This is a Perfect Title for Natalie Cole's 1980 Album since it is her first album of the 1980's while retaining her magic of the 1970's.The Disco side contains Don't Look Back,I'm Getting In To You,and Cole-Blooded.The R&B side contains (I've Seen) Paradise,Hold On,Someone That I Used To Love,and Beautiful Dreamer with the Jazzinest of the Ella Fitzgerald Remake of Stairway To The Stars and the Rock/Gospel tinged Danger(Up Ahead).Unfortunately this Album is not talked about enough and it is Out-Of-Print.

This album, Natalie Cole's 6th studio record and first of a new decade (1980,) would show an evolution of sorts. Firstly, she would sink her chops into an AC power ballad, Michael Masser & Gerry Goffin's gorgeous, "Someone That I Used to Love" and she would do it with such finesse, that one would have expected even more similar musical moments, however, such was not the case and the music as well as the public image began to show signs of incredible wear and tear. However, if one were to look forward, one would see that with the excellent Jazz-inflected re-reading of Ella's "Stairway to the Stars," that greater things would surely be to come and they did. On this album, though, Cole is in a more "Pop" routine with a (fairly) successful crossover attempt via "Someone," which was the first single. This album would precede 1981's disasterous "Happy Love" and THAT's a review in itself. What's good about "Don't Look Back" is that she didn't; she pressed on and tried something new. What's bad about it is that it was poorly sequenced, thus appearing more as a mish-mash of styles than one cohesive package. Sadly, this album would be her first not to go gold and resulted in a decline in sales as well as fanbase and an eventual drop from the label (Capitol) where she enjoyed so much chart success and acclaim for the previous five years. Did she rebound? Yes. Everyone knows that she did. I like to look at this album despite its imperfections as what would prove to be indicative of the major and deserving comeback she would enjoy seven years later with "Everlasting" and more so, "Good To Be Back" in 1989. She's been "Unforgettable" ever since!

Not much better vocal styling than "someone" or anything else on this hard to find release. Personal favorite would have to be "danger up ahead"....rocking!!!! awesome.

I am a NATALIE COLE fanatic. I have al of her albums in both CD and LP form, save for a few. So of course I alredy love the album, but from a non-natlie cole fan, they might be dissapionted. My favorite song is a ballard, entititled "Paradsie" the second track. It reaslly captures Natalie's sooth and refine vocals. The title track "Dont look back" was also another great track with a more R&B/pop type theme. "Cole-Blooded" is a song where natalie tries to dapple in the rock type pop and somewhat suceeds. The cd has good pionts and some non-natalie cole fans would like it but this is not one of her best.