Natalie Cole - Leavin'

With Leavin', her 20th studio album, Natalie Cole looks to be issuing a challenge to longtime listeners: if you're in, it's because you see stardust and are gripped by a warm sensation anytime her legendary voice eases through a speaker. If you're out, it's because you're not as musically adventurous as she is. Of the dozen songs here, only roughly a quarter could be cordoned off into classic R&B territory; the rest amount to an artful but decidedly pop-leaning hodgepodge. In addition to the opening track, a cover of Fiona Apple's "Criminal" that does away with the original's raw, angry edge in favor of flipness and sass, Cole gamely tackles Neil Young's classic "Old Man" and Kate Bush's "The Man With the Child in His Eyes." If those songs seem effortful, she finds more even footing on the title track, a Shelby Lynne original ready-made for a classic soul reworking, as well as on Aretha Franklin's "Day Dreaming," which benefits from producer Dallas Austin's addition of a hip hop-lite fringe. Unsurprisingly for an artist of Cole's depth and caliber, Leavin's sole original track, "5 Minutes Away," is its best. Here is Natalie as the world knows and loves her: a belter born to dose up the stirrings of her soul with unmatched tenderness and bottomless love. --Tammy La Gorce Amazon.com

Great listen

I'm a fairly new fan of Natalie, only being familiar with her Unforgettable With Love album from 15 years ago. I bought this album on a chance and I'm glad I did. I love every song. I'm not familiar with quite a few of the original recordings so I'm taking Natalie's interpretations as original and I like what I hear. I love her harmonies and the soul/R&B going on in this album. September 17, 2008

A Cool Ride From Beginning to End

Natalie Cole's latest cd: "Leavin" is more than just a covers album, and if the songs she chose weren't recognizable in name it would sound like a whole album of new songs. "Criminal" was redone totally, and she only adds to its greatness, Old Man is great also, but the track that stood out to me was Kate Bush's "The Man With the Child In His Eyes", she sung it so beautifully and with the backing of the choir it makes it even more touching. This album is worth buying, I was not only impressed, but I respect her artistic ability more than ever, she has covered songs all through her career, and now to have an album full, is music to my ears. September 13, 2007

A Very Poor Offering

While there a couple of good tracks most are poor covers, if you want to hear a great version of Old Man buy Liz Wright version & the same goes for Desiree 'Gotta Be'.
Having seen Natalie Cole in concert performing a lack lusted show of some of her new album in London (concert lasted 75mins), it made me want to delete her albums from my ipod. Shame on you Miss Cole! You have lost a few fans from last night.
July 6, 2007

Sweet Time

Natalie Cole does a great job with this CD. The opener "Criminal" penned by Fiona Apple soulfully blasts with a hot trad R&B horn arrangement, "What I need is a good defense from feeling like a criminal." Her take on Neil Young's "Old Man" zoomed to the top of my personal top ten. Cole sounds thoroughly comfortable, accentuates and polishes the lovely melody, "Take a look in my eyes and you can tell that it's true." "The More You Do It" puts a smile on my face with Natalie's slow soulful swagger on a tune Ronnie Dyson sang. On the title track, Natalie wraps herself around a Shelby Lynne tune from the "I Am Shelby Lynne" CD. Cole recasts the song with a soulful organ-drenched arrangement, "Love ain't supposed to hurt, you've got to know your worth." Bonnie Raitt recorded "Love Letter" on her Grammy Award winning CD "Nick of Time." Natalie adapts it & swings it royally. "You Gotta Be" is a delightful cheer for positive thinking on Des'ree penned track, "Herald what your mother said, read the books your father read, try & solve the puzzles in your own sweet time, some may have more cash than you, some may have a different view." The set ends with Sting's "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" that he recorded on his 1993 "Ten Summoner's Tales" CD. Natalie freshens this tune with a great vocal arrangement and some delightful percussion by Dallas Austin. "Leavin'" is a great CD because Cole demonstrates her artistry by showing a broad knowledge of different types of music and pulling from different decades, styles and eras and blending it into a cohesive whole through her style. This is a stunning set. Bravo! March 4, 2007

SOUL-STIRRING PERFORMANCES~BRAVO NATALIE!!!

Natalie has never been better than in this masterful collection of great performances making original versions pale in comparison as Natalie nails each of these great songs creating definitive versions but for some strange reason a few of the other "reviews" erroneously state otherwise but don't be fooled and miss out on a riveting collection of stellar performances from this legendary singer...opening strong with the hot rocking "Criminal", it is clear that Natalie has it all together and is in peak form! Neil Young must have been really blown alway by this deeply soulful & mesmerizing take on "Old Man" which is wonderfully brilliant and the awesome musicians interplay with this wondrous singer is something special to experience...what is wrong with our radio programming today that they pass on such great music? A sublime "Daydreaming" was acknowledged by The Grammy foundation but this stunning collection should have won the Grammy Award for "Best Album Of The Year" for a complete collection of stellar performances that were unmatched this year...greatness continues with "Leavin'" and this is a classic soul performance if ever I've heard one with Natalie going deep inside and taking the listener on a journey...flashback to the 70's with the exhuberant "The More You Do It (The More I Like It)" and greatness from the 70's continues with a heartfelt "Lovin' Arms" that is definitive and again Natalie goes deep inside this wonderful evergreen and makes it a timeless gem with her illuminating performance. Given airplay this hot rocking version of "Love Letter" could easily go to the top of the charts and become a #1 mega-hit as it is wildly infectious!!! Years ago Natalie sung "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" great but now with more life experience this stellar version shows how as a great artist matures performances deepen and vocals become richer and this magnificent performance is haunting and a truly extraordinary listening experience...BRAVO NATALIE!!! A catchy original "5 Minutes Away" is winning while The Isleys "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love) becomes another true soul classic with Natalie at her best...a great collection that becomes even greater with multiple spins and in better musical times than now this tremendous collection would have been a huge success...no wonder major music chains are closing left and right with talent like this being held back from the masses who sadly seem to accept any junk slung out over the airways! "You Gotta Be" is a great message song done in a unique and engrossing way while the finale "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" becomes a mesmerizing and unforgettable anthem and BRAVO to Natalie and all of the awesome musicians who define what great music is all about! March 1, 2007

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