Re:Generations Explained

Re:Generations
Type:remix
Artist:Nat King Cole
Cover:Nat King Cole ReGenerations.jpg
Alt:A red-tinted photo of Nat King Cole singing, superimposed over a picture of a nebula; bottom part of the cover contains "Nat King Cole" text in all caps plain font and "Re:Generations" stylized as a graffiti tag
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Re:Generations is a remix album, consisting of songs by the American singer Nat King Cole, reimagined by contemporary artists. It was released on March 10, 2009, by EMI/Capitol. Executive produced by Cole's daughter Carole Cole and a music director Michaelangelo L'Acqua, the album brought together a diverse range of producers from various genres. Re:Generations received positive reviews from music critics, with some of them praising Nat King Cole's vocal performance that blended well with the modern production.

Recording

Re:Generations was created by Carole Cole, Nat King Cole's daughter, who took the role of an executive producer. Her sons Sage and Harley came up with the idea for the album. After 2 years of discussing the idea, the work on the album started. Cole was joined by an associate producer Mark Van Wye and an executive producer Michaelangelo L'Acqua,[1] who previously worked as a music director for Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, and produced fashion shows for various brands.[2] L'Acqua made a list of producers for the project, who each then received a list of songs to choose from.[3] The producers were given a creative freedom, with the only request from Cole being to keep Nat King Cole's voice central to the track. According to her, the goal of the project was to "musically bridge the so-called generation gap and hopefully create mutual admiration and respect between young people and their parents and grandparents". She believed her father would have been excited about Re:Generations, as he "loved music of all kinds".[4]

Release

Re:Generations was released on March 10, 2009, by EMI/Capitol Records. To celebrate the release of the album labels held a release party at Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles, California, alongside a Nat King Cole-inspired art exhibition.[5] Upon release Re:Generations charted in Billboards Top Contemporary Jazz Albums, where it peaked at number three.

On May 19, two months after the release of Re:Generations, Carole Cole died of lung cancer.[6] [7]

Critical reception

Re:Generations received positive reviews from music critics. John Bush, writing for AllMusic, commended the album's "parade of talented names" who made Nat King Cole's standards "as fluid as water", noting that "crossover fusions" from Re:Generations "will become dated far sooner" than Cole's original recordings. Ben Thompson of The Guardian praised Re:Generations, calling the album "unfeasibly witty and entertaining". HipHopDX applauded the album's producers who kept Nat King Cole's vocals "the star of the track". Will Layman of PopMatters gave the album a positive review, calling Cole's performance a "guiding star" of the album that blends well with the music on it. Robert Christgau commended the album in his "Consumer Guide", praising Nat King Cole who "slips suavely into the beats of the day".

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes and AllMusic.[8] [9]

Musical personnel
Technical personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Murph. John. Nat King Cole: Getting Their Kicks. JazzTimes. 29 May 2023. 25 April 2019.
  2. Peters. Mitchell. 6 Questions With Michaelangelo L'Acqua. Billboard. 29 May 2023. 11 September 2009.
  3. Web site: Paine. Jake. Cut Chemist Remixes Nat King Cole, Talks J5 Reunion. HipHopDX. 29 May 2023. en. 27 February 2009.
  4. Web site: Boucher. Geoff. Nat King Cole is reinterpreted on 'Re: Generations'. Los Angeles Times. 29 May 2023. 17 March 2009.
  5. Web site: Nat King Cole Re:Generations Album Party. Spin. 29 May 2023.
  6. Web site: Natalie Cole gets ready for comeback show. ABC7 New York. 29 May 2023. en.
  7. Web site: Stoynoff. Natasha. Natalie Cole's Sister Dies During Singer's Kidney Transplant. People. 29 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20090601211028/https://people.com/people/article/0,,20280710,00.html. June 1, 2009.
  8. Re:Generations. Nat King Cole. 2009. liner notes. Capitol Records. 509992 08414 23.
  9. Web site: Re: Generations - Nat King Cole Credits. AllMusic. 30 May 2023. en.

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