Since all but one of the tracks on
Nat King Cole's 1956 LP
Ballads of the Day were arranged and conducted by
Nelson Riddle, the album might be thought of as a
Cole/
Riddle ballad album on the order of
Sings for Two in Love. But it really should have been called something like "
Nat King Cole's Greatest Hits, 1953-1955," since it is actually a compilation assembled from recent single releases. It boasts two Top 40 hits ("The Sand and the Sea" and "My One Sin [In Life]"), two Top 20s ("Return to Paradise" and "It Happens to Be Me"), and three Top Tens ("A Blossom Fell," "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup," and "Smile"), plus five B-sides. There are some minor efforts, but also some gems, notably a version of the saloon song "Angel Eyes" (the B-side of "Return to Paradise," arranged and conducted by
Billy May). This is not, perhaps, one of the great
Cole/
Riddle album collaborations, but the tracks remain pleasant examples of the lengthy musical partnership between the singer and his most frequent musical facilitator. ~ William Ruhlmann