Customer Reviews

All Fired Up: Very Best of

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3 star:		(2)
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This is a great selection of songs. However, if the record company could find a shorter version than the original to put on this collection, they did it. The same thing happened on David Bowie's singles collection. The following is the full version's time followed by the chopped version's time.

If you think you know how to love me 4:23 > 3:43
We live for love 3:57 > 3:35
Shadows of the night 4:20 > 3:40
Love is a battlefield 5:24 > 4:00
All fired up 4:27 > 4:08
One Love 5:12 > 4:30
Invincible 4:28 > 4:00

I do not have all her albums, but I do have the first three (the big three): In The Heat Of The Night, Crimes Of Passion and Precious Time. All the songs on the first two albums and most from the third are worthy of having, so I would recommend buying them outright. I also have a copy of Best Shots (1 disc), so those were the songs that I was able to compare above. Best Shots also contains the song Painted Desert, which is beautifully haunting and definitely worth having (from the Tropico album but left off of All Chopped Up).

The All Chopped Up booklet has the picture sleeves from the 45 rpm singles. There were a lot of 'em and they are nice to look at (obviously!).

At the age of forty eight, I seem to be going through mid-life crisis right on schedule. Lately, I have been purchasing the music of the years of my youth, those so called "prime" years of the twenties and early thirties. The only mistake I've made so far was "The Best Of Loverboy"....don't know WHAT I was thinking there!(must be high testosterone levels, gotta have that checked out.) However, I was pleasently surprised by Pat Benatar's "All Fired Up", a collection comprised of most of her hits, and some not so well known tunes. Though we did listen to her way back when, and certainly acknowledged that this girl had a fabulous voice, we used to make fun of her. Most of her songs we found terrible. And, her what we perceived to be "tacky" style wasn't for us, she just wasn't avante-garde, like our beloved Deborah Harry. Also, her career was born around the same time as MTV, and though this certainly helped create her immense stardom, the videos themselves were pretty, well....bad. No, though she could belt out songs better than almost all of them, her image was for the straight boys and girls with big hair. She was someone you could picture tossing down a beer at the bar between sets. I guess you could say she was just too REAL for us. Re-visiting her songs, as I have with this collection, it is now easier to forget about silly "image", and, just concentrate on the music. I have come away with the conclusion that she has one of the most underrated voices around. Though she was a huge-selling star, indeed, one of the biggest of her day, I suspect that much of her material just wasn't good enough for her incredible voice. There are numerous top of the chart hits here, such as "Heartbreaker", the song that not only introduced her to the public, but, made everyone sit up and say "WHO is that?!" This collection covers her whole career, from around 1980 to the early '90s. There are some surprises here also. Most of the public did not take notice of her excellent jazz effort released in the '90s. Before she became a major rock queen, she was an opera trained jazz singer. Her songs, such as "True Love", show she is an impressive, expressive jazz singer, who could give Norah Jones a run for her money (don't laugh.) Some have complained that there are shortened versions of her most famous hits here. This may be true, however, I was not bothered by this. I now find these are great songs, made so by the versatility and talent of this wonderful singer whose voice is as powerful and perfect as a laser. Pat Benatar is still touring, still happily married to band-mate Neil Geraldo, and still seems to love what she was born to do, sing. She is one neat, balanced, and, yes, stylish lady. The only thing different is that, I no longer make fun of her. Because, she's just GREAT.

(the short version...)

ALL FIRED UP: THE VERY BEST OF PAT BENATAR is the most complete and only chronological overview of Pat Benatar's career as a singles artist, accurately presenting the songs in the mixes found on their original single issues. This is an official release, not one of the numerous, dreaded, generic issues that have flooded the market in recent years. The entire package is well designed, and the sound quality is superb.



(The long version...)

This is an entry explaining what you'll be getting on this collection moreso than a proper review of its content. All Fired Up: The Very Best Of Pat Benatar is a 2 disc singles collection spanning her years on the Chrysalis record label (1979-1993).

This was her last official release on that label under contract, and since then Chrysalis has been swallowed by Capitol records. Due to this, the majority of her releases have gone out of print in the United States, including this collection. Fortunately other territories later put this excellent collection into print.

Here's hoping that sometime in the near future Capitol records finally releases the cancelled remastered albums that were scheduled for release last summer. This was done for Blondie in 2001, and it would be great to see Pat's classic albums brought up to todays standards.

Back to this set. 33 singles are spaced across the two compact discs in chronological order. Many people have complained that songs here are "chopped", which in some instances is certainly true, but the reason for this is that this collection accurately uses all of the versions issued on her original 7" (45rpm) singles. THESE ARE THE HIT VERSIONS, not newly altered mixes made just because some record executive felt like it. Most collections since have opted to use the original album versions, making this an essential release for the collector or casual fan who wishes to have the familiar versions that made these songs hits in the first place.



Here is a detailed tracklisting for those curious as to what versions have been included...

Disc One
FROM "IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT" (1979)
- I Need A Lover - non-US single, released promotionally in US, and received heavy airplay after Heartbreaker broke as a hit
- If You Think You Know How To Love Me (Single Edit) - non-US single, released promotionally in US
- Heartbreaker
- We Live For Love - an edit of the rock radio remix which replaced the original album version soon after it was first issued in 1979, and has become the standard version. It's also worth mentioning that the non-US collections "Best Shots" (1987) and "The Very Best Of" (1994) instead feature the 1985 "Tropico"-ized remix first found on the "We Belong" 12" single.

FROM "CRIMES OF PASSION" (1980)
- You Better Run (Specially Mixed) - mono version, presumably to lend a retro vibe to this cover song
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot - the album version, though the non-US single features a punchier remix with additional bursts of guitar on the beginning and end. This version can be found on the international Best Shots CD from 1987, and the single disc collection The Very Best Of from 1994
- Treat Me Right - this fades 20 seconds early, and it's not even noticeable.
- Hell Is For Children - not a single release, but received a ton of radio play and has become a live staple

FROM "PRECIOUS TIME" (1981)
- Fire And Ice
- Promises In The Dark - the album version, though an edit which removes the lengthy guitar solo exists on a promotional release

FROM "GET NERVOUS" (1982)
- Shadows Of The Night (Single Edit)
- Little Too Late (Single Edit)
- Looking For A Stranger
- Anxiety (Get Nervous) - non-US single, video only release in the US

FROM "LIVE FROM EARTH" (1983)
- Love Is A Battlefield (Single Version) - a dramatically edited version that is also a subtle remix. In recent years, retro radio has gone back to spinning this version
- Lipstick Lies - non-US single, video only release in the US

Disc Two
FROM "TROPICO" (1984)
- We Belong (Single Version) - the album version with ad-libbed singing over the intro, also used in the video
- Ooh Ooh Song - the album version, though an edit exists on a promotional release
- Temporary Heroes (Single Version) - non-US single, promotional release in the US

FROM "SEVEN THE HARD WAY" (1985)
- Invincible (Single Edit)
- Sex As A Weapon
- Le Bel Age (Single Edit)

FROM "WIDE AWAKE IN DREAMLAND" (1988)
- All Fired Up (Single Version) - specially remixed intro...a shorter edit of which appears on a promotional and import CD
- Don't Walk Away (Single Edit)
- Let's Stay Together (Single Edit) - slightly remixed
- One Love (Edit) - released as a single in the US to promote the 1989 stateside release of Best Shots. Issued as a single elsewhere a year prior to promote "Wide Awake In Dreamland"

FROM "TRUE LOVE" (1991)
- True Love - non-US single, released promotionally in the US
- Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss - non-US single, released promotionally in the US
- So Long - non-US single, released promotionally in the US

FROM "GRAVITY'S RAINBOW" (1993)
- Everybody Lay Down (Edit) - non-US single, though it received a ton of airplay and was on track to being quite a success. Released promotionally in the US
- Somebody's Baby (Edit)
- Crazy (Edit) - released promotionally in the US
- Every Time I Fall Back (Remix Edit) - this is an edit of the remix (later found in full on the boxed set Synchronistic Wanderings) for the planned single and video release in the US...all of which was cancelled. The video has since been lost.



(for the completist...)

WHAT'S MISSING:
Rated X (non-US Single, from "In The Heat Of The Night")
I'm Gonna Follow You (video-only release, from "Crimes Of Passion")
Precious Time (video-only release, from "Precious Time")
Painted Desert (non-US single/video, from "Tropico")
Big Life (promotional single, from "Seven The Hard Way")
Please Come Home For Christmas (released promotionally, later included on the "True Love" CD) - though nothing is worse than xmas cuts on "best of" collections



(and for the hell of it...)

ADDITIONAL SINGLES RELEASED SINCE THIS COLLECTION WAS ISSUED:
Strawberry Wine (Life Is Sweet) (Radio Edit) - from "Innamorata" (1997)
At This Time (promotional single, from "Innamorata") (1997)
Papa's Roses (promotional release, from "Innamorata") (1997)
Christmas In America (see "Please Come Home For Christmas", later included on "Go") (2001)
Have It All (promotional release, from "Go") (2003)
Go (cancelled promotional release, from "Go") (2003)



The artwork is extremely well done, devoting a 2 page spread to each of her albums from the period covered, along with song information, single covers, and tons of photographs. There is no denotation of versions used or chart positions, but this is a minor quibble.

The sound quality is fantastic. The songs on these discs were remastered and are loud, clear and as perfect as they could possibly have been.

A must-have.

This CD has the majority of Pat Benatar's hits over the last 17 years. Her voice is incredible and this makes an excellent gift to those of whom are only now discovering her voice. The songs range from the Grammy Award winning "Shadows of the Night" and "We Belong" to her more recent hits like "Somebody's Baby". THis CD is a must have for any fan. It also comes with an incredible booklet of pictures and release dates of all the singles included. Incredible. END

As far as compilations go "All Fired Up" is a VERY comprehensive overview of Pat Benatar's career and great starting point for fans and casual listeners alike. I have many of her old albums on vinyl and didn't want to really replace them individually on CD but effectively did that with this compilation. Most of the tracks you could possibly want are all here including all 15 of her Top 40 hits, fan favorites, and awesome album tracks that weren't singles like "Hell is for Children," "I Need a Lover," and "Lipstick Lies." It's easy to caricature Benatar as the prototypical rocker chick, frozen forever in her 1980s video glory, but "All Fired Up" helps to shatter that by showcasing later tracks from her releases "True Love" and "Gravity's Rainbow," capturing her full range and charting her growth as an artist and vocalist.

"All Fired Up" is a superior collection especially compared with the skimpy offerings on "Best Shots," her other greatest hits compilation. The sound quality here is overall pretty good but the packaging doesn't include much more than track listing information and a lot of wonderful photos. If you're looking for your "best shot" at a Pat Benatar compilation THIS is the one to chose!

Greatest Hits collections frustrate the hell out of Me.Primarily because so many of the artists that I listen to were huge 70's Album-Rock juggernauts prior to their 80's Top 40 makeovers.(HEART,CHEAP TRICK,EDDIE MONEY,AEROSMITH etc.)And as a consequence, have a string of "hits" that never saw the "A"-side of a single.And 'tho PAT BENETAR is one of those artists, this is not one of those collections! I'm sure that some fans will debate the omission of this track or that,But this is as good as it gets short of an anthology or boxset.Buy one for yourself, and another to slip into your daughters collection,Then maybe she'll understand why listening to Jessica Simpson is SO wrong- You'll thank Me later......

well this 2 cd collection has a lot of songs...i was stunned when i leaned that these were the single versions of these songs...how can you release a 2 cd set and make these great songs the single versions...the 1st cd was only 58 minutes and i was like hmmm till i found out...i guess this cd needs to be re issued and make the full versions here

Lloyd

As far as compilations go "All Fired Up" is a VERY comprehensive overview of Pat Benatar's career and great starting point for fans and casual listeners alike. I have many of her old albums on vinyl and didn't want to really replace them individually on CD but effectively did that with this compilation. Most of the tracks you could possibly want are all here including all 15 of her Top 40 hits, fan favorites, and awesome album tracks that weren't singles like "Hell is for Children," "I Need a Lover," and "Lipstick Lies." It's easy to caricature Benatar as the prototypical rocker chick, frozen forever in her 1980s video glory, but "All Fired Up" helps to shatter that by showcasing later tracks from her releases "True Love" and "Gravity's Rainbow," capturing her full range and charting her growth as an artist and vocalist.

That said though, these are NOT the album length versions of the songs and are the edited versions of the songs you likely heard on the 45s, on the radio, and in the videos. That may throw some listeners who aren't familiar with the dual formats many recordings have. It's a minor quibbling point here and really more a matter of preference. This compilation was originally a release in the USA and elsewhere, but now sadly is only available as an import or, if you can find it, used.

"All Fired Up" is a superior collection especially compared with the skimpy offerings on "Best Shots," her other greatest hits compilation. The sound quality here is overall pretty good but the packaging doesn't include much more than track listing information and a lot of wonderful photos. If you're looking for your "best shot" at a Pat Benatar compilation THIS is the one to chose!

This is the most comprehensive collection of Pat Benatar's "best of" packages. It has 33 songs and a great song selection. I was very happy to see it in the store and I decided to buy it as soon I a saw the amount and quality of song titles. Unfortunately, it includes the single versions of many songs. These single cuts fade away early and not very gracefully.

When is EMI Records going to give us Pat Benatar fans our cake and let us eat it too? I would love to see a CD with all the songs that are on "All Fired Up!", the sound quality of the remastered "Greatest Hits", and album versions the way "Best Shots!" offers.

Ok so Pat has a lot of hits compilatons. Best Shots, Synchronistic Wanderings, Live From Earth..the list goes on. There's a reason and this CD shows it. Her opera background, her staying power. She's got it. And so does this CD. Going thru to True love this covers her singles as well as some lesser known nuggets. More comprehensive then Best Shots and less fluffier than Synchronistic Wanderings, this effort is the must have set!