Search - Belinda Carlisle :: Best of 1

Infectious eighties pop

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 10/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By the time Belinda started her solo career, I was fast losing my interest in contemporary pop music, so much of which just didn't interest me. Once I heard Belinda, I knew that she was one of the exceptions. Production is (by eighties standards) fairly simple, which is partly why I enjoy it. Belinda has a fine voice with a bluesy edge to it, well capable of singing ballads and up-tempo songs.



Up to the time of this compilation (1992), Belinda had sixteen British hits of which fourteen made the top fifty and all those are included. The other two (Mad about you, Love never dies) are omitted in favor of another track (I plead insanity). Of the hits, five (Heaven is a place on earth, I get weak, Circle in the sand, Leave a light on, We want the same thing) made the UK top ten, with the first-named going all the way to number one, just as it did in America. Live your life be free, another outstanding song, made number twelve in the UK nut none of the others made the UK top twenty.



This compilation is the definitive UK hits collection, though the omission of Mad about you (a major USA hit) may disappoint some fans. It's not the only great track missing, as Belinda did a superb cover of I feel free (originally recorded by Cream), but that wasn't a UK hit either. Nevertheless, Belinda's UK and USA hits were mostly the same songs so the track selection will satisfy most people from whatever country.



If you enjoy mainstream pop music, you may enjoy this even if the eighties aren't your favorite decade."

Catchy with beautiful vocals @-}->---

Little Miss Cutey | Melbourne, Australia | 06/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are so many Best Of Belinda Carlisle cds. There are too many to choose from because they all have great hits on them. The only song missing on here is Mad About You, which would be one of my all time favourite song of hers.

I started playing this cd over again the other week after seeing the Go Go's on Today. I do love her music and her voice. She is so talented, but for some reason, not all of her released songs became the major hits that they should have become.

On here (since Mad About You is missing) I really love a lot of the ballads like Half The World and Vision Of You but I also like the boppier songs like I Plead Insanity, Summer Rain and We Want The Same Thing. And who can overlook Heaven Is A Place On Earth (possibly her biggest solo hit).

She really is talented and I wish that after she does her stint with the Go Go's, she'll get back into the recording studios and have many more songs to create a whole new album. It seems like there are more Greatest Hits of hers than new work. Please release something new soon."