CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Temptation

by: Holly Cole

Release Date August 15, 1995
surprized to see no reviews on this cd, so I decided to weigh in for my first review, I'm 45 listen to everything from stranglers to vivaldi. this CD is great, I've had it since '95 and still play it reqularly, the combination of vocals, arrangements and the tom waits lyrics goes great in my low light beer drinking heart of saturday night. not for jumping around the room, slow pace, thoughtful, excellent work, raises the little hairs on my neck still to this day with "is it the crack of the pool-balls" no category captures the scope of this CD - dark smooth folk jazz. check it out.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Holly Cole

by: Holly Cole

Release Date January 22, 2008
I heard Holly Cole for the first time on the local community radio station. I immediately called, got her name, and purchased the CD. The rest of the CD is as good as the song I heard. She's got it going on, but it's in a new way. Hip but classic at the same time. She's become a new favorite. Love it!

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Don't Smoke in Bed

by: Holly Cole Trio

Release Date September 07, 1993
It has taken far too long to write a line or two about this record and Ms. Cole in general. First I heard about her was back in the mid nineties, when I was attending University in Halifax. Dalhousie had a strong cultural vibe and people generally had a good idea about what is good, or at least the folks I mingled with were culturally astute. In spite of hearing favorable words about a certain Holly Cole, it would not be until 1998 that I actually bought her record, in Calgary. I had dabbled with Jazz a bit, but was more involved with the Beatles, Dead, Dylan, Floyd, Who and Stones and the plethora of good music that comes with such taste.

This record was a revelation, an opening to explore other forms of music -Ms. Cole picks some great ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Dark Dear Heart

by: Holly Cole

Release Date October 21, 1997
I bought this CD for "World seems to come and go", which was co-written by Jim White. That song has a signature Jim White feel to it. While the rest of the album is very different from the so called southern gothic genre White is often lumped into, song structures, arrangements, etc. begin to have some similarities to those of Jim White, especially on repeated listens.

Cole veers more toward jazz, and godforbid I use the words, "easy listening", but she also seems to have quite a lot of depth, and there are lots of nuances and different secrets to discover.

I had never heard of Holly Cole till recently, but I understand she's just about a mainstream household name. Don't let either "mainstream" or "household" fool you, because just ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Shade

by: Holly Cole

Release Date June 23, 2003
This is Holly Coles old song cd. Her interpretations are unique, but they grow on you. What is most striking is how well she is recorded here. I have a high resolution audio system, and she is "live" in my room. I love her work and this is among my favorites.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

The Best of Holly Cole

by: Holly Cole

Release Date November 07, 2000
First, I must disagree with the prior reviewer who was "disappointed" and thought Holly Cole produced "muzak". To the contrary. No true jazz fan could be so mistaken. If you listen to the female jazz vocalists through jazz's brief 20th century history, you will find that Holly Cole is among the greats. Her singing abilities are top notch, but what sets her apart are her arrangements. Listen to all the Holly Cole you can, on this cd and others. You'll be hard pressed to find a female jazz vocalist who is as innovative and wonderfully entertaining as she is. I don't have much time or I could go on with song suggestions, but let me just say that her versions of two songs which unfortunately don't appear on this Best of package - "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Blame It on My Youth

by: Holly Cole Trio

Release Date January 28, 1992
This is Holly's 1st major label release and while it has it's drawbacks, you have to give her an "A" for effort and imagination. First she has a great ear for wonderful songs and writers. Lyle Lovett, Tom Waits, Charlie Chaplin.. need I say more. Her approach on this record is more of an eccentric cabaret singer than jazz, but she and her accompanying duo swing on "I Were a Bell". As she has artistically matured, she has gradually abandoned most of the quirky vocal stylings she exhibits on this release, yet you gotta love her adventurous nature. The arrangements are really cool ( "Trust in Me" and Chaplin's "Smile" come to mind) with the exception of her disasterous rendition of Lerner & Loewe's " On the Street Where you Live", where she drops the ball by approaching ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Girl Talk

by: Holly Cole

Release Date January 08, 2007
This was one of the very first tapes I have ever owned. It is still one of my favorites. I love every song. Listening to this started my love of jazz music. I just bought this on CD.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Romantically Helpless

by: Holly Cole

Release Date June 13, 2000
Now don't get me wrong - I love Holly Cole. Having caught her live act and locked much of her catalogue firmly in my CD collection, Holly is always able to take a dose of sultry vamp, add a few comic barbs, a smooth jazzy twist, and make an intoxicating music cocktail. Love, love, love Holly Cole.

BUT something just went wrong with this one.

Having stuck with the jazz format for years, Holly had begun to stray further a field in recent years with Temptation and the simply stellar pop gem, Dear Dark Heart. Having loved her new direction, I couldn't wait to see her take DDH a step further or at least pull it off again.

But with Romantically Hopeless, Holly apparently took over two years to make the record and it shows. Holly's strength has always been ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

It Happened One Night

by: Holly Cole Trio

Release Date October 29, 1996
I got the CD for "Que Sera Sera" and discovered I also liked "Train Song" and quite a bit of the rest of the songs. Holly Cole is an artist I have only recently discovered and very much want to hear more from.