Search - Dusty Springfield :: Gold

Short But Solid

Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 07/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This revision of my review is the result of my having noticed that what I wrote is being used for both the U.S. and import versions of GOLD. Of course, there is a significant price difference for the import, but it is much longer, and the song selection is more definitive. I heartily recommend the import, if the shopper is new to Dusty Springfield, and does not own any of the many other compilations that are available.



Original review (U.S. version only):



Just compare this collection with Tom Jones' volume or any number of others in the GOLD series. This collection is brief, to say the least. Almost all of these songs could have fit on one disc! I can always recommend Dusty Springfield, one of the only GREAT white soul singers! However, there are many collections floating around out there that are superior to this one.



I would direct beginners to Hip-O's fairly comprehensive single disc CD, THE ULTIMATE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, or the Mercury Chronicles' THE VERY BEST OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, with preference for the former, because, like GOLD, it goes beyond her sixties output and includes "The Windmills Of Your Mind." For the new fan who has one of these, and wants more, there are some excellent new 2-CD collections that go a bit deeper into Dusty's catalog. I don't own the beautifully packaged THE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD STORY because I already have just about everything she ever did, but the song list is impressive. CLASSICS & COLLECTIBLES (which includes some alternate takes and rare singles) is very good, but stops short of her later work. Taragon's very fine combo CD, STAY AWHILE/I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU/DUSTY, which features most of her first few dozen singles on one disc, many of them in true stereo (this is the only place you can get many of these mixes, and they sound amazing, especially "I Only Want To Be With You." Why so many subsequent releases insist on using the mono version when this one is available can only be attributable to either licensing problems or ignorance). If you want a REALLY thorough overview and have some cash to spare, try to locate the 4-CD "boxed" set, SIMPLY...DUSTY (a U.K. import).



If you're interested in her best full albums, get EV'RYTHING'S COMING UP DUSTY or DUSTY...DEFINITELY (both imports), THE LOOK OF LOVE (a fine reissue with fantastic bonus tracks that's already out of print and getting hard to find; but well worth seeking out) and the peerless DUSTY IN MEMPHIS (Deluxe Edition, which is stuffed with more than an album's worth of rare bonus tracks). Glad the GOLD series saw fit to add Dusty to their catalog, but disappointed that it is so short. This collection gets one more star from me than it probably deserves for being solid, and because it's, well, DUSTY!"

Not quite a "gold" compilation, but not to be completely ove

Kyles Beguiles | NJ USA | 07/01/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's pleasing to see that the fairly recommendable Gold series has honoured Dusty with a 2CD set, but disappointing that they left off so many wonderful tracks (I assume it's a label licensing complication that wasn't worth major investment for a mid-price compilation set like this). The remastered quality is nice but not spectacular (I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten still has that very abrupt ending, The Look of Love isn't crystal clear, etc.) and the biography leaves out bits of her career (no discussion of her shelved album during her darker days and not much reflection upon Reputation or A Very Fine Love). It's not a terrible set, just terribly lacking in comparison to some of the Gold compilations for other artists that contain special bonus tracks or rarities. This would be fine as an introduction for a more casual fan or for collector's sake."

Get the import

W.H. | 06/15/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This (the US version of Dusty Springfield's Gold anthology) is a nice collection of songs, but the UK version has more songs. It's not just a matter of quantity, but of quality as well. The UK version features a greater variety of songs, a number of which better cover her neglected '70s and early '80s songs.



If you just want the hits, this collection is adequate. If you want a broader representation of Springfield's career, get the UK version of Dusty's Gold. If you're a really big fan, check out Springfield's box set, "Simply Dusty.""