Dismissed as a one-hit heavy breather after her orgasmic dance-floor sensation "Love to Love You Baby" became a worldwide pop chart-topper, Donna Summer has made a career of confounding expectations. This double-disc set g... more »ets all the highlights, from the definitive synthesizer pop of "I Feel Love" through the disco diva of "On the Radio" to the proto dance-rock of "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" to the gospel-inflected "She Works Hard for the Money" and the pop uplift of "This Time I Know It's for Real." Plus, of course, "No More Tears," her duet with Barbra Streisand, is a credential not bestowed upon one-hit wonders. --Ben Edmonds« less
Dismissed as a one-hit heavy breather after her orgasmic dance-floor sensation "Love to Love You Baby" became a worldwide pop chart-topper, Donna Summer has made a career of confounding expectations. This double-disc set gets all the highlights, from the definitive synthesizer pop of "I Feel Love" through the disco diva of "On the Radio" to the proto dance-rock of "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" to the gospel-inflected "She Works Hard for the Money" and the pop uplift of "This Time I Know It's for Real." Plus, of course, "No More Tears," her duet with Barbra Streisand, is a credential not bestowed upon one-hit wonders. --Ben Edmonds
Ron P. (rprice) from NASHVILLE, TN Reviewed on 8/9/2009...
This is probably the best Donna Summer Hits CD that I've seen. All of her hits are on this one and it is a continuous pleasure.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
Maximus Summer!
Karl Miller | Phoenixville, PA United States | 04/15/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Admitting to liking Donna Summer seems like something one should do at a 12 step meeting, or at least while wearing a hat and shades. She , more than any singer, was so perfect in one place and time, it's amazing that, almost 30 years later, most of her music sounds fresh and timeless.
DS was never a tier one singer (a spot reserved for the diva trinity of ReeRee, Chaka and Gladys), but the material Summer recorded was, in retrospect, absolute perfect for her voice. This two record collection is a healthy reminder of that. Disc One (the better of the two, by far) is an assemblage of monster dance hits, from Love To Love You Baby (editied down, mercifully to a brilliant 4 minutes) through the "Bad Girls" session. There is no reason to hit skip on any of these selections. "Try Me I Know We Can Make It" sounds wonderfully fresh, "Rumour Has it" and "I Love You" (from the best 2 record disc by a female in the 70's) still sound joyful. And the knockout punch of "I Feel Love" is a reminder that Moby, the Chem Bros. and the entire electronic generation owe Giorgio Moroder their careers.
Disc Two, while weaker in overall presentation, still has more highlights than a natural brunette with a bottle of Sun-In. The forgotten "Unconditional Love" (with duet partner Musical Youth) is a reggae-tinged joy inducer. "The Wanderer" rocks, "She Works Hard For The Money" rolls, and "This Time I Know It's For Real" is just a killer dance track. You can tell, when listening to disc 2 that Donna and Giorgio worked best with each other (just like Chaka and Arif and Diana R. and Berry, the great soul singers of our time always hit creative peaks with a certain producer that they never seemed to capture with others).
One minor gripe - missing from this collection is onna's finest post-Casablance single, "Dinner With Gershwin".
This is a CD for convertible-owners, and sounds great with the top down on a warm summer evening. Give side one the bass-boost for a real rockin trip down Disco Lane."
If you like music, you must have this collection.
Mark | USA - Pennsylvania | 02/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Few artists have ever dreamed of covering this range of style and sounds, let alone do it with such command! Virtually every song is a testament to just how important and influential Summer was and still is in the world of popular music. I'd challenge any of today's younger club-set to throw on a tune like Rumour Has It, Bad Girls, or When Love Cries and not take to the floor immediately. This is the epicenter of dance and a whole lot more. Don't forget to take note that Summer also wrote or co-wrote more than a few of these classic hits. Combine that with one of industry's all-time powerhouse voices and it's easy to see why Donna is more than a diva. She's a legend."
Excellent collection
M. DUlisse | las vegas,nevada | 10/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the perfect collection of hits. From the sexy "Love to Love you Baby" to her last full length album "Mistaken Identity" which has the r&b hit "When Love Cries". She also gives a new song "Carry On", which is a great dance song. I just wish that she would stop releasing greatest hits packages with only 2 new songs and release another full-length album. Don't waste your money on the other packages. If you want all her hits from day one get this one."
A Talent That Goes Beyond Disco...
Chad Biederman | 01/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Most music anthologies have as many bad tracks on them as good ones, so I was reluctant to buy this album. However, Summer's official greatest hits album ("On The Radio") doesn't have her post-disco hits on it, so I bought the "Donna Summer Anthology" and crossed my fingers.My gamble paid off. "Anthology" not only contains her familiar hits from later years, but it also contains gems I've never heard before, like "I'm A Rainbow", "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt"--and a surprisingly good rendition of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina".Donna Summer will never shake her disco legacy, but we often forget this woman has range! "Anthology" proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt."