Jennifer Holliday - Best of (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Excellent Overview Of Jennifer

James Fenos | Columbus, OH United States | 01/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was truly excited when this cd first came out in 1996, I had to have it and purchased it the day it came out. For years all I had from Jennifer is the soundtrack to "Dreamgirls" and the album (cd) "Get Close To My Love" which I found at a record store in the cut-out bin selling for around four dollars. This cd of her work has been in demand from the fans for years, I'm glad Geffen gave in. "The Best Of Jennifer Holliday" samples work from her soundtrack work with "Dreamgirls" and her three solo studio albums with Geffen and a track from her only album with Arista, "I'm On Yor Side," which was the album's title also. After this track the cd is filled with remixes which aren't bad, there was a cd single released from this album, the radio remix of "No Frills Love" with a previously unreleased song made "b" side, "Up Jumped Love," a mid-tempo ditty produced by Mtume. The cd could have been filled out with longer remixes or full-length original remixes in the like of "No Frills Love," the original 12" mix is an amazing display of synths and vocal tricks. Be that as it may, Geffen did release radio remixes to update this collection, they could have simply made this a collection in the way of "20th Century Masters," a much shorter collection featuring album cuts not found here. The bottom line here is Jennifer is not much represented by studio work, to say the performances here are all stellular would be redundant, this is a great representation of her work."

The best female vocalist of all time!

James Fenos | 08/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's unfortunate that Jennifer Holliday never attained the attention she really deserves. In MY eyes, she is one of the best singers that ever lived! Due to the lack of material, perhaps, is why Jennifer never got as big as Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin. But when it comes to VOCAL QUALITY, she's better than the two I mentioned COMBINED :-)But listen to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", "Come Sunday", or "I'm On Your Side" and you'll be convinced that this woman has the most beautiful and powerful vocals ever heard! Gosh, she could move MOUNTAINS with her vocals!"

Calling the album "The Best" is an understatement!

Eric D. Harris | Chicago, IL United States | 06/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of Jennifer Holliday since the debut of the phenomenal single "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack. There was (and still is) something about that song that just cuts deep into your soul; the passion she puts into that song lets even the most casual of Holliday listeners know that this lady means business! "I Am Changing", another "Dreamgirls" track is a glorious song of self-empowerment, affirming the indomitable will of the human spirit. "I Am Love", from the "Feel My Soul" album is simply a revelation; listen to that song and you can just TELL that Jennifer's soaring.Beautiful ballads aside, Jennifer also let's her legions of fans know that she can also rock the house with the best of them. Dance tracks like "Just Let Me Wait", "No Frills Love", and my personal favorite, "Early Warning" (from the Love to Infinity Sessions) can make you work up a sweat just standing (or sitting) still! This can't be Jennifer's "best", because I know that there is still more to come from this talented and formidable singer, and I for one eagerly look forward what's ahead!"

A Total Knock Out!

Beverly Praiswater | 05/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to the voice of this wonderful singer is the equivolent of fireworks put to music--powerful and stunning! It is hard to imagine that anyone could go into the studio and put such dynamics into a recording. Ms. Holliday does this and more. Every song on this CD is a winner. The additional four bonus cuts are not found on any of her other "best of" CDs, therefore this is the one to have. Grammy you are missing out on one of the greatest singers that this country has. She shines above them all!"

An underappreciated class act at her very best. 10+ stars. W

guillermoj | Washington, DC United States | 03/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've never heard Jennifer Holliday sing, then you have not lived and could be in for the treat of your life. She's that good. With all this talk about "divas", Jennifer is the real thing minus the attitude. Her powerhouse pipes are only surpassed by the masterful control of her delivery so whether she's signing an anthem or the softest song, she always stays within an emotional range that I would call perfection.

Those of you who are familiar with Jennifer Holliday probably first heard of her via her huge single "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Broadway sensation "Dreamgirls" or "No Frills Love". While she only released 3 recordings and never reached the initial success of her signature song, every single song in this collection is second to none and many should have been smashes.

This amazing collection of her Geffen recordings, released in 1996, is now out of print and her been replaced by the barebones "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Jennifer Holliday," which you should stay away unless you can't find this one at an acceptable price.

While Jennifer is still very much a part of the current music industry via a ton of dance reworkings and a few killer singles, I find it criminal that no producer has worked with Jennifer on a fully realized release. Amazing artists like Tina Turner or Cher, just to name a couple have made it around the block again because they are special and ageless. Jennifer deserves the same opportunity, or actually the public does even more, and this collection will tell you why.

There are few collections that truly deserve 5 full stars and this is one of those. The songs have aged well as the production is not too time specific and I would put money that any of these songs would top the charts if re-released as many of today's best selling artists need all sorts of bells and whistles, production miracles, marketing-infused collaborations to sell. Not this woman."

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