Wild Is Love
Nat King Cole · 1960
35 min · 14 tracks · jazz
A smooth blend of jazz and pop, filled with romantic melodies and lush orchestrations that showcase Nat King Cole's velvety voice.
Top tracks — play these first
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Wild Is Love Start here — This title track encapsulates the album's themes of romance and longing, featuring a lush arrangement that highlights Cole's smooth vocal delivery.
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It's a Beautiful Evening — With its charming melody and upbeat tempo, this song exemplifies the joyous spirit of love that pervades the album, making it a standout moment.
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Tell Her in the Morning — This track showcases Cole's storytelling ability, blending heartfelt lyrics with subtle instrumentation that creates an intimate atmosphere.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong melodies and orchestration, with effective pacing but some familiar elements.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features mid-tempo tracks that build a romantic atmosphere, while the second half introduces more varied tempos and arrangements.
- Several tracks incorporate lush orchestral arrangements that complement Cole's vocal delivery, enhancing the emotional impact of the melodies.
- The title track is repeated in a different arrangement as the finale, creating a thematic closure to the album.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady melodic flow throughout
- romantic ambiance for evenings
- short tracks for easy listening
- gentle background for gatherings
- nostalgic vibes of love
Maybe skip if you
- seeking high-energy experiences
- prefer longer immersive albums
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Marked a transition to mainstream pop, solidifying his broader appeal.
- Themes
- romantic longing· charming evenings· intimate storytelling
- Career context
- By 1960, Nat King Cole was transitioning from a celebrated jazz pianist to a mainstream pop icon. 'Wild Is Love' followed his successful album 'Love Is the Thing' and marked a period of immense popularity, demonstrating his ability to crossover into popular music while maintaining jazz sensibilities.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Frank Sinatra· Ella Fitzgerald· Tony Bennett
Tracklist
- 1 Introduction 0:46
- 2 Wild Is Love Start here 2:02
- 3 Hundreds and Thousands of Girls 2:36
- 4 It's a Beautiful Evening 3:15
- 5 Tell Her in the Morning 3:00
- 6 Are You Disenchanted? 3:26
- 7 Pick-Up 2:36
- 8 Beggar for the Blues 3:25
- 9 World of No Return 2:50
- 10 In Love Again 2:48
- 11 Stay With It 2:18
- 12 Wouldn't You Know (Her Name Is Mary) 2:30
- 13 He Who Hesitates 3:17
- 14 Wild Is Love Finale 0:44
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Come Fly with Me
Frank Sinatra
Shares lush orchestrations and romantic storytelling, for intimate evenings.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Combines jazz elegance with heartfelt melodies, echoing themes of love and longing.
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Tony Bennett
Features smooth vocals and nostalgic themes, capturing the essence of romantic charm.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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