Amazon.comThe subtitle claims this album is The Definitive Collection of Classic Female Recordings, and while that's hardly born out by the inclusion of ringers Vanessa Williams, Joan Osborne, and Stephanie Mills, A Woman's Voice is a satisfyingly eclectic one-disc survey of pop moments from Billie Holiday forward. Romance naturally emerges as a major theme here, but sometimes with twists as diverse as those of Gladys Knight and the Pips' yearning late-Motown "If I Were Your Woman" and Carly Simon's bitter, still-masterful "You're So Vain." And even Pat Benatar is represented by her most transcendent moment, 1984's ethereal "We Belong." Those seeking historical perspective may prefer Rhino's four-disc box Respect, but given its self-imposed limits, A Woman's Voice is hardly an embarrassment. --Rickey Wright