1031 - Mojo 10. Nat "King" Cole - Love is the Thing (1957)

Track Listing

1. When I Fall In Love
2. Love Letters
3. Stardust
4. Stay As Sweet As You Are
5. Where Can I Go Without You
6. Maybe It's Because I Love You Too Much
7. Ain't Misbehavin'

8. When Sunny Gets Blue
9. I Thought About Marie
10. At Last
11. It's All In The Game
12. Love Is The Thing

Review

The king of mid-50s easy listening... Nat "King" Cole gives an album of sweet superficiality which is nonetheless very pleasant to listen to. There is nothing particularly original about it, a lot of the songs are overplayed and some performances don't bring much new to the song.

What sets this album apart from the usual dross is Nat's voice which is velvety to the extreme and as the first track comes on there is almost a chill up the spine... unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't really live up to that first track.

With repeated listening the album doesn't get much better, unfortunately, it is still good but there is very little to develop or mature in our ears with repeated listenings. However it is what it is and makes no bones about that, it does not want to be anything other than easy listening and for that we have to admire it and also Nat's incomparable voice.

Track Highlights

1. When I Fall In Love

2. Stardust

3. When Sunny Gets Blue

4. Ain't Misbehavin'

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Originally released by Capitol Records, the album has been re-issued by various companies in alternate forms. A 1996 re-release on 24-kt gold foil included three bonus tracks, the same tracks incorporated in the re-titled 1991 CD Love Is the Thing (And More). In 2007, The Collectors' Choice label reissued the album in conjunction with the final Cole/Jenkins collaboration on a single disc entitled Love Is the Thing/Where Did Everyone Go?

When I Fall in Love: