Search - Swing Out Sister :: Best of

A best-of collection worthy of the name

Kevin O'Conner | 11/03/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most best-of/hits collections tend to miss the mark, either by sticking strictly to the singles, including songs that don't really represent the best of the artist's work while omitting songs that do, emphasizing only certain periods of the artist's career, or presenting the songs in either live or remixed versions that aren't as good as the original album or single versions.The Best of Swing Out Sister is that rare hits collection that manages to avoid these pitfalls - and it does so while striking the perfect balance between satisfying the hardcore fan and giving the relative newcomer a good introduction to the group's work. While 7-inch versions of some songs are included, the focus is not exclusively on the singles, and all four of the group's albums up to that point are represented. The songs included here are all highlights of the albums on which they originally appeared:
* It's Better To Travel is represented by the group's breakout track, "Breakout", plus "Surrender", the 7-inch edit of "Twilight world", and "Fooled by a smile".
* Kaleidoscope World is represented by "You on my mind", "Where in the world", "Forever blue", and "Waiting game".
* Get In Touch With Yourself is represented by the title track, "Am I the same girl", and the 7-inch mix of "Notgonnachange".
* The oft-overlooked The Living Return is represented by 7-inch versions of "La la (means I love you)" and "Better make it better", plus "Ordinary people"Possibly the only place where the album slips is the token new song, "Heaven only knows". Though produced by the team responsible for many of En Vogue's hits, the song comes across as a bit lackluster in comparison to the rest of the album.This reissue, which followed the original release by just a few months, replaces the album-closing remake of "The windmills of your mind" with the original version of "Now you're not here" (used as the theme song for the Japanese drama series "Mahiru No Tsuki", and later re-recorded or remixed for 1997's Shapes And Patterns album), placing it at the beginning of the album. This avoids the common record-company pitfall of placing newly added tracks in the middle of the running order (where they disrupt the carefully established flow of the album), while simultaneously giving the listener an up-front look at where the group is now before looking back at where it came from.Whether you're a long-time fan, or are new to Swing Out Sister, The Best of Swing Out Sister will be a fine addition to your collection, even at the import price."

BEST OF AND...............

Kevin O'Conner | 06/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"HOW DO YOU RATE A BAND THIS GOOD. WELL, YOU CAN NOT. I BOUGHT THIS CD PRIOR TO THE TRACK LIST CHANGE. THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND IS NOT OFFERED HERE. WHATEVER THE PURCHASE WAS FOR THE TWO NEW TRACKS AT THE TIME AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TRACK AND HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS. A MUST FOR SERIOUS FANS OR A VERY GOOD PICK FOR ANYONE NEW TO THIS DUO AND IS HESITANT ABOUT WHICH ALBUM TO GET FIRST. THIS OFFERING CAN GIVE THE BEST GLANCE AT NOT ONLY THEIR CAREER AT THE 10 YEAR MARK BUT A WIDE SPECTRUM OF SOS INFLUENCES AND CHANGES OVER THE YEARS.SOLID AND FLUID."

SOS to the Rescue!

shakaholic | Seattle, WA United States | 06/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, the album title says it all. This is The Best of Swing Out Sister. This is one of the few cd's that is consistently in my CD jukebox. You can play this cd on sunny days, rainy days, intimate gatherings, raucous parties, you name it, this CD is there for you. For the life of me, I don't know why SOS has never achieved the flame & glory that they deserve. On second thought, that might be a blessing in disguise (& only those in the know can enjoy their company). Even though this cd is ..., it is well worth the money. Plus, the cover photo is fabulous! This cd is for those who want to be *cool*."