All Artists:Renee Geyer Title:Best of Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label:Mushroom Records Release Date: 8/25/1998 Album Type: Import Genres:Pop, Rock Style: Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1
Synopsis
Album Description
1998 compilation for Australia's most respected & successful soul singer. 18 tracks. Mushroom.
CD Reviews
Heading in the right direction
William | Australia | 10/10/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Renee Geyer richly deserved more success than what she received in Australia. Yet, like so many of our artists, she had to go overseas to try her luck. Australians did not take their artists seriously until they 'made it big' internationally. Renee possesses a very capitivating voice which many Blues experts have rated as 'one of the best"."The Best of" starts with an early track titled "Oh Boy" before leaping into the brilliant "It's a man's world". My favourite "Heading in the Right Direction" is also included, plus the Mowtown feeling song "Stares and Whispers". If ever there was a Renee song which should have gone No. 1 all over the world, then this was the song.I was surprised at how many other tracks I knew considering how little attention radio gave her in the 70's & 80's. This is overall, a brilliant compilation that deserves a place in your CD collection. It also includes 1981's "Say I love you".I am pleased that tracks from her 1985 album "Sing to Me" were overlooked on this compilation. That was her worst album."
Almost Perfect
James Coleman | Palm Springs, CA, USA | 10/03/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"An Aussie friend new I loved Soul music and thought I'd like Renee. She was right. She's one of the best and this album is a good representation. However, Renee's been around since the 70s, so her music changed to reflect the eras. The over-produced 80s were evident in Australia as here in America. Renee is in fine form throughout, but some of those arrangements..."
A great introduction
Stuart MacDonnell | Bangkok, Thailand | 03/14/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Okay let's get the quibbles out of the way first: there's nothing here from Winner, Sing To Me, Blues Licence, Renee Live, Live at the Basement or Easy Pieces, nor are there any of Renee's non-album singles. While overall they might not have been her best works, they certainly included some great vocal performances that warranted inclusion here. What we do get is a chronological sampling starting with 1973's Oh! Boy through to I'm The Woman Who Loves You which was intended for, but not included on, Sweet Life. What is clear is how the fantastic raw 20-year-old voice developed into one of the great voices in popular music today. This is a great sampler for first time listeners. Use it as a starting point to get into Renee's extensive back catalogue, as well as the recent Sweet Life - her best yet."
Give it a listen
William | 07/17/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Australia has actually produced a number of fine female vocalists who have remained unknown in the rest of the world. The best of the lot is Renee Geyer with her deep, rich, soulful voice. This retrospective includes songs from most parts of her quarter of a century recording. It's as good a place as any to discover her tremendous voice - a voice that once heard cannot be ignored."
Best Of Renee Geyer 1973-1998
Michael Robbins | Geelong, Australia | 08/24/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I couldn't agree more with most of the reviewers. What a classic album. This lady is undoubtedly a national treasure here in the land of Oz. The soulful R & B Renee has sung now for 30 years was a risk in the '70's when she started, as Australians were just not exposed to black music in any great quantities. Despite this she managed to score several hits, all included here including "It's A Man's Man's World", "Heading In The Right Direction", "Stares And Whispers" & "Say I Love You" which almost topped the charts at her commercial peak in 1981/82. Her albums were also best sellers, albeit in the mid-region of the charts, but female performers jus didn't sell albums back then, particularly Australian female performers. This latest "Best Of" samples all the many highs chronilogically and includes several standout album tracks. Her bluesy vocals on "You Don't Know Nothing About Love" & "If Loving You Is Wrong" and the more recent "Dificult Woman" are personal favourites as is a great country blues version of the Patsy Cline classic "Crazy". This is my favourite version ever of this much recorded song. (By the way some imbecile wrote that there was nothing from The "Seven Deadly Sins" soundtrack- well try "Crazy" and another unjustly lost latter day classic "Foggy Highway" - they are from that album with the latter also on her "Dificult Woman" C.D. Yes her voice has always been OUTSTANDING and this chronology shows just how much better it keeps getting. No better proof can be found than on the last track, the newly recorded "I'm The Woman Who Loves You", an out and out soul stomper. It's quite a bit deeper & huskier but with no loss of power, especially when she wails. And like Aretha, this lady can wail, although I've always thought her closer to Gladys Knight the way she stretches her middle-register to ball-breaking extremes. Yes there is nothing from "Winner" which is ridiculous, and I would have loved a remastered "Money" "Bad Side Of The Blues" and "I Miss You" particularly. In fact I wish "Winner" would get an overdue C.D release. "Blues Licence" is an absolute classic and should be represented althought it is more raw than the material they've chosen here, so perhaps it could be justified. "Sing To Me" was on another label (Warner Music) so maybe the tracks couldn't be licenced but it's no great loss-it's her worst album by far. (The ok hit single "All My Love" and the brilliant standard "Guess Who I Saw Today" notwithstanding.) What SHOULD be here is "Goin' Back" her hit duet with Little River Band frontman Glen Shorrock, an unlikely match and yet superb together and proof if it were nedded of her abilities in a live situation. 2 criminal exclusions are Renee's brilliant soul/pop single releases from '82/'83 "Love So Sweet" and "Trouble In Paradise" Not hits but also not on any of her albums (except the deleted "Faves" which has appalling sound quality anyway)and this is meant to be a "Best Of..." not her greatest hits although it is that too. Finally please ignore the fool from N.J. who complained that these aren't the original versions. They certainly are and beautifully remastered for far superior sound to any other release. He may be referring to the bonus disc "Renee Remixed" which came with early copies and includes upcoming and established D.J.'s updating Renee's older work for a new generation. Radically different from the originals to be sure, but give them a go too. The voice hasn't been tampered with and these remixes groove most contagiously if you have an open mind. All in all do yourself a favour. And while your at it, grab her last album "Sweet Life" to hear Renee in all her latterday glory. And just to prove she's more than worthy of being hailed as Aussie's answer to Aretha & Gladys (if there are STILL doubters), her brand new 2003 album "Tenderland" contains magnificent funky, bluesy versions of many soul classics, not covers in the standard sense but brilliantly reinterpreted the "Renee Geyer" way"
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1