Nat "King" Cole - The Nat King Cole Story

"...Sonically, this just may be a permanent entry in the global audiophile community's list of 'Best-Ever Sounding LPs'. It certainly belongs there for musical content, too." Sound Quality: 99% out of 100% - Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, May 2011

Analogue Productions' Blue Note and Nat "King" Cole Reissues WIN A Positive Feedback 2010 Brutus Award!
"...if you haven't picked up every one of the Blue Note and Nat King Cole reissues from Chad Kassem and company at Acoustic Sounds, you're really missing out!" - David W. Robinson, Positive Feedback, Issue 52

"The results on this five 45rpm 180g LP set are simply astonishing, particularly if you've heard the originals. The transparency, dynamics and three-dimensionality create the intense sensation of being in the studio with the musicians and especially with Cole who appears as a visceral, floating apparition between the speakers. The size and three-dimensionality of the vocal image produces the sensation of the listener being a 'fly on the microphone mike stand' listening to Cole perform, surrounded by musicians. The arrangements and performances are faithful to the originals but the sound of course is far superior. The feeling is of sitting in on history by being there, not merely eavesdropping after the fact...Given the sonics and the superb packaging, it's easy to say that this box set is worth every penny of its considerable cost. I cannot recommend it more highly." Music = 10/11; Sound = 11/11 - Michael Fremer, Musicangle

"...mastered from the original three-track work tapes is a sonic spectacular that outdoes the original by a wide margin - as does its packaging. The SACD includes three-channel and two-channel mixes. A major reissue." Stereophile Records To Die For - Michael Fremer, Stereophile, February 2010

"I got my Nat King Cole box...not only is the sound AMAZING, the presentation box is so beautiful. It is a piece of art!!! You are doing great things, my friend!!! - Stephen Fish, Acoustic Sounds customer

Additional liner notes by Nat "King" Cole expert Jordan Taylor.

One of Nat "King" Cole's crowning achievements and a fittingly lavish celebration of a cultural and musical icon, The Nat "King" Cole Story offers a glorious overview of the career of one of the greatest and most beloved performers in popular music history. 38 tracks, many re-recorded in stereo for this anthology, offer a selection spanning his popular career.

His beginnings leading the popular jazz-oriented Nat "King" Cole Trio are represented with selections including "Route 66" and "I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)." Hits including "Nature Boy," "Mona Lisa," "Unforgettable," "Orange Colored Sky," "Night Lights" and "Looking Back" are here to represent his unparalleled string of memorable hits as a popular vocalist. "Calypso Blues" and "Ay Cosita Linda" help illustrate the range his projects could cover. More contemporary to this anthology, selections including "Wild Is Love" are augmented here with two huge hits as a special bonus, "Ramblin' Rose" and "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" to further expand the scope.

A talent and voice for all times with a body of work that could and did help define their eras, Nat "King" Cole's career offers some of the finest, most enduring and treasured recordings ever made. Nat "King" Cole could never be fully served by any one set. But this wonderful cornucopia stands as a fantastic celebration for the enthusiast and a good starting point for someone just beginning to explore The Nat "King" Cole Story.

Using the original first generation 2-track and 3-track session tapes from Capitol's vaults and all-analogue systems including custom headstacks, 3-track preview heads, console and monitoring chain installed at AcousTech specially for these releases, mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman realize the stunning beauty of these recordings in this 45-RPM 180-gram five album set.

Originally presented as a deluxe box set of 3 LPs in a canvas-bound embossed box with essays and pictures included in a album-sized booklet, The Nat "King" Cole Story was a prestigious release Capitol took obvious pride in. Complete with 5 LPs, canvas-bound embossed box and booklet with essays and pictures, Analogue Productions proudly recreates the experience for a new generation to cherish with this deluxe release. This truly is a no-expenses-spared project, resulting in the ultimate version of this title and a historic reissue.

There are 38 songs in this collection. Of those, three are the same recordings included on other Analogue Productions Nat "King" Cole reissues. "Stardust" (track 28) is the same version included on Love Is The Thing. "St. Louis Blues" (track 30) is the same version included on the album of that title. And "Paradise" (track 33) is the same version included on The Very Thought Of You. Three more songs - "Sweet Lorraine," "It's Only A Paper Moon" and "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" - are songs that appear on After Midnight, however these versions are stereo re-recordings of the original arrangements from the 1940s.