Classics & English (Exon 2004-7); Linguistics (Oxon 2007-8). I live in France, where I work as an En...
Classics & English (Exon 2004-7); Linguistics (Oxon 2007-8). I live in France, where I work as an English teacher & freelance beauty writer.
Member since:12.03.2004
Reviews:98
This album was compiled a few years before Dusty Springfield died of cancer in the 1990s, relaunching all of her hits onto a modern audience as well as allowing older audiences to relive her greatness. It is a fantastic disc for loyal fans of Dusty who want all of her hits on one disc, as well as a perfect gateway for new fans who want a taste of her music. Many of her well-known songs are here, including 'I Only Wanna Be With You', 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me', 'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself', 'The Look of Love' and 'Son of a Preacher Man'. It also includes 'What Have I Done To Deserve This', Dusty's collaboration track with the Pet Shop Boys, and the album as a whole provides a variety of upbeat and mellow tracks, making it a perfect soundtrack all year round. Dusty's originality was clearly marked in the 1960s when she began her career, and the appeal of this originality is not blanched today. The lyrics are fairly standard, but their timeless appeal is part of Dusty's enormous success - plus, they have to be taken in the context of the time in which the songs were written. I would say that there is really only one glaring omission from the album: the classic song 'I Think It's Gonna Rain Today', which has since been covered by Katie Melua. It is an outstanding collection, accompanied by a glossy booklet which summarises Dusty's life and career alongside photographs. The only thing lacking here would be copies of the lyrics. At £7.97, it is excellent value for money, this price buying you 24 tracks, which some would argue makes the album a little long. However, it is worth every penny and not to be missed.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
For people like me, who only know 'Son of a Preacher Man', this review leaves a lot to be desired; e.g. what kind of arrangements instrument-wise are used, how much do the range of her voice and the style of her singing differ from piece to piece, were these tunes written by herself, by the same composers or by a whole range of them, could you tell this while listening, and what kind of moods do you like best from those offered on this compilation? It can be worthwhile mentioning several song titles, but only if you go on to tell us more about them; otherwise we might just as well have a look at the cover or find a tracklist somewhere else on the internet. For a novice who wants to find out more about Dusty Springfields style, this review is slightly disappointing.
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