Search - Manhattan Transfer :: Definitive Pop

Two Hours of Magic

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 01/24/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This two-disc collection is not so much an extension of Rhino's single-disc 1994 THE BEST OF THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER as it is an expansion of that earlier anthology. After all, only four of THE DEFINITIVE POP COLLECTION's 30 tracks were released after 1994. Instead, this new release digs a little deeper into the group's history. It duplicates all of THE BEST OF (except for "Ray's Rockhouse") and adds 15 songs.



All their Top 40 pop hits ("Operator," "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone," "Boy from New York City," "Spice of Life") are here, along with "Chanson D'Amour," which topped the UK pop charts in 1976. And tracks like "Stomp of King Porter" and "Clouds" from 1997's SWING and "Nothing Could Be Hotter Than That" from 2000's THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS show that a quarter of a century after their debut, The Manhattan Transfer are still churning out terrific music. Even "The Offbeat of Avenues" from 2006's THE SYMPHONY SESSIONS swings.



Whether covering jazz, doo-wop, pop or rock 'n' roll, the Manhattan Transfer are always entertaining. RECOMMENDED [Running Time - 56:53 (disc 1), 68:09 (disc 2)]"