Amazon.com

Early buzz on The Emancipation of Mimi had it that this would be the disc to mark "the return of the voice"—the voice being that glass-shattering instrument that propelled Carey to best-selling female artist of all time status—and mostly it is. But because of the small army of talent involved in its assembly, it's also way more than that. For straight-ahead, look-out-Beyonce-Mimi's-still-got-it reinforcement, try "Mine Again," a ‘70s-soul cuddle-up, "Circles," a soaring, don't-attempt-this-on-American-Idol love song, the gospel dazzler "Fly Like a Bird," and "Stay the Night." But for songs that steer this disc directly into 2005, no looking back, scan the jewel case for the tracks followed by the word "featuring": "To the Floor," with Nelly, bumps along to maximum booty-shaking effect, while Twista spins his natural-disaster-force vocal into "One and Only." Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, and Jermaine Dupri also pitch in; between them and the highwire vocals, Emancipation works the kind of pure-pop magic that sets us all free. --Tammy La Gorce

More from Mariah

Mariah Carey	Emotions	Music Box
Merry Christmas	# 1's	Glitter

... Read more

Reviews (533)

The Comeback
I love this album, the songs on here are very beautiful, well written and well produced, and there is not a single filler on this CD. This album was very well received by the general public and the singles are doing extremely well on the charts. The single "We Belong Together" became Carey's 16th #1 single which puts her 4 singles ahead of Madonna, who is in second place in terms of greatest number of #1 singles amongst female artists. The album opened its first week with sales of just under 404 000 copies, which is the biggest first week sales of her career, and it's currently still in the top 5. At first, I didn't like the debut single "It's Like That" because it was too hip hop influenced and she was singing things I would expect to hear from Beyonce or Ashanti. But after quite some time, the single grew onto me from frequent radio play and now, I love the song. "We Belong Together" grew on me instantly because it was a typical Mariah Carey ballad. All in all, this is a fantastic album, like Butterfly, and if you have to get one CD this year, get this one cause it is off the charts, literally!

Lovin' Ms. Mimi!
Alright, Mariah's back after an almost 3 year solo haitus, and she's come back with a vengence! It's Like That was a great intro to a great album! We Belong Together gets Mariah her 16th #1, how sweet is that? Then we have the next single & my favorite track, Shake It Off! The track is just so much fun, it's amazing! Mine Again is a wonder ballad! The Neptunes produced tracks Say Somethin' & To The Floor may not be signature Mariah, but they are very catchy. Stay The Night is so emotional, & Kanye did a great job producing it. Get Your Number, the fourth JD produced track, is another catchy song. After all that, the ballad-love songs begin to roll! Your Girl, Circles, & I Wish You Knew may be considered filler, but being that they are back to back, they just seem to fit! Next is Joy Ride, which is aight. Lastly is Fly Like a Bird, which is another beautifully, emotional gospel song. Love the part where she belts "I need the strenth of you to survive" before she hits that extra high note. And for those that even think she's copying anyone else in the industry (Beyonce...) Uh, 1 year of solo hits doesn't compare to 10+, so get real.

What can we say?
What is there to say about a woman that has been around for 15 years through heartache, heartbreak, triumph and pain.This album is slamming. ONE OF HER BEST. I have almost all of her CD's and this is one of the best.Her range alone speaks volume but her ability to write a song, compose it and produce it speaks higher.Many are a good singer but few can write and produce.Her octaves are breath taking and just her confidence in herself is enough. I remember the first day I heard Vision of Love in the early 1990's.I said who is this singing?I have been hooked every since. The songs I love are:We belong together, Circles, It's like that,Say Somethin (with Snoop), To the Floor (Nelly) and for those who need inspiration she ends it with Fly Like a Bird.I am a singer and if my career takes off, this is someone I want to mirror.God bless you Mariah, thanks for sharing your gift of song with us.Thanks to the good Lord above for blessing her with the gift of song.READERS go and buy it.One of the best albums for 2005.Tee

Great Job, Mariah :-)
This album is so refreshing for me. It's been so long since we've all heard Mariah Carey. And I'm excited to report that it was worth the wait. I LOVE her voice and always have. This is the best album of 2005 so far.

1. It's Like That (5/5)
2. We Belong Together (5/5)
3. Shake It Off (4.5/5)
4. Mine Again (5/5)
5. Say Somethin' (4.5/5)
6. Stay The Night (5/5)
7. Get Your Number (3.5/5)
8. One And only (5/5)
9. Circles (4.5/5)
10. Your Girl (4/5)
11. I Wish You Knew (5/5)
12. To The Floor (3.5/5)
13. Joy Ride (5/5)
14. Fly Like A Bird (5/5)

1.3 Million and Counting!!!
Mariah has sold 1.3 million copies of her wonderful album, "The Emancipation of Mimi." She is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her smash hit "We Belong Together." Her 16th #1 to be exact. Mariah is breaking records and defying expectations. She is solidifying her place in history as one of the greatest singers ever. Thanks to great production and songwriting, "The Emancipation of Mimi" will surely stand out as one of her best. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of another great run. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Killers. Interpol. Franz Ferdinand. Without New Order's influence they could have all ended up making albums of country & western ballads. Since the demise of Joy Division in 1980, the British synth-pop quartet has been diligently changing the course of popular music, lobbing unlikely but inventive hits like "Blue Monday" and "True Faith" into the charts. Twenty-five years on, New Order remains shockingly vital. Its eighth proper album overflows with shimmering melodies, anchored by Peter Hook's spine-tingling bass lines and Bernard Sumner's thin but emotive voice in thrilling new songs like "Krafty" and "Dracula's Castle." -- Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Will someone please steal this album from me?
Why the odd title?I drive a little over a half hour (each way) to and from work, and since I bought this album I have listened to it over and over.(I know, dumb eh?)

At first listen I thought "Get Ready" was a far superior album, but I found that the more I listened the more I heard.By far a much more progressive album for New Order, but still classic sounding that fits the fact that "yes, New Order was an 80's band", but this is their new album that is so 21st century.A worthy addition to any collection, whether rock, pop, 80's, or synth.

Refreshing....!!!!!
In am an old Joy Division fan and have followed New Order ever since.When Technique came out in 1989 I could not stop playing it when I was in Brunei of all places.Since then I have had kids, etc. etc. but still love to listen to music.My favorite station is http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/.So when they started playing the new NO some months ago I could not believe my ears and straight away pre-ordered it on www.amazon.com. It took some getting used to but now it is the CD I play most in the car and it brings tons of smiles to my face.The kids may not like it too much but for me it brings back good memories and it is so refreshing to see that old 'rockers' can still bring out a record that surely must be one of the top ten of this year.If you like their record and have not discovered BBC1 go to their website and listen to the live show or the various shows from the previous week which are all accessible on their 'player'.If you pay $12/month here for satellite radio then think again...

Alt-rock icons make us feel like its 1992 all over again.
New Order's history is filled with mournful iciness, sublime electro-disco, seminal Britpop and episodes of portly overblown grandeur. And, depending on what moves them, the band's fans always seem to gravitate toward one of these elements more than the others. To that end, Waiting For The Sirens' Call offers something for everyone: "Turn" has that 1986 college-rockin' jangle that'll make elderly R.E.M. fans tingle. For the synth- and sequencer-damaged among us, there's the electrolytic "Krafty" and the disco workout "Guilt Is A Useless Emotion." Going off on another tangent, "Workin' Overtime" is the band's simultaneous nod to '60s garage rock, the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" and that last Elvis Costello album.

The axis of mystery and implied arrogance that made New Order compelling may be gone, but that's okay; none of us is the same person we were decades ago. As far as right now goes, Waiting For The Siren's Call is a fine distillation of everything New Order have been. And when you've got a passport that's as thick as theirs, it's admirable that they refuse just to walk away from this thing entirely.spin j.p

Definitely not an "instant hit" album!
Waiting for the sirens' call will NOT hook you immediately. It's not that kind of album. There isn't any obvious hits, except Who's Joe, Krafty or Jetstream.
When I played it the first time I was kind of bored. Too many songs didn't hook me, sounded just "ok" and after Get Ready, I was disappointed.
However, days passed and I didn't play the album - didn't want to! And then, when I played it again after a week or so, out of nowhere, I started to like the songs! One by one, they PERFECTLY matched each other - carrying specific mood.

Now I think it's one of their better releases - much better than, for example, Republic and on par with Get Ready (I like that album very much).
It's incredible how this album works! If you like New Order, you'll certainly love this album. Do NOT expect to like it on the first listen! You probably won't - maybe just 3-4 songs!

This album has some ultimate NO gems and classics: Who's Joe?, Waiting for the siren's call, Dracula's Castle, Turn. They are magnificent!

There are no fillers here, excet that I don't like "I told you so" that much - interesting, but not my cup of tea, and "Guilt is a useless emotion" has some kind of generic chorus. That's a shame, considering that the song starts extremely well! Just the chorus isn't that memorable. But great for a summer fun! :)

All in all, a very very solid effort. As the time goes by, I expect that I'll like this album even more. It's THAT kind of a record. So refreshing these days - I'm fed up of instant hits that I get bored with after few weeks/months.

Just another perfect album!
At first listen I did not like Waiting For the Siren's Call as much as New Order's last album Get Ready. This album is just as good as Get Ready. If you want a perfect album from a great band. Pick up Waiting for the Siren's Call and Get Ready, Get Ready was the best album of 2001 in my eyes. WFTSC is going to be in the running this year.

Dear, New Order

Why havn't you toured the US other than a couple of dates. Please come to Pittsburgh.

Yours Truly, Substance ... Read more

Amazon.com

M.I.A.'s debut record is both intensely urban and aggressively modern. The group's sole member, Maya Arul, infuses her blend of hip-hop and chunky electro with raw, tribal overtones and a healthy dose of sex appeal. There are elements of world music here, in Arul's multi-lingual vocal as well as the tonal shifts and instrumentation (like the drone that opens up "Hombre"). Her delivery uses a variety of yelps and tics full of street-wise confidence and bratty energy. But there's also an appealing melodic sense, like early Neneh Cherry or Miss Kitten when she's not in diva-mode. M.I.A. doesn't really sound like anybody; the music is just experimental enough to wiggle out of easy comparisons. The IDM-style bleeps and beeps of "Galang," for example, give an already catchy song extra punch. The only problem with the record, a common flaw for debuts, is a sameness from track to track which robs it of the ability to surprise. Still, Arul is hugely talented and her abundant originality packs a wallop. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Best of 2005
For me this is the record of the year. It combines a unique sound with dramatic vocal pyrotechnics. It jams and blows up at every possible point. It is much better than Ms. Dynamite and other British hiphop records. The first songs have already influenced the music of Gwen Stefani. "Pull Up The People" is just an amazing track. It bubbles and squeaks. "Bucky Done Gun" which is even better follows this. The horn sound is just mind-blowing. Her music is a mix of hiphop, reggae, calypso and pop music. It's become some original hybrid. The album ends with two more great songs: "Sunshowers" and "Galang." This record has all the greatness of Bob Dylan and Lauren Hill. This record will be listened to for years.

URAQT
This is an album that will very quickly move into your regular rotation...that is if you like this type of fusion between dancehall, rap, electronica, tribal etc... I've read some pretty bitter reviews and I just don't understand the acrimony. If it's not for you then just get over it, but I personally think that this is an amazing work of creativity and expression. It's lucky for me that I happened to be living in Germany when I bought this record because my favorite song (URAQT) has been omitted from the US version. I don't understand why people like Lil Kim and Marilyn Manson can have their stuff released in the US but a song about kicking some girls butt for messing with your man is apparantly too taboo. The song is really great, and if you've dealt with a home wrecker then it's even greater, lol. Please try to buy the non-US version, if only for that one song. There are a few weak songs on this album (i could do without Sunshowers and Bingo) however the good ones (Bucky Done Gun, Pull Up The People, $10, Hombre, Fire Fire) more than make up for the duds. Her voice is very eclectic, going from sexy and fun on one track to aggressive and bombastic on another. Kind of reminds me of Bjork in a less evolved way but give her time. M.I.A is definately a new breed in her own right however and her unique style and delivery give her a place all her own. This is music to be listened to in your car at full volume or on a set of head phones also at full volume. It's feel good move your body music interwoven with subtle and not so subtle political messages ('Pull up the people, pull up the poor...') that are irrelevant if all you want to do is jam to some good beats. I support her views for the most part but I can see how they could detract from the music. There's a lot of violent imagery...but her father is a rebel fighter so I'm not surprised. Really though, all of the over hype and eye brow raising surrounding her background is just that. The music speaks for itself. Do yourself a favor and buy this as soon as you can.

Amazing album but there's a track missing!
First read about MIA in an issue of The New Yorker magazine in November 2004.Couldnt wait for the album to appear (scheduled for February 2005).Pre-ordered from Amazon USA.Strange delays, then order cancelled. Re-ordered and received a copy in April 2005.Amazing music but there are only 12 tracks.Heard the missing track "URAQT" in Gaslight Records, Melbourne, Australia - it is an amazing track - very strong lyrics and very bad harmonica.Why the censorship?Land-of-the-free-and home-of-the-brave?I think not!XL Recordings USA and Amazon USA, you are pretty lame.Fellow lovers of good music... if you want the un-expurgated edition (13 tracks) of this album, order it from Amazon UK or Shock Records Australia.Can the rest of us get a refund?

At least she's hotter than hell ;)
Galang is the strongest track here and I'd agree with many that it is no musical revolution. I enjoy it due to the fact it's a WORLD disc and I like World music alot. It's definitely different and I had seen the video for GALANG on the IMF Satellite channel. She's hotter than hell in my opinion so I'll give her a break. ;)

And with those criticizing Revolution, America was created on a violent Revolution so I have no idea what they're talking about. When you live under brutal oppression you revolt which none of us in America understand anymore. Thank God we don't have to revolt here like others but people need to study what goes on in certain areas of the globe.

Sometimes simple beats are good and this is better than alot of the major Rap trash here without any meaning at all.

M.I.A. announces her arrival. Moving around is compulsory
A DJ aquaintance of mine told me that 'Arular' always got the crowd up and dancing, and in a way, I can see why. Central to this electronic beatfest is M.I.A's sassy vocals, falling somewhere in between Madonna and Lene Lovich (the Neneh Cherry comparison is pretty good) all within the framework of hip-hop rhyming. There's really no need to over-analyze the music, which is basically infectious stripped-down beats, eg, LCD Soundsystem, pulsating, raw and tribal, almost hailing back to the crushing barebones approach of early hip-hop, eg, Grandmaster Flash. Also thrown into the mix is a subtle yet ecclectic fusion of analog flash, dancehall, and world music. But basically the appeal of 'Arular' stems from the charm and sexuality of M.I.A's vocals, orgasmic shrieks and brassy chants, a female touch when one expects male vocals to compliment the rhythmic thunder. Here she is now, let M.I.A. entertain you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Named after the French word for the rustle of silk, Frou Frou's debutalbum exudes cool, stylish elegance. SingerImogene Heap's soft,whispery vocals intone dreamy lyrics of doomed romances and slow recoveries. Thesongs are penned by Heap and her partner, producer Guy Sigsworth(Björk,Madonna), who manned theboard on Heap's 1998 solo albumI Megaphone. Even themightyBrian Eno gets into theact, with a cowriting credit on the soul-bearing "Hear Me Out." In fact, all 11tracks deal with love and fractured relationships, hauntingly beautiful both intheir stark emotional content and the equally sparse arrangements that showcaseHeap's ethereal voice, which she uses as a subtle weapon, much likeJoni Mitchell circa1970's Ladies of theCanyon, with the same heart-stopping yet effortless octave leaps.--Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Easily the most elegant piece of music of 2002
Every pop fan who searches for a more mature , substancial listening than the commercial teen pop stars of our time should definitely put Frou Frou's " Details " on the top of his buying list . Guy Sigsworth's and Imogen Heap's first offering as a group is a smooth , stress-less pop gem which flirts with electronica .

Almost every track of this album has what it takes to be released as a cd-single . The orchestrations and the perfect harmony of the melodies combined with the ethereal vocals and full-of-confidence presence of Heap resulted in a beautifully-crafted record which one can use as a background to a party as well as a soundtrack for his soul searching moments . Stand out tracks incude " Flicks " , " Breathe In " and " Must Be Dreaming " while they exceptional " Only Got One " is mysteriously missing from the tracklist of their first major studio effort yet at least is available for you to downloaded it on the internet .

In my humble opinion , Frou Frou are one of the most interesting new bands around and their debut album , without doubt one of last year's best releases . They simply open their hearts and minds and create beautiful music .

Very Nice...
With a beat selection definitely paralleling Beth Orton's and Esthero's musical landscapes, paired with Sarah McLachlan's peaceful lyrical inflection and Tori Amos' rousing vocality, you find Frou Frou and vocalist Imogen Heap.

Songs such as "Maddening Shroud", "Hear Me Out", "Only Got One", and "Breathe In" just call for a Beth Orton cameo guest vocal appearance. "Hear Me Out" even has a little bit of Leona Naess' quaint sophistication embedded in it.

"Psychobabble" and "Let Go" again reveal a Beth Orton-esque sensibility, but also introduce a Tori Amos like fascination, with churning electronic pulses (like some songs from Tori Amos' 'To Venus and Back' album). "Let Go" even comes across a little Bjork-ish while retaining its reference to a Tori Amos song like "Concertina", while "Psychobabble" somewhat holds Tori Amos' song, "Bliss", as reference.

"Shh" sounds like it could be the next installment of Sarah McLachlan's "Sweet Surrender". "Must Be Dreaming" is totally Sarah McLachlan territory. You'd sware that Sarah McLachlan is somewhere floating around in the background. Even some of Heap's vocals greatly come close to McLachlan's style here (think of the 'Touch' and 'Surfacing' blend era McLachlan).

Interestingly, "It's Good To Be In Love" reminds me of some of the sounds Stretch Princess achieves on their first album.

With all these artistic comparisons, it also does become apparent that Frou Frou and Heap are putting forth their own visions as well. Some detractors might argue that Frou Frou is merely ripping off these various influences mentioned above, but I beg to differ. If Frou Frou's music relevancy stays intact, then they should be around for a while, releasing some great music, and having timeless and lasting careers like Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan; something not too many artists achieve nowadays. 'Details' is an obvious nomination for album of the year.

Worth Buying Album
I tracked down this album after hearing the song Let Go in a preview for a movie. Let Go, the first track, sets a pretty good example of what else you'll be getting from the album. Great electronica-pop album. The only downside: 2 or 3 songs sound a little like the top ten radio countdowns.

Buy this CD, it's fantastic!!!
The combination of Imogen Heap & Guy Sigsworth makes for the best CD of the decade. Heap's vocals are beyond description (despite many reviewers attempts to compare her to the those 90's queens) she is truly unique. Sigsworth is a producer/writer/genius, It's hard to believe that Sigsworth past work was with Madonna on some of her latter trash (I guess that you have to start somewhere. I'm not knocking Madonna, she had her time, but her music over the past 10 years has been completely void of anything interesting). I would recommend buying Heap's solo project as well (much more rock & roll and a little difficult to fall in-love with, but you will). The only disappointment with this CD is that there is no way that this duo can follow up this CD. I fear that they set the bar too high and will only go down from here.

excellent cd
I have just recently heard this cd and I love it.I heard it at a friends house and I listened to it over and over again.I have purchased it and its an excellent cd.The songs are all great,I love the tune and the soft music.Its a really nice cd and you should definetley buy this.I dont have one favorite song all of them are fun and great songs. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Anyone looking for the key to Abba's enduring appeal should look no further than "Voulez Vous" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for their answer. There was an innocence to the Swedish quartet, even when they were singing about one-night stands and the invitations to them. Gold establishes that the band, while appreciated as campy, were actually multifaceted in their execution. "S.O.S." has a raw urgency in its chorus, and "Does Your Mother Know" draws its energy from classic '50s rock & roll. Likewise, you don't have to be Priscilla to swoon over "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen." And when it comes to drama, those soaring vocals on "The Winner Takes It All" turn the song into a bitter anthem of every relationship that has ever fallen apart. The much-covered "Lay All Your Love on Me" is practically epic. --Steve Gdula ... Read more

Reviews (185)

PURE GOLD!
There are three words I can say after listening to this album all the way through: wow, WoW and WOW!!! I must admit, I originally thought ABBA was one or two hit wonder because all I've ever heard from them was the ever-popular "Dancing Queen." (However after listening to it I found myself asking "They sang that?! I had no idea!") I enjoyed "Dancing Queen" enough that my sister bought this wonderful album for me as a Christmas present. At first I was a little hesistant to listen to the other tracks but I decided to do so anyway. And boy, was I impressed!! This is one of the few, exclusive albums that I can listen to all the way through. It's just *that* good.

Even in the 2000's ABBA's legacy lives on. Their music can be tolerated even in today's pop music world. Take the group A*teens for example. Isn't it great that you hear children singing songs such as "Take A Chance On Me" and "Mama Mia"? Yeah maybe they aren't the best singers but the fact remains: ABBA still get recognized even today, decades later. Currently, the Broadway musical "Mama, Mia!" is a hit. With a musical based on ABBA's greatest hits, why wouldn't it be? "Mama Mia!" was written by Benny and Bjork (The two male singers/songwriters of ABBA) as well as the often produced musical, "Chess."

My favorite songs on the album are as follows:
"Take A Chance On Me", "Super Trouper", "Chiquitita", "Voulez Vous", "Does Your Mother Know", "One Of Us", "The Name of the Game" and "Thank You For The Music."
Don't worry, there are more songs on the album then this, all of great merit. I had a hard time myself thinking up which ones were my absolute favorites, and in time they may change as well. All of the songs on this album are up-beat and make you just feel happy inside. The rhythm just makes ya wanna get up and dance (Especially "Dancing Queen"). Yeah, some maybe a little 70's like ("Lay All Your Love On Me") but the fact still remains: ABBA is here to stay!! Reccomended to *anyone*...even if only hearing their song "Dancing Queen."

This Is Pure Gold
The title says it all. Gold - Greatest Hits and every one of the hits included on this album are of the highest standard.

One of the top bands of the 70's and writers of timeless quality songs, Abba's music will surely never die and is currently being boosted further by the tribute band The A Teens which is bringing Abba's music to a new generation of listeners.

Every song included here is great and must be if nine of them topped the UK singles chart during the 70's and early 80's. As well as the number ones there are 10 other great tracks that will no doubt ring a bell to anyone dancing in the 70's. From the major hits Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Mamma Mia and the Eurovision Winner Waterloo to lesser known but still as good hits Does Your Mother Know, I Have A Dream and Voulez Vous this CD is sure to please.

My personal favourites are some of Abba's later hits. One Of Us is a beautiful and touching ballad, Lay All Your Love On Me is a stomping disco classic and Chiquitita which is my all time favourite Abba song as i feel it has everything required by a great pop song.

Whether you are young or old, male or female you are sure to enjoy this compilation of some of the finest music of the 70's.

Abba Gold rocks my socks
As i listened to this cd, i realize that i know every single word to every single song. this cd is amazing in that the best songs arent just in the beginning, they are all throughout the cd. the cd starts with the huge hit Dancing Queen and ends with Waterloo. Waterloo was the song that made abba famous when abba won a competition with it and released a record "Waterloo" using the song as the theme song. Throughout the years, movies have used abba songs because they're funny and fun to listen to. In johnny english, does your mother know is one of the main jokes used throughout the movie. some of the most popular songs on this cd are mamma mia, dancing queen, does your mother know, thank you for the music, take a chance on me, and Voulez vous. this cd is truly gold

ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits
Abba is one the greatest rock bands of all time. They are up their with greats such as Depeche Mode, Beatles, Bee Gees and The Rolling Stones. The lyrics are very well written, the music is amazing and they have unfairly been called stupid disco music when it is in deed sublime. Highly Recommended.

A Timeless Collection of Classic Hits
This disc has all of the essential ABBA classics. From the ever-popular "Dancing Queen" to the melodic "Fernando", this CD contains something for every ABBA fan, either the casual or the strong follower. Formed in the early 1970's, ABBA quickly took Europe by storm, but they had some problems establishing themselves in the United States. But with each successive album, ABBA began to develop a very distinct sound that lured listeners in and they quickly began to establish themselves as one of the first successful "prog rock" groups.

This fine CD contains all of the songs that people associate with the group. "Dancing Queen" was their most successful single, and it appropriately leads off the disc. And the classics keep coming with "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take A Chance On Me", "S.O.S.", "Chiquita", "Fernando", and "Waterloo". Also included is "Does Your Mother Know", the only song where Benny and Bjorn sing lead vocals.

ABBA's trademark throughout the years has always been strong vocals and melodic insturmentals, and each of these qualities is readily evident on this CD. Frida and Agnetha shine on lead vocals, while Benny's and Bjorn's insturmentals and backing vocals give life to each song. I highly recommend this CD. If you are a casual ABBA fan such as myself, you'll get all of the essential tracks on one CD, but more loyal fans will enjoy it as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Don't look for a richly illustrated, critical essay-packed hagiography with this 40-track, double-disc overview of the Bee Gees recording career. In typical, telling fashion, the Brothers Gibb have eschewed such exercises in ego inflation and simply let the best of their remarkable body of music speak for itself. Through it all, their familiar voices lock together in the sort of transcendent, seemingly genetic harmony that few singers since the Everly Brothers (early Gibb inspirations) have managed. Beginning with the plaintive 1966 hit "New York Mining Disaster 1941," this set traces the Gibbs' journey from successful Beatles-era balladeers to '70s white R&B gods and the undisputed kings of disco (we're reminded here that their shrewd metamorphosis began with "Nights on Broadway" and "Jive Talkin'"--long before the mega-success of "Saturday Night Fever"). But even as that dance craze faded, again threatening to turn the Bee Gees into pop anachronisms, the Gibbs simply stepped out of the limelight for a while, turning their talents to MOR hit-making for the likes of Samantha Sang, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick. Those hits ("Emotion," "Heartbreaker," "Islands in the Stream") are featured here in modern rerecordings by the band, along with the Streisand-Barry Gibb duet, "Guilty." And if the Gibbs haven't had much of an American chart presence in recent years, they remain superstars throughout the rest of the world, a richly crafted pop music presence that simply won't be denied. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (130)

That is just OK ! (6.5 / 10points)
I have been a big fan of Bee Gees for a long time. To my honest, I do not like the sounds of this CD. I have a feeling it seems NOT to be stereo sounds at most of the songs. I wondered why did Gibbs brothers really forget many their great songs as: Edge of the universe, Someone belongs to someone, Wedding day, Come on over, Shine shine, Woman in you...
Every CD of Bee Gees always has: Jive Talking, New York mining disaster 1941, Holiday, Lonely days, To love somebody, I've gotta get a message to you, Run to me, How can you mend a broken heart, Nights on Broadway... They are good but they were repeated many times, so they got bored. The producers of Bee Gees lack of creation and selection to make a better CD for audiences.
Now, regarding to some particular songs in this CD.
"Island in the stream": Barry Gibb is better than Robin Gibb at this particular one. If you heard this song in CD title "One night only", you will agree with me Barry performed it better.

"Immortality": Barry Gibb really FAILED to perform this song. I really like Celine Dion singing this song. The reason Barry failed is his high voice was not suitable for that. He himself break that such beautiful song! I grade Barry for this song 4 points/10 points.

Timeless and Incomparable Gibbs!
This new package covering 35 plus years spotlights some of the best pop music ever recorded. For anyone who ever thought that the Bee Gees were just about "disco", here's the evidence that smokes that argument!

From the early 60's gems to the latter day classics, this compilation illustrates why the Bee Gees are one of the most important groups in popular music.. Tight harmonies, superb melodies,touching lyrics, and excellent production values...the Bee Gees are masters of their domain. If you are a collector, you probably have most of the hitscontained in these discs..but this collection is worth the price just to have recordings of the Bee Gees doing versions of songs they originally penned for other artists.

The sound quality is great, but I wish they would have included more liner notes...maybe some factoids or artist thoughts..This collection is still a superb way to spend a couple of hours!

More Tales From The Brothers Gibb
From their Beatles - like hits int the 1960s' to their 70s' heyday right up until today, The Bee Gees have remained vibrant forces in the music industry as writers, artists and producers. Although no longer together as an act (due to the untimely passing of Maurice Gibb last years), they still remain legends.

2001'S "The Bee Gees - Their Greatest Hits - For The Record" is a sort of a cheap way to obtain the great hits alread released n the boxed set, but that doesn't make it any less of a fantastic album. These disc encapsule what American pop music should be.

Disc 1 begins with their hits between 1967 and 1968. During this time they were written off assecond - rate Beatles clone. I disagree with this statement, because at this time, as The Beatles were making complex albums like "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the three Austrailian brothers were cutting simple, enjoyable (not The Beatles' music wasn't) love songs during this time, such as "To Love Somebody", "Words", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" and my personal favorite, the whistful, sad "I Started A Joke". Though thye remained cold throught the rest of the 1960s' and into the 1970s' - made offical by Robin's departure - the material they recorded during this time is among their best - "First Of May", "Don't Forget To Remember", "First Of May", "Saved By The Bell" (from Robin's solo album).

The 1970s' begin with the eerie singalong "Lonely Days". This song, their first top 3 American hit, is unlike anything they had done up to that point, though the lead singer (I think Barry), sounds an awful lot like John Lennon). Then came their first number one hit, the haunting ballad "How Can You Mind A Broken Heart". Originially offered to Andy Williams, he passed and The Bee Gees turned it into one of their finest recordings. "Run To Me" ws another lovely ballad and a big hit for the group, but soon they hit it bigger than ever with 1975's classic "Main Course". Thye resuced their career with that album plus three hit singles: the funky number one smash "Jive Talkin'", the pulsating "Nights On Broadway" and the warm "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)". The Bee Gees were all of a sudden superstars after 8 years of struggle. 1976's "Children Of The World" yielded another number one smash, the thrilling "You Should Be Dancing", as well as the powerful ballad "Love So Right".

Disc 2 begins with their heyday. This time period (1977 - 79) was then they hit their peak of popularity. First there are the three number one smashes from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack: the smooth ballad "How Deep Is Your Love", the exhillrating "Stayin' Alive" (probably their signature song) and the funky "Night Fever" (this song was probably their biggest hit, as it spent 8 weeks at number one). Next comes the three number one hits from "Spirits Having Flown": the haunting "Too Much Heaven", the electrifying "Tragedy", and the funk - injected ballad "Love Inside Out". With these songs, The Bee Gees became the first artists since The Beatles to have six consecutive number one hits. Also included is "More Than A Woman", a hit for Tavares, and a new recording of "Emotion", a hit single they wrote for Samantha Sang, who scored her only hit with the song.

The 1980s' begin with the only non - Bee Gees song. "Guilty" was the hit duet between Barry and Barbra Streisand, and a lovely song at that. Next comes "Heartbeaker" and "Islands In The Streams". These are new recordings of old hits they produced for other artsist in the 1980s', during their third artistic slump. The former was a top 10 comeback hit for Dionne Warwicke, while the latter was a number one duet for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. "Heartbreaker" is done well, but the Gibbs version of "Islands In The Stream" is too modernized, as it includes portions of "Ghetto Supastar", the rap version of the song.

1987's "You Win Again" is a great unknown song. "One" was their 1989 top 10 comeback hit. In the 1990s', they kept a low profile, though still releasing albums, and scoring a top 30 hit with "Alone". Closing the set is an old 1966 number, the somber romp "Spicks And Specks".

Though is a great sets, there are plent of singles missing. There are to many to list here, so I'll just name a few that I would hav liked to have seen myself:

"Jumbo" (number 57)
"My World" (number 16)
"Boogie Child" (number 12)
"Edge Of The Universe" (number 26)
"He's A Liar" (number 30)
"The Woman In You" (number 24)
"Still Waters (Run Deep)" (number 57)

But those singles are not well - known and there absence is not noted. This a great 2 - disc Bee Gees set that I highly recommend, as well as their boxed set "Tales From The Brothers Gibb" and the live album "2 Nights Live", plus their studio albums and the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever". Buy them as soon as possible.

Awesome!
I got this as a gift and was not a huge Bee Gees fan save for those moments when I felt "retro" and had to hear "Stayin Alive" and their other disco hits. Well I was pleasantly surprised when I put this album on and just decided to listen all the way through. I had no idea the Bee Gees had so many fantastic songs, (Like "Holiday" for instance). "Nights On Broadway", although I'd heard it before, is now one of my favorite songs of all time. I wish they'd have put the original version of "Emotion" on here as opposed to the updated version but that is a small complaint for a 2 CD set filled with tons of great music.

Great Collection
Since 1967, The Bee Gees have been a constant hitmaking force as writers and producers. They reached their peak in 1978 - 79 with a string of dance classics that made them one of the most successful artists of all time. By the 1980s', they were considered hasbeens, so they turned to writing hits for big artists of the day. By the 1990s', they resurfaced with new material and worked dilligently until the death of Maurice last year.

Disc 1 starts in 1967. This was the year The Bee Gees hit big. They scored with 5 consecuitve top 20 hits, including "New York Mining Disaster 1941", "To Love Somebody" and "Words". They were written off by fickle critics as Beatles clones, but that didn't stop them. In 1968, they made the top 10 for the first time with "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" and "I Started A Joke". But soon, they hit a slump that took a while to get out of. They reemerged in 1971 with the "2 Years On" album, which yielded the single "Lonely Days". The song was their biggest American hit yet, going to number 3. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" followed, and it topped the charts for 4 weeks beginning on August 4, 1971. "Run To Me" made the top 20, but once again their career soon hit the skids. In 1975, they began work on the "Main Course" album. The first single was the discofied "Jive Talkin'", which went to number 1. "Nights On Broadway" was next, and it peaked at 7. "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love" went to number 12, giving them a hat trick of hit singles. The "Children Of The World" album was next. Its first single was the dance classic "You Should Be Dancing", which became their third charttoper. "Love So Right" came next and went to 3.

Disc 1 begins in 1977. That year, the group was asked to record some songs for the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. The first single from the film was the pretty ballad "How Deep Is Your Love". The song went to all the way to number 1 and stayed there for 3 weeks. It stayed in the top 10 for 17 weeks. "Staying Alive" came next", and climbed to number 1 and stayed there for another 4 weeks. "Night Fever" followed, and was their biggest hit ever, staying at number 1 for 8 weeks. To show how successful they were during this period, at one point, all 3 of these songs were in the top 10 simultaneously. After the 25, 000, 000 - selling soundtrack, they released the "Spirits Having Flown" album. It yielded 3 more number 1 singles: "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy" and "Love You Inside Out". With these 3 hits, they became the first artist since The Beatles to have 6 number 1 hits in a row. It also marked the end of the hitmaking era. By 1980, their career had yet again gone stale. They decided it was time to write songs for other artists. They penned hits for Dionne Warwicke ("Heartbreaker"), Jimmy Ruffin ("Hold On To My Love"), Barbara Streisand ("Guilty"), Diana Ross ("Chain Reaction"), Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (the platinum - selling duet "Islands In The Stream"). By the late 1980s', they resurfaced, and scored a top 10 hit with "One". They continued to perform together until Maurice died last year, thus ending one of the most enduring partnerships in music history.

Overall, it's a great collections. I have one small complaint. I wish they would've left off the recordings of their hits for other artists and replaced them with a few other singles like "Boogie Child", "Living Eyes", "Someone Belonging To Someone", Robin's version of The Beatles classic "Oh Darling", "The Woman In You", "He's A Liar" and Robin's German number 1 hit "Juliette". Otherwise, it's a stunning collection of hit singles. ... Read more

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Early buzz on The Emancipation of Mimi had it that this would be the disc to mark "the return of the voice"—the voice being that glass-shattering instrument that propelled Carey to best-selling female artist of all time status—and mostly it is. But because of the small army of talent involved in its assembly, it's also way more than that. For straight-ahead, look-out-Beyonce-Mimi's-still-got-it reinforcement, try "Mine Again," a ‘70s-soul cuddle-up, "Circles," a soaring, don't-attempt-this-on-American-Idol love song, the gospel dazzler "Fly Like a Bird," and "Stay the Night." But for songs that steer this disc directly into 2005, no looking back, scan the jewel case for the tracks followed by the word "featuring": "To the Floor," with Nelly, bumps along to maximum booty-shaking effect, while Twista spins his natural-disaster-force vocal into "One and Only." Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, and Jermaine Dupri also pitch in; between them and the highwire vocals, Emancipation works the kind of pure-pop magic that sets us all free. --Tammy La Gorce—this text refers to the standard edition.

More from Mariah

Mariah Carey	Emotions	Music Box
Merry Christmas	# 1's	Glitter

... Read more

Reviews (98)

This abum is whats up!....For real
Dont listen to all those negative reviews these haters are throwing out there.EMANCIPATION OF MIMI IS AMAZING!!.Dont burn it, buy it.I guarantee you will fall in love with it.Mariah is taking it back.Just when you thought she fell off.. BAM!.. she drops this album.I love all of the songs, especially the ballads, "Mine Again", "Circles", "I wish you knew"...etc.This is the type of album where you can related to every song.She is saying what you are feeling. Honestly, this is one album that I never get tired of listening to over and over again.

Mariah's return
Mariah Carey is back with a new album. It is safe to say it's better than her 2002 album CHARMBRACELET. I like the ballads a lot on this disc, including "Joyride", "Stay The Night", "Circles", "Mine Again", "I Wish You Knew", "We Belong Together", etc. The uptempo songs are good too including "It's Like That", "Shake It Off", "Get Your Number" etc. Overall a solid album from Ms. Carey.

She's Back To Doing Her Thing!
Finally, she's back.Mariah Carey's return to form is definitely welcomed, especially after horrible albums like Glitter, Rainbow, and Charmbracelet and her equally terrible movie Glitter.It's a relief when a legendary voice and talent like Diva Mariah Carey gets things going the right way.To help her on her path she enlisted top songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri, as well as Babyface, Kayne West, The Neptunes, James Poyser and the Legendary Traxter ( yes THAT guy from the Twista cd's) as well as producing and writing some of the songs herself.She also gets help from popular rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Twista, and Nelly although they all take a backseat to Mariah's powerful voice.Mariah turns in arguably her best vocal performance of her career.Simply beautiful.The Ballads are sung with incredible passion and skill and the up tempo songs are done excellently.My favorite songs include the two lead singles It's Like That and We Belong Together, as well as Mine Again, One & Only, Circles, I Wish YOu Knew, Joy Ride, and Fly Like A Bird ( which is the best song on the album).The songwriting is often top notch and the production is spot on point.The Vocals, as said before are complete greatness.Her voice is so unique, angelic powerful, inimitable...whatever adjective you can think of that's good.Mariah Carey deserves all the recognition she gets because this is surely a great comeback album and classic for all ages.Congratulations to Mariah Carey for making arguably the best album of the year and arguably the best album of her career.Masterpiece.

0 Stars...
Mariah has lost it. She doesnt sound like she used to. All the high notes and overshouting has taken a toll on her, even further proving my theory that she wasnt formally trained as a vocalist before being signed (Christina Aguilera anyone?). We Belong Together is tolerable, but it wouldve sounded better if she sang it 10 years ago, when her voice was fresh and soulful. CHARMBRACELET had a good song on it (Through The Rain). The last good album she had was BUTTERFLY. Sorry but I just cant purchase Mariah albums anymore after this. I cant believe this album was a sucess. Her last one wasnt and deservedly so. Why is this doing so well? She overshouts everything and it gets annoying to the ears if you put the volume on at even a NORMAL LEVEL! You have to put the volume on low to drown out the shouting. There is nothing new or fresh on this album. Another reviewer was right--it sounds like RAINBOW and CHARMBRACELET b-sides. her lower range still sounds ok because she never used it much (and should have). If you want to waste your money, go ahead. Otherwise just buy We Belong Together on the internet.

Looooooove this album & MC.
GRAMMY MATERIAL!!!!!
There is no other like Mariah. It's like listening to an Angel sing. Her voice is unique from all the other power house female vocalists. It's powerful but at the same time has an innocence, softness, clarity, beauty, and tranquil quality that is so completely mesmerizing. She is unparalleled. This is why no contestant on AI has ever attempted to sing one of her songs. Mariah is simply untouchable. She is an amazing talent that can sing, but can also write & produce her own songs and has done so from the start of her career. She debuted at #1 her 1st week on billboard. As for all the haters.... screw'em....it's not worth wasting my time. I just skip over their reviews, because obviously they need hearing aids. First, I think this is the best album of her career. It's hard to decifer because I love them all, but MC has really hit the jackpot with this one. It's a real work of art that offers an assortment of beautiful ballads and addictive dance/club/R&B tracks. Her next single should be either "Mine Again", "Get Your Number", or "Stay the Night". As always her genuine & sincere lyrics are well written, mature, articulate, and conveyed with pure emotion. I also love the angel-like look of the cd cover. She looks absolutely beautiful. As I previously mentioned, I have alot of respect for Mariah because she is the only superstar songstress that utilizes every aspect of her talent in writing and producing her songs (w/ the exception of Christina[Stripped] who is beginning to). This cd is magnificent. GO BUY THE CD & LETS CONTINUE THE #1 REIGN ON THE CHARTS. GO OUT & GET IT NOW!!!!! YOU WILL LOOOOOOOOVE IT.....I'M BACK.... SHE HAS SLIPPED TO #2 ON THE BILLBOARD THE 2ND WEEK, WHICH IS STILL RESPECTFUL.... BUT WE NEED TO HELP HER REBOUND BACK TO # 1.....PASS THE WORD....WE HAVE TO SUPPORT HER.... ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

It's the most complete single-disc collection of EWF chart rockers, and Greatest Hits' splendid remastering makes one of the major exponents of '70s funk positivity sound sparkling. From the driving "Shining Star" to the syncopated mastery of "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" to the slow-jam heaven of "After the Love Is Gone," this is a reminder of what made the group so special. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Great EWF Compilation!
Like another reviewer has posted, EWF's Greatest Hits is just that...all their hits in one cohesive cd.

This set is great for people who are re-discovering EWF like myself - who really only heard their popular hits on the radio, but never bothered to buy a single EWF CD/Album.

What is neat about this set when I bought it is that with some of the titles, I never knew... until I heard the song and said..."oh I know this one!... "didn't know they did this song"!

It ended up I knew about 12 of the 17 track on here already, which was great!

Bottom line: Great funky tunes, R&B classics, as well as nice soulful ballads. That's what EWF is and will always be... a shining star.

Get it!

EWF Greatest Hits Collection Shining Bright To See
Mid-1970s black music seemed dominated either by fun, mindless party jams like "Jungle Boogie" and "Skin Tight," or dour warnings like "Future Shock" and "Living For The City." Stevie Wonder sang his share of life-affirming music but Earth, Wind & Fire, here with a definitive one-disc greatest hits, made such positive strength the heart of their musical identity.

Some of the era's most needed, heeded messages ran deep and sweet atop Verdine White's bass grooves (front and center on "Getaway"), brother and leader Maurice's drum and percussion tracks honed over years with Chess Records' rhythm section ("Saturday Nite," "Kalimba Story," 1977's dazzling "Serpentine Fire"), Louis Satterfield's horn section scrambling through jazz-rock mazes every track (becoming a 80s rock stalwart backing Phil Collins), and Phillip Bailey's high, clear falsetto on "After The Love Has Gone," the prom dance standard "Reasons," the soaring chorus of "September," and the elegant "Fantasy" which, with "Serpentine Fire," gave R&B one of its best 1-2 LP opening tracks. (It's restored to album length here, with Larry Dunn's superb keyboard intros, after being edited on two previous best-ofs).

Messages like "You're a shining star...shining bright to see what you can truly be," "If you sing a song today, you will make a better way," "Try to resist all the hurt that's all around ya..." moved feet and hearts, misinterpreted by spiritual seekers and hedonists alike in the "Me" decade's last discofied days. The Whites understood disco's falsity: "Morning deals a bad hand to a woman who has made too many bets," Maurice sings on 1979's galloping disco smash "Boogie Wonderland," adding, "You dance and shake the hurt." But by early 1982, needing a hit after a slow-selling double-LP the year before, EWF gave in to the dance grooves and party-down lyrics of "Let's Groove," their last Top 5 hit.

Despite a generous 18 tracks (and an excellent geneology of the group by Kevin Goins), longtime fans will miss "In The Stone," "Fall In Love With Me," "Head To The Sky," "Let Me Talk," and others. These are found on 1995's "Eternal Dance" box, the "Elements of Love" ballads collection, or two previous best-ofs. This "Greatest Hits" packs their best-known pop songs into an exceptionally sounding disc (thanks to Mark Wilder's remastering), providing an essential introduction to one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's most surprising, satisfying member groups.

best CD of all time
If I could give this CD more than 5 stars I would. I'm 23 and my mom (43) and grandma (63) were on a road trip listening to the CD. All of us LOVED it. This is the greatest CD of all time.

Lovin' It!!!
I am in the sixth grade and I LOVE this CD! (In fact, I'm listening to it as I write this!) For school, we had to bring in CDs that people don't listen to now (2004) and I brought in this CD. EVERYONE in the class loved it, including myself and my teacher, who remembered it, and loved it, both when she was a kid and now! She was even singing along to "Let's Groove"! :) Kids asked me what the songs were called, who sings them, etc. and we all love it! It's great music to sing along to and dance to and, as one kid in my class put it, "You can just picture all these guys with afros in bell-bottoms singing it into the microphones! :)" Lately, instead of popping in Black Eyed Peas or Now 15 (which are both great modern-day music CDs...thumbs up to them, too!) in my portable CD player, boom box, or parents' cars, I've been listening to Earth Wind & Fire! I love disco music and, for me, disco never died and never will! If you love disco, too, you HAVE to get this CD and listen to it! Enjoy! :)
P.S. I recommend "Shining Star", "September", "Got to Get You Into My Life", "Fantasy", and "Let's Groove" as the Top 5 songs on the CD!

la-la-LOVE IT!
So I'm you're average high school student who's in love with Earth, Wind and Fire [kudos to my parentals]. I just have to say that this is by far the best cd I have in my collection. It has the perfect mix of songs to dance to, sing to, get intimate to, and just to feel good to. Thank you Earth, Wind & Fire. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Some thought it would never happen, but after solo successes and a three-year hiatus the ladies of Destiny's Child have reunited for the eagerly-anticipated Destiny Fulfilled. The Houston-based trio of Kelly, Michelle and some girl named Beyonce follow up their mega successful Survivor with another album full of infectious dance grooves and melancholy tales of women done wrong. Lead single "Lose My Breath" is their first offering of the former. Backed by a kinetic marching band sample, they sing with an urgency that bolsters the Rodney Jerkins-produced track. Current single "Soldier" is more of the same. Featuring T.I. and Lil' Wayne, the song allows the trio to sing the praises of the kind of men they like.

Despite this one-two uptempo punch, DC does do ballads. They go old-school on the moving "If." Michelle, who has several impressive solos throughout, and Beyonce trade lines about finding and holding on to love. However, on "Bad Habit" the trio goes for the paint-by-numbers woman finding her inner-strength theme. Other highlights include the 9th Wonder and Beyonce-produced "Girl" and the midtempo gem "Free." --Rashaun Hall ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The naughtily titled Immaculate Collection culls 15 of Madonna's Top 10 singles from 1984 to mid-'90, plus 2 new ones that continued the run (the dirty, trunk-bumping funk of "Justify My Love"--a Lenny Kravitz production that justifies his entire career--and the danceable desperation of "Rescue Me"). Rooted in disco and classic AM pop from girl groups and ABBA to Strawberry Alarm Clock, Madonna made savvy, touching music throughout her first golden era. These tracks retain their sonic and historical significance while, like "She Loves You" or "Rocket Man," still brightening any space they're being played in. Far more than just a wise, irreverent image-maker--like the Beatles or Elton, come to think of it--Madonna during these years was the gift that kept on giving, forever fresh, sexy, hooky, and joyously sharp. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (259)

An amazing collection of Madonna's career (1980-1991)
"The Immaculate Collection", the first collection of greatest hits to come from Madonna, is no doubt an incredible array of Madonna's career. Filled with infectious and familiar tracks, "Immaculate" boasts the best single collection of Madonna's most popular songs.

Opening with "Holiday", her first hit back in the early 80's and cascading through her early works in the beginning of the album, it offers the nostalgic sense of seeing her for the first time. "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" soon come on, popular numbers that can only bring back the image of her groping herself on MTV's stage in 1984.

Flying through the years, we see her seemingly anti-abortion song "Papa Don't Preach" and her most incredible ballad to date, "Live To Tell", a strikingly powerful and beautifully constructed song.

Ironically, the true treat of the package is the at-the-time-of-release new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". "Justify", an amazing hypnotic mix of strange percussions and whisperings, proves that Madonna can offer up something new without destroying its popularity. It's highly sexual attitude creates a serene mood that is truly amazing. "Rescue Me", a quite rhythmic dance track, has that deepness that Madonna incorporated into her voice that adds a large bonus to the value of the performance.

This album also includes large hits like "Into The Groove", "Like A Prayer", and her largest single of her career, the two-times platinum dance track "Vogue". Truly recommended for those who enjoyed the 80's/early 90's as well as Madonna's career.

The best pop singer of her generation
Here are just some of Madonna's early classic hits. When this compilation was assembled, Madonna already had too many hits to include them all on a single CD, hence the omission of Angel, Dress you up, Gambler, True blue and all the hits from the soundtrack, Who's that girl? Because of her continuous success in the years that followed the release of this compilation, a comprehensive Madonna hits collection would now require a triple CD. That is a measure of her brilliance, sustained over a very long period of time.

The set begins with three hits from her debut album, of which Holiday is the best but Lucky star and Borderline are also wonderful. Then come Like a virgin and Material girl, two of the singles released from her outstanding second album. Crazy for you, an excellent ballad, and Into the groove, a superb dance song, come next. Although the title track is omitted, four other major hits from the True blue album (Live to tell, Papa don't preach, Open your heart, La Isla Bonita) can be found here, each one of them a classic but very different from each other. Three major hits from Like a prayer include Express yourself and Cherish. Vogue (from I'm breathless) and two tracks not available on any previous album (Justify my love, Rescue me) complete the set.

Anybody who does not understand why Madonna has such a huge fan base only has to listen to this compilation to find out why. Catchy pop tunes with interesting lyrics (for those that bother to listen to the words) are Madonna's trademark, yet she manages to avoid becoming formulaic. Madonna has continuously changed her style, so you don't hear the same sound over and over again.

There is no definitive Madonna compilation yet but we may have to wait a few years for that. Until that time, this is the best introduction to her music that is available.

Madonna : The Mother of Re-Invention
This record was the first Madonna album I bought , and I have been a fan ever since!! This woman has to be one of the most influential artists of the eighties , ninties , and the new millenium. She always re-invents herself , reflecting where she is in her life , what issue she wants to tackle , and what it is she wants to say. The album covers her first four studio albums : "Madonna" , "Like A Virgin" , "True Blue" , and "Like A Prayer". Songs she did for movie soundtracks are thrown in the mix also. Such as : "Vision Quest" , "Desperately Seeking Susan" , "At Close Range" , and "Dick Tracy".

"Madonna" was the first album she recorded. It was released in 1983 and included the hits : "Holiday" , "Lucky Star" , and "Borderline". Madonna was a busy gal during this period. She filmed her first two films : "Vision Quest" and "Desperatley Seeking Susan". That meant two more hits were released : "Crazy For You" and "Into The Groove".

"Like A Virgin" , her second album , included the hits : "Material Girl" and the title track. A year after the record was released (in 1984) , she went on tour. And met Sean Penn , they married that same year and that was what inspired her third studio album , "True Blue". In 1986 , songs like "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart" shot straight to the top of the charts.

Sadly , they divorced in 1989 and Madge wrote , recorded , and released her fourth studio album , "Like A Prayer". Her Blonde Ambition tour was launced a year later in 1990. Performing hits like : "Express Yourself" , "Cherish" , and "Vogue" , Madonna lit up the stage and released the legendary film that documented the backstage view of that concert : "Madonna : Truth or Dare?".

In addition to all those triumphts , two more songs are included : "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". The video for "Justify" (which features Lenny Kravitz doing backround vocals) was banned from MTV & VH1 for its pictures of gay and lesbian couples , Mo kissing another woman , and her fine lover , model Tony Ward , getting down and dirty!!

Don't pay attention to the negitive reviews who says that Madonna isn't cool anymore. She will always be interesting despite negitive critics , they're just jealous!!! Buy this amazing album now!

One Of My All - Time Favorite Albums
By 1990, Madonna had scored an impressive string of hit singles that few artists have ever matched. By this time, she collected 25 of the 49 hit singles she has scored since 1983. And while it does leave some stuff out, it's a brilliant collection.

"The Immaculate Collection" contains many Madonna favorites, from "Like A Virgin" to "Material Girl" to "Like A Prayer". These songs, along with "Open Your Heart", "Cherish and "Express Yourself", are among the greatest songs in popular music. Anyone who deosn't like these songs does not have a good ear for good music. Also, there's a few not so recognized songs included here, like the beautiful ballads "Crazy For You" and "Live To Tell" as well as the eerie "Rescue Me"

As I said earlier, the immaculate collection does leave some stuff out, and only one of these omitted songs failed to make the top 10. The songs not included here are:

"Angel" (number 5)
"Dress You Up" (number 5)

"True Blue" (number 3)
"Who's That Girl" (number 1, the most telling omission)
"Causing A Commotion" (number 2)
"Oh Father" (number 20, the song that broke her top 10 streak)
"Keep It Together" (number 8)
"Hanky Panky" (number 10)

Still, what's here is an amazing legacy of music created in such short time by an artists who remains an icon of the 20th century and an influence on so many musicians. Purchase this today.

ABOVE ALL THE REST!!
SCREW! TO ALL THAT WRITES ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THIS ONE.
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (90)

Twenty-Six Million Sold...And Still Climbing
It is typical to write off the decade of the 1970s as just the era of disco, polyester, glam rock, and such, though there was much more to the era than those things. But in that now much-maligned style known as disco, there remains one undisputed masterpiece, the soundtrack to the 1977 blockbuster SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.

Even though both the film and soundtrack are now approaching the quarter-century mark, the music here seems timeless and holds up to a great deal of scrutiny. Three #1 hits from the Bee Gees and one #1 from Yvonne Elliman originated from this album, which sold a then-unheard-of twenty-six million copies, a figure which keeps climbing. The album stayed at #1 on the US album chart for twenty-six consecutive weeks.

Among the many lesser-heard gems of the album are Kool and the Gang's "Open Sesame", MFSB's "K-Jee" (originally a hit for the Nite-Liters in 1971), and David Shire's "Night On Disco Mountain" (a discofied adaptation of Mussorgsky's 1867 tone poem "A Night On Bald Mountain"). The entire albums captures the time, the feel, and the essence of an era that a lot of people make the mistake of ridiculing. Time has shown the SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack to have endured well beyond its Seventies heyday. In twenty years, can the same be said for the soundtracks to either THE BODYGUARD or TITANIC? Only time will tell.

Not the great CD most would lead you to believe it is
Okay, okay! "Saturday Night Fever" is a classic album an' all, and yes, it's one of the biggest selling soundtracks of all time. But let's not hide from the fact that most of these tracks featured sound rather dated now.

Sure, the Bee-Gees contributions have stood the test of time, along with those from Yvonne Elliman, The Tavares (singing a Bee Gees track!), The Trammps and KC & The Sunshine Band. But COME ON! Can anyone really admit to liking "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Night On Disco Mountain" by David Shire, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph McDonald or even "K-Jee" by MFSB?? Apart from Kool & The Gang, have you heard anything else by these performers? Don't kid yourselves folks, these are NOT Disco classics!

Of course "Saturday Night Fever" was a great movie. I own the soundtrack CD, and still play it every once in a while. More to the point, I only PLAY the bona fide CLASSICS and skip the rest of what can only be described as JUNK!

If you're after a 70s soundtrack you can play over and over again and ENJOY, buy "GREASE".

Jon.

Best Selling Soundtrack Ever
Apart from the soundtrack of Bodyguard, this is surely one of the best selling soundtrack ever. Starting with the Bee Gees, they are originally slow ballad singers. From a interchange at Main Course, they changed themselves to R&B music singers. Stayin' Alive, Night Fever, More Than a Woman, and If I Can't Have You are surely the best rocking songs in the Bee Gees's history. How Deep Is Your Love is rocking on around the world till now. Surely, the Bee Gees ruled the disco era during 1977.

Yvonne Elliman and Travares, are also great, but they used Bee Gees's songs, Yvonne Elliman sang If I Can't Have You (Bee Gees's own edition in Bee Gees Greatest), and the Travares sang a different version of More Than a Woman
Saturday Night Fever movie wasn't that good, but with the soundtrack, it's surely the world's top LP.

Classic!
Can everyone please spare me the lengthy diatribes and just say thumbs up, or thumbs down? If you don't like disco, why in the hell would you buy the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever? HELLO! This disc brings back lots of fond memories. I will always appreciate the role disco played in my life.

disco sucks
For my review, I'll reply to Melting Pot, who said "I feel folk-rock from the 1960's was the bane of music."

Not only are you wildly incorrect, there exists one major diffrence between the Folk Rock and Disco. Folk Rock is gaining more and more YOUNG listeners. Same applies to all the music of the 60's. Disco on the other hands is getting NO new listeners.

DISCO is a hokey, sequin and polyester strewn mess. At least Folk Rock musicians were genuine and were playing for love of the music(rather than love of the paycheck), and to make political changes.

THE 1970's PRODUCED ONLY ONE GREAT MUSIC GENRE: FUNK

instead of the beegees, listen to War. They're 500 times better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While English pop monarchs Duran Duran have remained active for two decades, it's clear that the indomitable ensemble was at its peak during those mercurial '80s. This greatest-hits collection documents the band's ambitious beginnings as a funky glam-rock outfit and follows its gradual transformation into a high-tech pop band with loads of commercial appeal. Featuring now-classic tunes like "Girls on Film," "Rio," and "Planet Earth" as well as more recent songs like "Ordinary World," Greatest focuses on Duran Duran's unending string of hit singles. Although the young quintet that performs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "A View to a Kill" has little in common with the posh, aging trio featured on 1997's "Electric Barbarella," vocalist Simon Le Bon provides some impressive continuity to these proceedings. --Mitch Myers ... Read more

Reviews (129)

Great set of Duran Duran tunes
This Greatest Hits compilation is an excellent introduction to Duran Duran, one of the top groups of the 80's new wave. All of their best known songs are here, with a few ommissions that hard core fans will lament (but they have all the studio albums anyways, so what does it matter?) If you're only going to get one Duran Duran album this would have to be it.

The top tracks are the MTV smashes "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Girls on Film", the slow and beautiful "Ordinary World", my personal favorites "The Reflex" and "Electric Barbarella", one of the top Bond movie themes "A View to a Kill", the butchered (i.e. edited) yet still wonderful Rio, and "Union of the Snake". For volume of music, this CD is a great value running almost 80 minutes and containing 19 songs. The 5 star rating narrowly being missed due to the large number of edited tracks. (Rio especially.....it just didn't need to be done)

This is a great set covering most of the band's recording career. Well over an hour of great tunes will make it a pleasure for even casual fans of 80s synth-pop, and shows why Duran Duran is one of the most enduring bands from that era.

The Greatest Band
Duran Duran is one of the biggest bands of the 80's and have been having hits for more than 2 decades and are still making good songs. I saw them in concert in 99 and they were excellent even without taylor. Review of songs-
1.is there somthing i should know? 3.8 stars
2.the reflex-4.5 stars/catchy pop song
3.a view to a kill-4.7 stars
4.ordinary world-5 out of 5 stars-good ballad
5.save a prayer- 4.7 stars/haunting song
6.Rio- 5 out of 5 stars/classic
7.hungry like the wolf-5 out of 5 stars
8.girls on film- 4 stars
9.planet earth- 5 out 5 stars
10.union of the snake-3.8 stars
11.new moon on monday- 4.3 star
12.wild boys- 4 stars
13.notorious-4 stars
14.i dont want your love-3.8 stars
15.all she wants is-3.8 stars
16.electric barbarella-4.5 stars
17.serious-4.3 stars
18.skin trade-3.9 stars
19.come undone- 5 out of 5 stars/beautiful song
Overall excellent album/A classic/ Worth the money

Alright, now listen...
Apparently there are lots of reviewers on Amazon saying that they think Duran Duran is bad. And everytime people mention the eighties, there always seem to be someone laughing at how music and fashion were in those days. If you don't like the fashion because the colours are wrong, fine. If you don't like the music because the synthesizers scare you, fine. But if you say you don't like it just because it's old, then YOU are the problem!
I'll let you think just what you want about the 80's as long as you have another reason than "it's too old". If you lived at the time and you think it wasn't good, then you have every right to think so. Or if the music just isn't your kind, then everybody must respect that. But if the only actual reason for you not liking it, is that it happens to have been made a couple of years, decades or even centuries ago, then you simply have no taste. Maybe you're just trying to be popular by following the modern fads, is that it? Well if you like what's on MTV right now, you can start telling yourself that you don't know anything about music in itself, becuase that's a fact.
I was born in 1987, so I don't remember much of the 80's at all. Most of my friends find 80's stuff too strange for them. But I like it.
I didn't grow up during the 80's, my parents don't listen to 80's music. Actually, there's no particular reason for me liking the 80's, but I do! And I also like the 60's and 70's. I'm a teenager of the 21st century, and I like what I missed. Ironic like hell, but the 80's is one of many tastes of music and style, and that is more than you're ever going to have if you keep disliking stuff that isn't new. I see that one of you advice us to buy AudioSlave's new album instead. Will you like that album by 2008? So listen you taste-less non-polite whoever-you-are, if you don't like the music you bought this year at the day you grow old, I'll be glad to laugh at you for all the huge ammounts of money you wasted on albums you can't seem to like more than as long as it's being advertised. Just leave music and put your money on something that you understand.

Duran Duran is almost just what I like when it comes to music and style. So my personal opinion will be 4 stars out of 5.