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 Thumbs down! Oct 06, 2009
I LOVE Nat King Cole, but this CD was horrid! Who could listen to it and think it was good? I've purchased several other CDs of "remixed" standards and they were good. This was just AWFUL! I'm sure that Mr. Cole had not intended for his music to be like this. He's probably rolling in his grave!
 Truly Unforgettable... Sep 12, 2009
This is one of those projects that sharply divides. On the one hand, you have the purists who will be aghast. On the other hand, you have people open to experimentation and new ideas, (as well as a new generation discovering the old). I fall into the latter, that is those open to experimentation and new ideas. I'm a fan of Nat King Cole's, but still, a few of the tracks here are new to me.
"Re: Generations" is a remix/re-interpretation of 13 Cole tracks by DJs, Producers and singers. The idea birthed by his daughter Carole Cole, was to bridge the gap between the new and the old generation, and it works pretty well if you're willing to let it.
The songs are given diverse treatments; a Hip Hop/Jazz feel (the absolutely stunning and danceable "Lush Life" by Cee-Lo using select verses from the original, a groovy bassline, darting horns and skittery beats, "Walkin' my baby back home" with a rapped coda by The Roots, "The game of love" with Nas which also has a Brazilian feel), Reggae ("Calypso blues" with Damien Marley), Latin (the lilting "Brazilian love song" with Bebel Gilberto, "More and more of your amor" produced by Bittersweet, "El Choolo" with fab horns and a Matador feel), Rock (the very arty "Nature boy" is given an erie atmospheric feel by Alternative Rock band TV on the Radio adding distortion and electronic flourishes to great effect), while the rest largely stay true to the original arrangements with subtle embellishments.
"Straighten up and fly right" is produced by will.i.am and is a duet with daughter Natalie (scatting nicely) set to nice clipped beats over a Jazzy backdrop. "Hit that Jive Jack" is filled with hand claps with rapping by Izza Kizza over a spare musical arrangement. "Day in-day out" is big band jazz with rich percussion produced by Cut-Chemist. "Pick up" is a soothing Jook joint, as is the absolutely lovely horn-peppered "Anytime anyday anywhere" with Amp Fiddler.
I absolutely love this album, and from reviews I've read here, it appears some of the younger generation are discovering Cole's music thanks to this CD, helping make him truly unforgettable. Mission accomplished!
Great Mix of Old and New Aug 02, 2009
Anything that introduces Nat "King" Cole to a modern audience is great, I love this record. Some of these should be played on the radio. Lush Life is a stunner and hits the mood of the original. Love it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Unfortunate widening of generation gap... Jul 06, 2009
Dunno exactly what I was expecting; but, I am pretty certain Nat Cole would surely concur, "Yes, forgettable! That's was this was..."
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Relax, all you haters! Jun 29, 2009
Relax, all you haters! As a huge Nat King Cole fan, I'm puzzled by all the concern voiced here about desecrating the music. It's really not that big a deal, it's actually interesting, and gives a few otherwise unmemorable tunes a bit more life. Finally, if this re-imagining actually gets only one teenager out there to buy a real Nat King Cole CD, it's well worth it.
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