Search - Natalie Cole :: Snowfall on the Sahara

Natalie's back and she's got a wonderful new album!

07/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Natalie Cole and Diana Ross issue is old; they are two great entertainers who should both be given a whole lot of respect! I have been a Natalie Cole fan for years. She never ceases to amaze me. Natalie's new album, Snowfall On The Sahara, is full of emotion. She uses her voice like a beautiful instrument. I really like the variety of songs that Natalie chose for this album. I especially love the way she sings A Song For You, Snowfall On The Sahara, Reverend Lee, Corinna, Say You Love Me and Gotta Serve Somebody. I highly recommend Snowfall On The Sahara; the album is slammin' and yet it's smooth! You'll be touched by the message Ms. Cole is delivering in song. Enjoy!"

Natalie's "Snowfall" inspires artistic windfall

John Jones | Chicago IL | 11/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Natalie Cole's 1991 project of her father's material, "Unforgettable," was indeed a touching and artistically sound tribute. Then 1993's "Take a Look" proved its predecessor was no fluke and flaunted jazz chops all her own. But by 1996 the nostalgia kick had worn thin; more swing, more strings, and another technology-provided duet with dear old Dad made "Stardust" seem far too familiar. The time was definitely right for Natalie to return to (mostly) pop music, and "Snowfall on the Sahara" ranks as her true crowning moment of artistic glory. Nothing on "Snowfall" feels particularly retro, but the album offers all the elements of a classic record from a 70's singer: impeccable taste in songs, strong arrangements, and a top-notch voice in top form singing the hell out of the material.The title track is one of the smoothest blends of pop and soul radio has been treated to in recent years, and "Say You Love Me" (from "Dreamgirls") ranks as one of Natalie's most seductive ballads ever...intricate production and a unique, sampled exhale make the track just as innovative as it is commercially appealing. Cole also displays some delightfully unexpected musical tastes as she covers Bob Dylan (with a rousing "Gotta Serve Somebody"), Judy Collins (on a stately "Since You Asked") and Taj Mahal (which appropriately kicks off with Natalie saying "Just when you think you know me...think again!" before offering drum samples and bluesy guitar licks). Fans of her jazzier work won't be left out in the cold, however: the Patti Page staple "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming" gets an affectionately sentimental reading, "Everyday I Have the Blues" has a deceptively sunny swing, and "His Eyes, Her Eyes" is a mature and gorgeously-arranged piece of modern jazz. The bluesy "Reverend Lee," a longtime favorite among female singers, proves every bit of Natalie's vocal abilities, but she truly pulls out all the stops on the finale, a soulful, go-for-broke belting of "Stay With Me" that gives new meaning to the phrase "big finish." Bursting at the seams with strong compositions and stellar performances, "Snowfall on the Sahara" came at just the right time for fans who were ready to hear Natalie move on from straight jazz, as well as for pop lovers who needed a dose of maturity amidst the youth-obsessed music world it was bravely released into. A career album in every sense."

NATALIE, NEED I SAY MORE

John Jones | 07/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THE WORD NATALIE DEFINES THE MEANING OF MUSIC. REAL MUSIC THAT IS. ANYONE WITH CLASS AND SOPHISTICATION WILL ENJOY THIS ALBUM. IF YOU ARE A TEENY BOPPER STICK TO THE TEENAGE WANNABE DIVAS AND THE OLD DIVAS WHO ARE STILL TRYING TO BE YOUNG, A LA DIANA.NATALIE SINGS WITH SUCH EMOTION YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR HEART. I LOVE HER INTERPRETATIONS OF SINCE YOU ASKED, CORRINA AND GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY. THE TWO NEW ONES, SNOWFALL ON THE SAHARA AND MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW ARE THE BOMB. OH YEAH, WHY ISN'T SAY YOU LOVE ME BEING PUSHED TO THE MAINSTREAM URBAN MARKET. THIS LADY TAKES THIS SONG TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. SORRY MS. HOLLIDAY.THE CLASSIEST AND MOST VERSATILE FEMALE SINGER OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. WHEN WILL SHE GET HER RESPECT"