Search - Leo Sayer :: All the Best

17 of Leo's best in their full album versions

Bradley Olson | Bemidji, MN United States | 09/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation of Leo Sayer's Greatest Hits does contain all 10 of his US top 40 hits and 7 songs that were hits in the UK all in their full album versions. This collection does include Leo's original recording of "The Show Must Go On" which Three Dog Night would later have a hit with, "Giving It All Away" and "One Man Band" both of which Roger Daltrey would have a hit with alongside the obvious choices including "When I Need You," "Moonlighting," "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," his covers of Buddy Holly's "Raining In My Heart" and Bobby Vee's "More Than I Can Say" and many others. Leo wrote comments for each of the 17 songs included in the compilation, chart info for the songs on the compilation and each of the original albums is included. Columbia House and BMG both still carry this compilation brand new or if you find it used, please pick this up. Many other CD's that include "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" do contain the 45 edit top 40 radio played at the time including a Time Life 70's compilation, Rhino compilations including VA comps, "The Very Best of Leo Sayer" and the 2 CD Anthology and the Charlie's Angels movie soundtrack. This is all the Leo you really need unless you are a the kind of fan who'd spend $25-50 on eBay for a CD copy of "Endless Flight" to replace the worn out vinyl (in other words, the diehard fan)."

Remembering the 70s

Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 10/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Leo Sayer's career followed a ballistic arc. His first hit, "The Show Must Go On," was released in 1973 and reached #2 in the UK. The last hit on this collection is from 1983, "Orchard Road," which hit #16 in the UK. As with some other reviewers, I too think that Leo's peak was with the #1 hit "When I Need You," released in 1977. Thus Leo had a number of hits that charted well until the release of "When I Need You," his last US hit was 1980's "More than I Can Say." After that hit Leo's releases continued to drop in the charts, seeming to slowly fade away from his peak.



This collection of seventeen songs also comes with a sleeve insert with notes by Leo Sayer on each of the songs and a listing of chart position for each of the tracks along with release dates. Any information I provide on chart position in this review is from the liner notes.



This CD opens with the 1973 release "The Show Must Go On" from the 1974 #2 UK album "Songbird." This song charted at #2 in the UK. I first encountered this song as a hit by Three Dog Night, which ironically happened as their career was winding down.



"Giving It All Away" is next. This song, from the album "Just a Boy," apparently did not chart. However, the album reached #4 in the UK and #16 in the US. Another song from that album is "One Man Band," which charted #6 in the UK and #96 in the US. The first significant US hit was "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," also from "Just a Boy, and is the first Leo Sayer song that I remember hearing from Sayer in the 1970s. This song reached #4 in the UK and #9 in the US in 1974 and 1975 respectively. This song borders on being a novelty song, and reminds me of Mungo Jerry's song "In the Summertime." The songs are very different but for some reason there is a certain similarity to both of them that I am unable to explain.



From the 1975 album "Another Year" is "Moonlighting," a #2 hit in the UK in 1975. The album reached #8 in the UK and #125 in the US.



The 1976 album "Endless Flight" provided Leo Sayer with his greatest success. The album itself reached #4 in the UK and #10 in the US. "You Make Me Feel like Dancing" was a bouncy pop tune that was a perfect fit for the disco era. This song bounced its way to #2 in the UK and #1 in the US in 1976. "When I need You" may mark Leo Sayer's height of popularity. This 1977 ballad went to #1 in both the UK and the US. The song "How Much Love," also released in 1977, was yet another disco favorite, reaching #10 in the UK and #17 in the US.



The 1977 album "Thunder in My Heart" provided two relatively minor hits. The album itself reached #8 in the UK and #37 in the US. "Thunder in My Heart" was dramatic song that reached #22 in the UK and #38 in the US in late 1977. "Easy to Love" was more consistent with disco when released at the end of 1977. This song reached #36 in the US.



Leo Sayer's popularity seemed to be steady at the release of the 1978 album "Leo Sayer," which reached #15 in the UK and #101 in the US. "I Can't Stop Loving You," released in the latter half of 1978, reached #6 in the UK. "Raining in My Heart," also released in the latter half of 1978, reached #21 in the UK and #47 in the US.



The 1980 album "Living in a Fantasy," which reached #15 in the UK and #36 in the US, provided Leo Sayer with his last significant success. The 1980 song "More Than I Can Say" went to #2 in both the UK and the US. The 1991 release of the single "Living in a Fantasy" reached #23 in the US.



The album "World Radio" reached #30 in the UK and did not chart in the US. The single "Have You Ever Been in Love" reached #10 in the UK in and the single "Heart (Stop Beating in Time) reached #22 in the UK, both in 1982.



The final song on this collection is "Orchard Road." This 1983 release from the #27 album "Have You Ever Been in Love" reached #16 in the UK.



Unfortunately for Leo Sayer, his music failed to be cutting edge in any genre. He had a middle-of-the-road in style, often sounding much like other artists that preceded him. He was also unfortunate enough to be associated with disco, which became reviled in the 1980s. He will certainly be remembered for the songs that associate him with the disco era, when he was at the height of his popularity, particularly the song "When I Need You." I suspect that Leo Sayer has become a nostalgia artist, played in clubs that adopt disco music as their retro style. This music is very listenable, if you like this style, but the lack of anything to distinguish much of this music has made Leo Sayer somewhat of a forgotten artist, sometimes even for those of us who own his music.

"

Terrific pop/ballads and love songs

dfle3 | Australia | 06/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
Firstly, I should just note that this compilation varies slightly from the one I have, in song order and song selection. My compilation, which I bought in Australia, does not have "Easy to love" [I think it's called on this compilation] but does have "Giving it all away". This compilation also has an extra track. Did have a peek at other compilations here and this [either version] seems to be much better. My memory is not the best, but the compilation at this site which has "20" in the title has a song called "Till you come back to me". That MIGHT be an essential track which is missing from this compilation...but I'm not sure if it's the cool song I have in mind. So, perhaps the compilation with 20 songs in it is the definitive one to get.



Anyway, Leo Sayer is a good singer who specialised in ballads/love songs and easy listening pop songs. Occasionally he gets a little more rock and some of his song are a bit harder to characterise, being a little more quirky.



Lyrically, he delves into the personal or autobiographical. Sayer isn't as prevalent on Australian radio [FM Radio] as he used to be. Probably "Thunder in my heart" is the only one getting airplay nowadays, following on the heels of a remix of that song a year or two ago. The original version is still the best and it's a pity the songs I consider to be Leo's best don't seem to get played anymore.



My picks as the standout tracks on this compilation:



You make me feel like dancing-very good pop song with Sayer's distinctive falsetto. Has a funky bass and a cool guitar intro. Features the piano. A month or so back The Wiggles' tv show here in Australia had the Wiggles perform this song with Leo Sayer.



How much love-a little more rock. Features the piano, violin and viola, perhaps.



More than I can say-I remember, having watched "Countdown" as a kid, that this song was number one for a few weeks in Australia, I think. Probably my second favourite Sayer song. A love ballad. Features a very nice accoustic guitar and a cool electric guitar lick.



Orchard Road-My favourite Leo Sayer song. Reading the liner notes, this is one of those autobiographical/personal songs I was mentioning before. It's the mother of all ballads. Very nice organ sound and Sayer beautifully mixes up his vocal inflections and melodies. Structured as a telephone call you only hear one side of. Great song.



The best of the rest would be:



When I need you-another nice, easy listening ballad with delicate instrument playing.



Thunder in my heart-a little more rock. Been hearing this lately, especially on "classic pop/rock" stations on the FM dial. Features violins.



I can't stop loving you (though I try)-this was a little bit of an Easter egg song for me. Don't think I'd heard it before but I found it quite nice. Sounds a little country, with piano and a pair of accoustic guitars.



Heart (stop beating in time)-has a funky bass and features the piano.



Some notes of other songs I made were:



One man band-Sayer's vocals reminded me of Elton John's in this song.



Long tall glasses-here Sayer sounds a little bit like Bob Dylan. Song is a little country, again, with piano, banjo and a twangy guitar.



Moonlighting-another personal song, with a narrative. Features what sounds like a Spanish guitar and a xylophone type instrument.



Overall, this is a terrific compilation. Some of the compilations under "Leo Sayer" don't have Orchard Road on it, which is a monumental omission, in my view. This cd, or perhaps the "20" one look the definitive cds to get if you like Leo Sayer.



N.B. I've just remembered that Leo Sayer does a really good cover of "Love hurts". It's a pity that it's not on this compilation."