist used that same tiresome recipe of a male programmer/dj and a female singer. I can't tell one Euro pop act from another nowadays. They all sound alike. No wonder their careers don't last for more than two albums. Cascada follows that same cookie cutter, formulaic recipe that made their peers like 4 Strings and their tiresome ilk popular.

I have to admit Cascada's music is quite melodic. The pop hooks quickly got stuck in my head. It is hard not want to dance to this music. Unfortunately everything else sounds generic and lifeless. Cascada offers nothing new or original. Was it really necessary to cover that treacly Savage Garden ballad "Truly, Madly, Deeply"? I did though like their cover of Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" but how many times can that song be covered? Obviously not enough.

Cascada quickly reminded me why I no longer listen to vocal trance music any more. It all sounds the same. This genre needs to die quickly.

This Album will Leave You Speechless.......2007-06-04

Wow. I was speechless when I bought the new Cascada "Every time We touch" album. Her songs and lyrics are amazing and I know you'll love them. Men, want to show a sensitive side, and show her you care and you know what a woman likes? Well, I recommend buying her these great tracks that she is sure to love. What woman wouldn't want this, Cascada is a great singer no matter what genre you like. This album includes the tracks "Every Time We Touch", "Kids In America", and a spectactular remake of "Truly Madly Deeply", a song you and your partner will love to listen to together. Buy it for yourself or as a gift, either way, you can't go wrong.

Music for SCUM........2007-04-02

It's not often that you hate a record after the first few seconds, but that's exactly what happened here. Not for the music itself though.. let me explain.

First of all - the actual music is AWFUL. Tinny, flat sound with as much depth, charm and passion as a Happy Meal. Dull, formulaic drivel that consists of cover after cover - take a famous song, strap a instantly dated techno beat behind it, get token blonde to sing the vocals and voila - one super-suck album.

As the official Room 101 of Amazon, The Curmudgeon has access to many exclusive things. And so here is an actual excert from the recording studio where this travesty was recorded...

"What's that? Oh - 'Truly Madly Deeply' - that's a song that people who don't actually like music will know - cover that. Oh, and Kim Wilde's 'Kids In America' - that's got a good chorus, hasn't it. Let's cover that too. 'How Do You Do' by Roxette. What the hell - cover it. We really are making a worthwhile and quality album here, aren't we? Pass the cocaine."

But like I said - it's not the actual music that is so abhorrent - its the image it brings when you first hear it, of the actual low-life, teenage single mother SCUM who will buy it.

You WILL hear this coming from some empty-headed yo-yo-knickered harlot's I-Pod. You WILL hear this coming from some clapped-out car full of thick kids in baseball caps. You WILL hate absolutely everyone who listens to this.

People who listen to this don't even know what music IS. Don't be one of them.

The_Curmudgeon_Hates_You@yahoo.co.uk

Cascada CD.......2007-02-22

I had never heard of this singer until I bought her cd and it is really good. Great condition when I received it.

Average customer rating:

Natalie Merchant At Her Best...
Very poor sonic quality. A joke!!
Beauty and Wisdom
This cd should be in your collection
BEAUTIFUL ANGELIC VOICE!

Tigerlily
Natalie Merchant
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ophelia
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In My Tribe

ASIN: B000002HHB
Release Date: 1995-06-20

Tracks:

San Andreas Fault
Wonder
Beloved Wife
River
Carnival
I May Know The Word
The Letter
Cowboy Romance
Jealousy
Where I Go
Seven Years

Amazon.com essential recording

Though the minor hits "Wonder" and "Jealousy" bore a reasonable resemblance to Merchant's work with 10,000 Maniacs, most of Tigerlily clearly established her as a solo artist apart from her former band. The record's first single, "Carnival," drove that point home, with a hook based more on rhythm than melody and the haunting voice of Katell Keineg adding an intriguing dimension to the chorus. Elsewhere, much of Tigerlily is remarkably solemn and subtle, from the low-key opener "San Andreas Fault" to the widower's lament "My Beloved Wife" to the eight-minute opus "I May Know the Word." Also of note is "River," an emotional ode to friend and fallen star River Phoenix. --Peter Blackstock

Customer Reviews:

Natalie Merchant At Her Best..........2007-05-10

TigerLily (1995) used to be my favorite Natalie Merchant CD -- that is until she released The House Carpenter's Daughter. These records are polar opposites; there's a mellow West Coast pop sensibility underpinning TigerLily, but unmistakable countrified folk frames out The House Carpenter's Daughter. Merchant should try pop music again.

In my opinion, San Andreas Fault (Track One) is TigerLily's strongest cut. Miss Merchant's plaintive wail kicks off this languid track -- suggesting steam train whistles of bygone years -- and her glossy voice is backed by percussion, a vibraphone, and dueling guitars (John Holbrook & Matt Henderson.)

Gorgeous accompaniment from Barrie Maguire, Jennifer Turner, and Peter Yanowitz infuses Wonder (Track Two) with emotion. If any track here resembles Merchant's work on In My Tribe, I suppose Wonder fills the bill. Natalie warbles about faith, love, and patience, instilling belief in these desired timeless qualities.

Emotional songs like River (Track Four) will get to you. This song is about River Phoenix, the young actor who died from a drug overdose on October 31st, 1993. I briefly knew Joaquin Phoenix and River Phoenix in 1980, so I thank Miss Merchant for recording this tribute.

River is followed by Carnival (Track Five), which is the single that achieved dominant radio airplay. I loved Adrian Lopez Guevarra's percussion here; I likewise admired Katell Keineg's backing vocals. But I'm still ambivalent about that last snippet of ambient street noise that Natalie's voice recedes into.

Lyrically speaking, Cowboy Romance (Track Eight) does the best job of telling a connection story. Maguire, Turner, and Yanowitz enhance Miss Merchant's sensitively lilting and wavering voice, and Jay Unger's maudlin violin is a deftly added touch; this song is primarily about deception, promises made, and promises abandoned.

I adore Jealousy (Track Nine), which (in addition to Maguire, Turner, and Yanowitz) includes John Holbrook's noodling on the Electric Guitar and Organ, and Eric Schenkman's adroit strumming. This is Merchant's strongest vocal on TigerLily; I could listen to it repeatedly, savoring the last six words for hours.

Lovely numbers like Where I Go (Track Ten) never achieved heavy radio airplay, but it's certainly the most endearing of Merchant's `water as metaphor' efforts. Again, Adrian Lopez Guevarra adds distinct percussion that is perfectly matched to Merchant's gift for verbal phrasing, and Jennifer Turner's plucky Spanish-tinged guitar.

You'll also be blown away by Natalie Merchant's sanguine confessional Seven Years (Track Eleven), which calmly mimics Sinead O'Connor's piercing Nothing Compares 2 U. In this song the chanteuse speaks of devotion, and of being unable to see past a lover, while Michelle Kinney's low-pitched cello labors away dirge like.

Personal Aside: "Who ever thought the quiet girl in sixth grade would become a stunning singer known around the globe? What a blissful record too!"

Very poor sonic quality. A joke!!.......2006-12-02

The music N Merchant plays is beautiful! But that I knew before I bought this DVD-Audio.

The sound is dull, not transparent or detailed nor portrays a wide image. To make matters worse, the 5.1 mix adds nothing to the listening. Most of the mix is geared at the front central speaker. Shame on the engineer who called this an audiophile recording!

Beauty and Wisdom.......2006-04-20

River - If I lost this ablbum every day, I would buy it again every day if only for this one song. It slows down in the middle a bit and this loses many of the other critics, but if you stay to the finish, you will be glad it slows down, every time you listen to it again. A perfect song with perfect percussion and Marchants unique vocal flattened tops carry the message as few others can.

I May Know the Word - Like the other critics I wish it hadn't gone on so long, but by the time you get there, you are also knowing the word and wishing her to waste it.

My Beloved Wife - Like River, and many songs on this album, you have to stay to the finish for the payoff. This album is about moments both lyrical and musical.

Letter - Marchant takes many risks in this song. Her voice can be fragile. But this is her poem, well set in melody.

All in all a pleasant to very beautiful voice, lyrics to savor, and some magic.

This cd should be in your collection.......2006-02-27

This cd should be in your collection....
a masterpiece

BEAUTIFUL ANGELIC VOICE!.......2005-10-19

all of Natalie Merchant's songs are good. This is the only album I have of hers yet but I've got two 10,000 Maniacs c.d.'s (her old band) and what a pleasure it is to hear this woman sing! This c.d. is so beautiful. Everyone needs to have this.

Handel - Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno

Average customer rating:

Handel - Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno

Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Handel: Floridante
Handel: Fernando
Handel: Le Cantate per il Cardinal Pamphili
As Steals the Morn: Handel Arias & Scenes for Tenor
Vivaldi: Griselda

ASIN: B000F3T3E6
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Sonata: Allegro-Adagio-Allegro
Aria: Fido Specchio, In Te Vagheggio
Recitativo: Io, Che Sono Il Piacere
Aria: Fosco Genio, E Nero Duolo
Recitativo: Ed Io, Che 'L Tempo Sono
Aria: Se La Bellezza Perde Vaghezza
Recitativo: Dunque Si Prendan L'Armi
Aria: Una Schiera Di Piaceri
Recitativo: I Colossi Del Sole
Aria: Urne Voi, Che Racchiudete
Recitativo: Sono Troppo Crudeli I Tuoi Consigli
Duetto: Il Voler Nel Fior Degl'Anni
Recitativo: Della Vita Mortale
Aria: Un Pensiero Nemico Di Pace
Recitativo: Folle, Tu Nieghi Il Tempo
Aria: Nasce L'Uomo
Aria: L'Uomo Sempre Se Stesso Distrugge
Recitativo: Questa E La Reggia Mia
Sonata: Taci: Qual Suono Ascolto?
Aria: Un Leggiadro Giovinetto
Recitativo: Ha Nella Destra L'Ali
Aria: Venga Il Tempo
Aria: Crede L'Uom Ch'Egli Riposi
Recitativo: Tu Credi Che Sia Lungi
Aria: Folle, Dunque Tu Sola Presumi
Recitativo: La Reggia Del Piacere Vedesti
Quartetto: Se Non Sei Piu Ministro Di Pene

Tracks:

Recitativo: Se Del Falso Piacere
Aria: Chiudi, Chiudi I Vaghi Rai
Recitativo: In Tre Parti Divise
Aria: Io Sperai Trovar Nel Vero
Recitativo: Tu Vivi Invan Dolente
Aria: Tu Giurasti Di Mai Non Lasciarmi
Recitativo: Sguardo, Che Infermo Ai Rai Del Sol Si Volge
Aria: Io Vorrei Due Cori In Seno
Recitativo: Io Giurerei, Che Tu Chiudesti I Lumi
Aria: Piu Non Cura
Recitativo: E Un Ostinato Errore
Aria: E Ben Folle Quel Nocchier
Recitativo: Decesti Il Vero, E Benche Tardi Intesi
Quartetto: Voglio Tempo Per Risolvere
Recitativo: Presso La Reggia Ove Il Piacer Risiede
Aria: Lascia La Spina
Recitativo: Con Troppo Chiare Note
Aria: Voglio Cangiar Desio
Recitativo: Or Che Tiene La Destra
Aria: Chi Gia Fu Del Biondo Crine
Recitativo: Ma Che Veggio, Che Miro?
Aria: Ricco Pino Nel Cammino
Recitativo: Si, Bella Penitenza
Duetto: Il Bel Pianto Dell'Aurora
Recitativo: Piacer, Che Meco Gia Vivesti
Aria: Come Nembo Que Fugge Col Vento
Recitativo: Pure Del Cielo Intelligenze Eterne
Aria: Tu Del Ciel Ministro Eletto

Amazon.com

Handel's earliest oratorio, dating from 1707, is an allegory in which the character of Beauty is tempted to a life of hedonism by Pleasure but is reasoned with by Time and Enlightenment and turns into a modest, better-balanced type. If this sounds dull, it isn't. The young Handel, in Rome at the time, composed some of his most wonderfully Italianate melodies and was at the peak of his inspiration. Handelians will recognize bits in this work that he later used elsewhere. This performance is now the best available; while the one led by Rinaldo Alessandrini is excellent, here the always original and clever Emmanuelle Haim leads a superb cast, with Natalie Dessay (who has nine arias!) and Sonia Prina absolutely perfect and Ann Hallenberg and Pavol Breslik not far behind. Handel re-adapted this work at the end of his career, by the way, to an English translation. This is a sheer delight. --Robert Levine

Amazing Grace: Music Inspired by the Motion Picture

Average customer rating:

Martina's why I bought it
Why are so many "inspired by" recordings not truly inspired by the source material?
Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy!
Inspirational and beautiful
AMAZING CD!!

Amazing Grace: Music Inspired by the Motion Picture

Manufacturer: Sparrow
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Amazing Grace (Original Score)
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery
Glory Revealed: The Word Of God in Worship
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Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce

ASIN: B000LW7UUK
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Tracks:

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin
It Is Well - Jeremy Camp
All Creatures Of Our God And King - Bethany Dillon
Holy, Holy, Holy - Steven Curtis Chapman
Fairest Lord Jesus - Natalie Grant
I Need Thee Every Hour - Jars Of Clay
Just As I Am - Nichole Nordeman
Were You There? - Smokie Norful
Rock Of Ages - David Crowder
My Jesus, I Love Thee/'Tis So Sweet - Bart Millard
Nearer My God To Thee - Kierra 'Kiki' Sheard
Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Avalon
How Great Thou Art - Martina McBride

Customer Reviews:

Martina's why I bought it.......2007-05-14

And her rendition of "How Great Thou Art" is worth the price of the CD to me. I have mixed feelings about the rest of it. I didn't care much for most of the male voices. While they are sensitive and thoughtful and generally reverent, which I do appreciate, I still prefer more traditional, resonant, powerful male voices, such as Alan Jackson's on his gospel CD. I will listen to this one occasionally, if only to hear Martina, but Precious Memories is still my favorite.

Why are so many "inspired by" recordings not truly inspired by the source material?.......2007-04-07

I wonder why so many "inspired by" recordings are not produced in response to the material that supposedly serves as the basis for their inspiration. In the case of movies, why not let the artists view the film prior to its release, and let them craft songs built around scenes, themes or the ideas presented. There may be some reason why this isn't done--it may be hard to write enough original songs, or maybe it's difficult to let the artists see a film prior to its release. If the problem is the latter, why couldn't those contributing songs be given something in written form? It may not be as inspiring, but it at least provides a starting point for creating a song.

This is not to knock Music Inspired by the Motion Picture Amazing Grace. It's a fine collection of hymns by a variety of talented artists. It seems a shame though that only the song "Amazing Grace" performed by Chris Tomlin has any direct connection with the movie. John Newton, the author of the hymn, had a relationship with the key figure in the film, William Wilberforce.

Tomlin does what many of the artists do with these hymns, and a little more. In addition to a different arrangement, he takes the risk of adding some new verses to a classic song, and pulls it off admirably. Nichole Nordeman does the same with equally impressive results on "Just As I Am." Tomlin's subdued playing and instrumentation reinvents and adds a touch of grace to one of the most popular songs of all time.

Jeremy Camp's strong masculine voice is the perfect complement for music that thunders around the verses of "It Is Well." It's a strong performance augmented by the background vocals of his wife Adie.

This is one of several remarkable duets, the next featuring Shawn McDonald & Bethany Dillon on "All Creatures of Our God & King." It starts off with an ethereal vibe but the vocals get a little cluttered with the programming that ends the song. Another song that suffers from programming is "Fairest Lord Jesus" by Natalie Grant.

It's a challenge for artists to take such familiar songs and make them sound fresh. For the most part, these interpretations succeed in making these hymns sound new. The best results here are the songs that are acoustic and less complicated like the title song.

Another brilliant example is "Rock of Ages" by David Crowder & Marty Stuart. It begins and ends with a delightful acoustic instrumental that sounds like some wonderful Christmas recording. David Crowder continues to record impressive music.

The medley "My Jesus I Love Thee / `Tis So Sweet" by Bart Millard (of Mercy Me) starts and ends with the sounds of an accordion. The music is a relaxed blend of contemporary and pop sounds. Though the title of the song does not show this as a duet, the voice of Derek Webb is unmistakable. He is a great addition to one of the best songs on the recording.

A light country version of "How Great Thou Art" by Martina McBride is also excellent and closes the recording.

Two black gospel songs are included, but with orchestration and more production, they don't fit as well with the many songs that lean toward acoustic pop or rock. They are well done and they do add variety, but like the songs that make use of programming, they feel a little out of place.

This is a strong collection of hymns done in a contemporary style. It won't appeal as much to those who favor more traditional renderings.

Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy!.......2007-04-06

With the exception of the first and last tracks ("Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art"), I would have to say that the balance of the songs on this CD are limp and unenthusiastic....better to go right to iTunes or some other music download site and just get those two tracks!!

I think the CD was made with good intent, but unless you want something to fall asleep to, this album doesn't seem to reflect any of the joy or enthusiasm that I associate with Christian music or Christianity itself. Perhaps it was just that the songs were sung "quietly", but I did not find them to be infused with much in the way of "inspiration", and I got none from listening to them.......

Far better, I think, to go buy something like the soundtrack to the actual movie "Amazing Grace", which contains beautiful and atmospheric compositions, and which deserves to be nominated for an Academy award....

Another option would be to buy the soundrack to either of the "Sister Act" movies (in addition to my suggestion in the preceding paragraph), they are much more lively, joyful, celebratory and creative than this!

Any of those options will leave you more uplifted and inspired than this CD left me...I absolutely LOVED "Amazing Grace", and would strongly urge anyone looking for a GOOD movie to see the film that "inspired the music" on this CD.

Seeing the actual film will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful; that good men can still accomplish great things, no matter how many people are on the "other side" of what they are working against!!

[Hint: I understand that that WONDERFUL rendition of "Amazing Grace" with the bagpipes, drums and other instruments that plays at the end of the movie is available on iTunes as a "bonus track", and it is DEFINITELY NOT TO BE MISSED!!!]

Inspirational and beautiful.......2007-03-29

I bought this CD after hearing the updated version of Amazing Grace, the title and theme song for the movie. WOW - I was so impressed that a classic hymn could be modernized without losing it's impace and simplicity. I had doubts about the rest of the songs, but was soooo wrong - happily!) All the songs on this CD are beautiful - classic hymns, updated beautifully. Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful.

AMAZING CD!! .......2007-03-27

Great traditional songs I know by artists I love!! Only downfall is the original version of "Amazing Grace" isnt on the CD, only Chris Tomlin's amazing version..

Average customer rating:

Greatest Hits
Wonderful
scorching guitar
Tigerlily album is a better intro
Great Introduction To Natalie Merchant

Retrospective 1995-2005
Natalie Merchant
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009NR7YK
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Wonder
Carnival
Jealousy (Single Version)
San Andreas Fault
Kind & Generous
Break Your Heart
Life is Sweet
Living
Build A Levee
Not In This Life
Motherland
Owensboro
Sally Ann

Album Description

Album Information: Following a phenomenal early run in the '80s and '90s with alt-rock sensations 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant went on to even greater success as a solo artist. Her 1995 solo debut Tigerlily delivered the Billboard Top 10 Smash "Carnival," as well as "Wonder" and "Jealousy," #20 and #23, respectively. Through subsequent albums, Merchant's emotive vocals and literate songs have established her as one of the most distinctive and popular women in contemporary pop-rock. Compiled by Natalie herself, Rhino's new collection represents her first-ever solo "best of", beautifully highlighting her socially conscious and melodious signature style.

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Hits.......2007-01-03

You don't need to own any other Natalie Merchant compilation or album/CD. All of her best stuff is right here!

Wonderful.......2006-12-30

Somewhere along the way I lost my copy of MTV Unplugged, the live 10,000 Maniac CD. After finally replacing it, I wondered why it took me so long. The music was wonderfully melodic, with a gypsy music quality. This CD was my subsequent purchase of Natalie Merchant's solo work. At first I found the differences between her solo work and 10,000 Maniac not to my liking. I have listened to this several times now and have found some hauntingly beautiful songs. This is dreamy music, a pleasure to enjoy alone or with your loved ones.

scorching guitar.......2006-04-07

so many reviews

let me just say that the guitar work on Carnaval scorches

Natalie rules with her celestial beauty

Tigerlily album is a better intro.......2005-12-30

Let me just say first that I'm not fanatical about Natalie Merchant. I heard Tigerlily a few times at my friend's house and really liked the mellow sounds. I thought I'd treat myself and bought this greatest hits album. As an album, the tracks don't flow so well from one to the next, but this is a compilation I guess, and not a single 'work of art'. The non-Tigerlily tracks I like best are #9 and #13.

Great Introduction To Natalie Merchant.......2005-11-24

This CD is a very good introduction to the solo works of Natalie Merchant. I am a bit more of a fan of 10,000 Maniacs and her earlier solo work, and while no CD retrospective meets everyone's desires, I think this set is good for the fan who is just starting to appreciate Natalie; fans who own all of her solo CDs would be advised to skip this CD entirely (as they already own all the material), or better yet pay a few dollars more for the limited edition of this set which contains a second CD of rarities and lesser known gems.

The CD is great in that it features the big hits (including my favorite, "Jealousy") as well as cuts which were largely ignored by the mainstream (though they shouldn't have been.)

In an age of popular music where the recording industry can't wait to get the newest augmented pop princess on the cover of "People" magazine, Natalie Merchant stands out: she is not flashy; rather she is graceful and humble. She also has one thing going for her which is so often sadly missing in the contemporary music world: genuine talent. If you are not familiar with Natalie Merchant, this is a great place to start. If you are familiar with her, then you probably own her CDs already.

I recommend this CD to any fan of thoughtful, original music.

Average customer rating:

Awaken by Natalie Grant
Good mix!
suffering transposed
Boring at first.. but got so much more better...
big fan

Awaken
Natalie Grant
Manufacturer: Curb Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007PALDE
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

(Intro) The Awakening
Awaken
Something Beautiful
What Are You Waiting For
The Real Me
Another Day
Home
Captured
Held
You Move Me
Make Me Over
Live For Today
Bring It All Together (w/Wynonna)

Customer Reviews:

Awaken by Natalie Grant.......2007-01-12

This is the best she has ever done. Buy it you'll love it.

Good mix!.......2007-01-10

This is a good mix of upbeat and slow songs. She is always an inspiration!

suffering transposed.......2006-12-28

Let us try not to gush: You wait a decade between albums like this one.

These thirteen tracks emerge either from Ms. Grant's experience or from the collective wisdom in song selection of her handlers. Either way, we are face to face with stunning music and a beautiful young woman in a world where one grows weary of finding such a correspondence.

This is no crossover romance-or-religion puffery, where the listener takes his pick of context. To the contrary, Grant sings from deep and unveiled biblical conviction.

When she sings on the album's first track, after all, 'Awaken my heart, awaken my soul, awaken your power and take control', she is not singing to the handsome guy across the room. She's crying out to recognizable and well-defined God.

Then she pops you in the face with the utter theological simplicity that follows the manic intro to 'Something Beautiful'. What say we begin with the mania?:

'This is a song for anyone whose ever been
knocked down ; can't get back again
Stuck in the corner, can't move forward
All alone and you think you're going nowhere
This is a song for anyone whose ever stood
underneath the sun and felt so small-
two feet tall and so out of place.'

After an intro like that with perhaps a few too many intimations of girly-pop, where does a song like this go? On to feel-good, self-absorbed truisms with a nice guitar riff for distraction?

No. Not this time.

Instead, this biblically-informed terseness:

'He sees you - he knows you - he loves you
and he wants you to know that'

That's all. In the biblical dialect of divine-human relationship, that is considered sufficient. Grant seems to agree. Refreshing, that. Strengthening too. 'Sets a man to singin', even.

But she's only getting started here. Though she has that rising-farther-than-you-thought-she-was-gonna'-go quality to her voice, she becomes a formidable artist when she sings out of the kind of suffering that one is not supposed to know about while still young.

There is no doubt that Ms. Grant has a fine set of pipes. She's convinced you of that before you're a minute into this CD. In fact, one can go four or five tracks wondering what a pianissimo would sound like here and whether we're going to have one of those before we finish.

But she comes into her own when she gets introspective and balladesque without losing her theological compasspoint. This happens for the first time in 'The Real Me', a song that teeters dramatically on the razor edge of narcissism before rescue by an impulse that must owe something--consciously or not--to Psalmody. What I mean is that 'But you see the real me' is counterpoint to all manner of self-description. Grant seems to have come to terms with the biblical affirmation that her Christian faith calls her not to gnostic self-annihilation in favor of the soul, but rather to an authentic assumption of her Redeemer's intention for her. For *her*, we might place an accent. Listen:

'But you see see the real me.
Hiding in my skin, broken from within.
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp,
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me ...

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When You look at me.
You've turned the tattered fabric of my life
Into a perfect tapestry.
Oh, I just wanna' be me,
I wanna' be me.'

This is miles and miles from the self-referential and self-realizing ethos of popular myth. On the contrary one smells, from a certain distance to be sure, the distintive scent of a theology of creation.

Hmm ... 'Smells good.

Ms. Grant works through a couple of other tunes before coming to the showstopper, the one that is worth the price of the entire shiny little disk, and then some.

'Held' articulates the chastened, half-broken faith that emerges only from suffering. It's something you're not supposed to know about while you're still young. In the tradition of Job ('The Lord gave, the Lord took away, blessed be the name of the Lord') and the cross-shadowed path, one comes to terms with a God whose goodness is often invisible even if not ephemeral.

A child has died. That's all we know. Grant sings:

'Two months is too little.
They let him go.
The had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.'

There is more on this album. Much more. But after 'Held', it is anticlimax and afterword, though it is good music.

The only bad thing about this CD is that we may need to await another ten years before one like it comes along.

Boring at first.. but got so much more better..........2006-12-03

My sister bought it after hearing the song "Held" on the radio. The first time i listened to it, i thought " This CD is so boring!" But the second time i listened to it all, i liked alot more of it! The best one is "Something Beautiful" and "Home." they are really great music. She has different styles of music in this CD. THe intro was a waste of space though. It was lame. But overall the CD was good.

If you're like me and you hear the whole CD and don't like it, go back and listen to the songs "Awaken" "Something Beautiful" What R U Waiting For?" "Another Day" "Home" "Captured" "Held" and "Live 4 Today." They are the ones that will change your mind. The others are OK, but those will definalyty make you want more from Natalie!

big fan.......2006-10-23

When my mom bought this cd I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Then I popped it in my walkman and fell in love. A fave

song is Beautiful, it has an awesome beat and encouraging lyrics. Awaken, the title song, is really cool too.

Natalie doen't just appeal to adults but kids too making her one of my all time favorite singers!

Average customer rating:

A Great Album, Not A Downer...
Dark is not always pretentious.
her best album to date
Too Sad
OPHELIA

Ophelia
Natalie Merchant
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000006OAM
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Ophelia
Life Is Sweet
Kind & Generous
Frozen Charlotte
My Skin
Break Your Heart
King Of May
Thick As Thieves
Effigy
The Living
When They Ring The Golden Bells

Amazon.com

Miss Natalie needs to lighten up. Ophelia's a pretty heavy record, in terms of both the thick, string-heavy production and in terms of her protracted, pretentious songs. Merchant has a beautiful voice but she bogs it down with weighty themes that walk around in flashy clothes without going anywhere. She's even got, gulp, Tibetan lyric translations on "Effigy." It's telling that the best track here is the simplest--a lovely reading of an 1887 parlour hymn, "When They Ring The Golden Bells." Its genteel acoustic backdrop perfectly sets off Merchant's voice--and its the only time she sings with a passion that doesn't feel pretended. Guests include Daniel Lanois and The Innocence Mission. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews:

A Great Album, Not A Downer..........2007-05-10

Ophelia is Natalie Merchant's sophomore solo CD. This recording differs from TigerLily in that the record label had greater control of the content and players than the singer would have liked -- leading to her break with Elektra. It also marks the debut of Graham Maby on Electric Guitar; he later goes on to record Motherland and The House Carpenter's Daughter with Merchant.

Pete Yanowitz plays drums on TigerLily and Ophelia but was replaced by Matt Chamberlain on Motherland; Allison Miller subsumed Chamberlain's role on The House Carpenter's Daughter. Similar shifts with Natalie's guitarists -- Graham Maby strumming alongside Craig Ross and Todd Vos -- occur on this album. Guest musicians like Lokua Kanza, Daniel Lanois, and Don & Karen Peris accompany Merchant just this once.

Her lush songs on Ophelia received wide radio airplay, including Break Your Heart, Kind & Generous, Life Is Sweet, and a truncated version of the eponymous title track. Her shuffling of musicians after Ophelia's release also marked a turn away from commercialism towards the purely artistic for Merchant -- a move welcomed by fans, but probably not her business managers.

Essentially, Merchant's best tracks on Ophelia are the ones where she does more than sing. She prods her wurlitzer on the melodic Frozen Charlotte (Track Four) and introduces discord to the chorus. Michelle Kinney's cello and the singer's piano accompaniment on My Skin (Track Five) also underscore the beauty of Merchant's lyrics. I also enjoyed Jay Brunga's acoustic bass on My Skin.

Lanois's aching, bleeding, crying, wounded electric guitar on Thick as Thieves is transformative, appearing in the bridge and twisting the track's conclusion into an entirely different song. Yanowitz offers up delicate drums that back Merchant's smooth voice brilliantly here; her keyboard skills are confident and introspective, in perfect counterpoint to the guitars. Michelle Kinney's cello is difficult to pick out but beautiful to absorb.

I thought Effigy (Track Nine) was interesting; I enjoyed Merchant's styling on the hammond and wurlitzer, but found the Tibetan chanting to be overwrought. I likewise thought The Living (Track Ten) was great; I'd love to hear Kid Rock tackle a cover of this song. When They Ring the Golden Bells, a French funeral song from 1887, was a strangely fitting closing number.

All of Ophelia's eleven songs were thoughtfully recorded at Talking Dwarf Studios in Little Valley, New York. The orchestral reprise of the title track performed by Fretwork is a bonus track recorded at Air Studios in London, United Kingdom. Overall, this is just a gorgeous album. You can tell Merchant's band invested a sufficient amount of effort, emotion, energy, and feeling into these songs.

Dark is not always pretentious........2007-05-04

Some critics have claimed that Ophelia is a pretentious and depressing album. I don't see the pretense in it; these songs are hardly as preachy as some of Natalie's from her 10,000 Maniacs days. Yes, the songs are for the most part gloomy (putting aside "Kind and Generous") but it is in keeping with the title of the album-- OPHELIA.
Natalie's work has always been low-key. If you accept that, you can appreciate this as a beautiful and compelling album. Best songs are My Skin, Kind and Generous (let's not be so cynical), Thick as Thieves, and Ophelia. But all are well crafted and worth listening to. Definitely stronger than Tigerlily.

her best album to date.......2007-03-11

I consider Ophelia the best album by Natalie Merchant; every song is a masterwork, the general sound of the album is really fascinating; I love it; songs like Ophelia, Kind & generous, Break your heart, King of May and Life is sweet are really unforgettable, after you've listened to them.
thanks Natalie.

Too Sad.......2007-03-01

I love KIND AND GENEROUS and THE GOLDEN BELLS, but otherwise, the songs on this album plod along - too sad and heavy! They are so similar to one another and soooooooo melancholy. Very disappointing! NM has such a beautiful voice, but it is torture to listen to this album.

OPHELIA.......2006-10-03

NATALIE MERCHANT's OPHELIA is one of the most lyrically cohesive CD's in popular music today. It features guest vocalists and an incomparable instrumental accompaniment. OPHELIA spans the gamut of joyous celebration to the depths of alienation and depression. The title track tells of a woman who seeks validation in external realities, from politics to romance--only to be left wandering alone in the corridors of her mind. My Skin describes human sensitivity that has been denied beyond the point of endurance. This theme is emphasized in Effigy in which the persona is equated to social self-immolation. Tibetan born Akiko Yano whose cameo sends shivers up the charkas.

Tigerlily

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Music CD
Missing the best song :-(
Why the live versions? And where's Vol. II already?
Not a bad collection of hits, but.....
Excellent compilation album!

"Natalie Cole - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"
Natalie Cole
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Love Songs

ASIN: B0000508TX
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

Mr. Melody (Live)
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
I've Got Love On My Mind
Song For You
I Can't Say No
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Live)
Pink Cadillac
Miss You Like Crazy
Inseparable
Snowfall On The Sahara
Say You Love Me
La Costa
I Live For Your Love
I'm Catchin' Hell
A Smile Like Yours
Unforgettable
Angel On My Shoulder
Our Love (Live)
Livin' For Love

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Music CD.......2007-07-05

Natalie Cole's greatest Hits are really a great CD with many wonderful songs and melodies.

Missing the best song :-(.......2005-12-11

I like this cd a lot. Natalie sure has had a lot of great songs over the years. One song in particular (which of course as luck would have it) is missing from here. A Little Bit of Heaven (from a now unobtainable cd Dangerous) is my all time fave of hers. In the mean time, I still love Miss You Like Crazy etc. This is a good cd for all Natalie fans - and even if you aren't - because there is a good mix of older and newer material. I give it a four because of the mix, but minus one star because of the missing hit.

Why the live versions? And where's Vol. II already?.......2005-06-03

I want to love this, really I do. But Rule One of a Greatest Hits disc is to actually use the hit version of the song. "Our Love" and "Mr. Melody" are here in unnecessary live versions. ("Lucy in the Sky..." was live from the get-go; I don't like it but at least it's the "correct" version.)

If there's ever a Volume 2, it needs to have the above hit versions plus such omissions as Sophisticated Lady, Someone That I Used To Love, Jump Start, Dangerous, A Little Bit of Heaven, and Starting Over Again. What's the holdup? Even U2 put out hits discs faster than this...

Not a bad collection of hits, but............2005-01-11

...this CD is missing somethings. First of all, who wants to hear a watered-down short version of "I'm Catching Hell"? It was Natalie's rap/monologue intro on the unedited full-length album version that really made this song so great. (The full-length version can be found on Natalie's "Collection" CD).

Secondly, the classic hit "Can't Stay Away" is missing. (A remake of this song was later made famous by En Vogue on their debut album in 1990). Thirdly, this CD contains the live version of "Our Love" instead of the original studio version. The live version ain't bad, but it is the original recording that we grew up listening to and appreciate the most.

Again, this ain't a bad compilation (as it contains some new '90's material as well as the classics), but I'm just a little disappointed with some of the content and especially the sequence of the songs, which lacks consistency and chronology.

Excellent compilation album! .......2004-09-19

Natalie Cole made a nice greatest hits album 4 years ago. She selected a lot of good songs for this album, especially This Will Be and Our Love. I liked that she included Pink Cadillac, I Live For Your Love, Unforgettable and others. The songs tend to be more on the mellow side, especially on ballads like Say You Love Me. The new song that she did with Richard Marx is quite good. She's overcome a lot of past struggles to get herself right back on top in her career and this collection proves that. She's one of the more enduring singers still active to this day!

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