Diva (The Essential Collection) - Dinah Washington

Advantages: Includes the most famous songs recorded by her
Disadvantages: Only for classic jazz/blues fans.

...had the best years of her recording career to come. We find the very best range of blues, jazz and rhythm and blues on this album. The haunting 'Smoke Gets In Your Eye's' opens this unique album closely followed by two Cole Porter classic's 'Every time We Say Goodbye' and 'I Get A Kick Out Of You,' which was a bigger hit for Frank Sinatra. We will find just about all the songs on this album recognisable from somewhere, either from other artists or from films, musicals and soundtracks of old and new. The timeless, 'Mad About The Boy,' has become a track that has captured the true spirit of Dinah Washington in many ways. Her ability to create a mood of a song just by tuning her own mood into the lyrics. Her vocal, dropped and the diva becomes translucent as she appears to blend in with the accompaniment. The production of the album... Read review

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Advantages: Class Acts
Disadvantages: None

...to this sort of music, it's laid back, late night, problems with my man, but what the hell sort of sentiment... ~~~ CD1: Many early artists here, including US black soul singers Dinah Washington and Aretha Franklin from the 1960's. If you've never heard Franklin, then she is the Queen of Soul, godmother to Whitney Houston and unmissable over a long career (and still performs occassionally). Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday were the most famous singers of their day in the 1950's. Simone died only a few years ago, while Holiday fell foul of drugs, only after a career that challenged the segregation of the southern states. Her most famous track concerned the lynching of an innocent black man, and this CD collection is named in her honour. Irma Thomas, of a smiliar era, is or was, based, in New Orleans until last year... Read review

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Advantages: some classic pop songs
Disadvantages: a couple of songs haven't dated brilliantly

...The Eurythmics were one of the most innovative and distinctive bands of the 1980's , producing hits like 'Sweet Dreams' and 'There Must Be An Angel Playing With My Heart' amongst their 9 Top 10 hits. Along with her partner Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox became one of British pop's most recognisable symbols of the 1980's with her ever changing hair and dress sense as well as one of the most respected vocalists of her generation. After Stewart married Bananarama and Shakespear's Sister star Siobhan Fahey, the Eurythmics split and Annie went about recording her first solo studio album. Three years later in 1992, she emerged with 'Diva', a collection of personal and raw songs rather than the synth-driven anthems that people had previously associated her with. Polished, but not over-produced, the album won her numerous awards including... Read review

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