Customer Reviews

Back to Front

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

[One CD, with a running time of 50 minutes] This collection includes the very best of the golden voice of Lionel Richie. Featuring such greats as All Night Long and Three Times A Lady, it's a real treat. (Actually, I could have just listed all the songs, they're all great!) My missing favorite would be Dancing On The Ceiling, but that's a minor quibble. The paperwork contains some great black-and-white pictures, along with the words to the songs. This is a great buy!

This Greatest Hits CD proves that Lionel Richie is truly one of America's greatest ever singer/songwriters. Although Lionel is best know for his huge ballads there are however some outstanding uptempo tracks here as well proving what a versatile songwriter he really was.

Featuring all his major solo hits along with some of the Commodores (he was the lead vocalist) biggest hits as well this CD is a must for any music fan as it higlights great songwriting and if you love love songs there is no way you can do without this - buy it now.

Lionel's vocals show emotion in almost all his songs and everyone is touching in a way and you can feel the pain at times. Prime examples of this are Still, Truly and the phenomenally huge Hello. Other higlights include the more dancey Say You Say Me and possibly his finest achievement All Night Long which is a great dance tune. My favourite however is Three Times A Lady as it has to be one of the most beautiflu songs ever.

This man was a genius and this CD proves it and i highly recommend it to everybody.

There is no denying that Lionel Richie is a superstar in the soul music genre.
A lot of soul fans will disagree with this statement as Richie has become very middle of the road with his more recent music. Even some of the songs on this set will have soul boys turning up there noses.

"Back To Front" has tracks on it which will be forever marked as "Classic". Some of the tracks are no doubt on the slushy side. "Hello" the most notable one with the annoying video. But its vintage Richie. Its beautiful, corny and beautiful again.
"My Destiny" is another classic. Its of course catchy but one which showcases the voice that he possess.
"All Night Long" again is classic and one of the many many Richie songs that gets so much radio play. Everyone knows this song. Its typical accessable Lionel Richie - a song for all.
"Easy" is perhaps the best ever song written by the man. Sung while still with the Commadores, "Easy" is a track you can't hate.

Ballads have always been his forte. And all the classics are here in the bucket loads.
One of the best duets of all time, "Endless Love" with Diana Ross is here, with the heart wrenching "Stuck On You" the soulful "Penny Lover and the anthem "Say You Say Me".
Its all here on this excellent and now so cheap history of a superstar - Lionel Richie.

His music may not be "black" enough for some, and yes true he does attract a more middle of the road radio 2 listener - but that doesn't detract from the fact that Lionel Richie has had hit after hit and has made classic after classic.

I grew up in the 80's hearing Lionel Richie sing all these songs, so i got the cd and the songs are just as good as they've always been. It never gets old cause they are all classic, this is what 90's music is missing....there will probably never be much music thats good like this. Another thing i like about this CD is that it includes some good songs from The Commodores along with Lionel's best hits. The only complaint i have is that my favorite song that Lionel sings, "You Are" is missing.

I truly believe that Lionel Richie has been one of the greatest musicians of our time. He has such a great voice and beautiful songs. I wish he would come back with a new record that would take everyone's breath away. All love to him!!!!!

There are often times where a decent artist can make or break the best reflection of their career with a greatest hits record. While it is often desired as well as it could be, it is often declared as a miss. That has been the case with so many artists like Whitney Houston, Melissa Etheridge, and the late Luther Vandross. They've had a very wonderful reflection of music, but it wasn't that way with their greatest hits records. For Lionel Richie, he has been another example. His era of his solo works, and his success with The Commodores in the 60's and 70's, is arguably some of the most elequent works ever in the history of the Motown era, and his first greatest hits is a mixed reflection of good works.

Back To Front, Lionel Richie's 1992 greatest hits record, tries to do a good job at reflecting Lionel's solo works with his efforts with The Commodores in a convient package of music. The collection does have a lot of great songs that still remain defiant towards Lionel, and what has made him one of the most elequent singer/songwriters ever. The collection includes a lot of great songs from his career including Endless Love with Diana Ross, the Oscar-winning Say You Say Me from White Nights, All Night Long, Easy, and the tender ballad Hello. Although the album does include some great songs, there arguably could've been more added on that was overlooked from not just Lionel's solo works, but also The Commodores as well. The collection overlooks tracks like Love Will Conquer All, the soft and soulful Stuck On You, and Commodores tracks like Lady (You Bring Me Up), and Brick House.

All in all, Back To Front fairs well as a good hits collection reflecting Lionel Richie's career, but there just could've been a whole lot more to have been desired that should've been shown. I absolutely suggest you purchase the 2003 Lionel Richie Definitive Collection instead. It is a much better greatest hits record than this one.

Album Cover: B 1/2-

Songs: B-

Price: B-

Remastering: C+

Overall: C 1/2+

Rewind 8 years: On my way to high school and BACK TO FRONT is playing on my mom car's stereo...Fast forward to present: and BACK TO FRONT is STILL playing, only this time on MY own CD player.

This album is a definite classic!!! "Back to Front" only gets better each time you listen to it and will have you singing along in no time. Richie's lyrics are plain, simple and sincere; the kind men write to their partners and pass off as their own. His voice too is absolutely phenomenal. This is one of the few albums you listen through without skipping a single track.

Listen out for top songs like "My Destiny"(my personal favourite).

From the first time that I saw you
I knew it was forever
This mighty love between us
Will keep us together
You're the girl God sent from heaven
I'm so glad I found you, Forever............Its lyrics tug at every last string....lovely lovELY, LOVELY!!

Other personal favourites include:
-"Stuck on you" - Doesn't seem to be on this version but it's definitely one of the better tracks.
-"Do it to me one more time"
-"Three times a lady"
-"Running with the night"
I definitely 101% recommend this album to all classic R&B lovers out there. Perfect for a lie-in with that special person..

I must admit that I hadn't listened to Lionel Richie in about 20 years, but for some reason I felt compelled to purchase this CD a few years back - and I am really glad that I did!

"Back to Front" is filled with the best love songs ever sung by this amazing artist! It's one of those CD's where every song is great, and the artists passion is palpable. Plus, it brought with it some wonderful memories from my high school days - when Lionel Richie was at the top of his game.

I would recommend this CD to anyone who remembers listening to Lionel Richie in the past - once you hear him again, you'll remember why you loved these songs back then! I would also highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys listening to great love songs - Lionel Richie is one of the best crooners out there!

THIS IS NOT MY FAVORITE BUT I LOVE DOING MY HOUSEWORK WITH THIS PIECE IT JUST MOTIVATES ME...I HAVE ALWAYS LOVE LIONEL VOICE EVEN WHEN HE WAS WITH THE COMMODORES. I SAW HIM PERFORM IN CINCINNATI DOING DANCING ON THE CEILING. HE IS SO TALENTED, HE DOES NOT HAVE A BAD SONG THAT I HAVE HEARD.

Lionel Richie was always the truth. He always left his touch. He understood words&Music as well as anybody who has ever done it. the Brother can Write. he has that songs&Vocal moments where you are yelling OUTRAGIOUS!!!!! this is a Artist's Artist. He is One of My all Time Favorite Artist's Ever. I miss when His Music was Dominating the Charts. I wish all of these Rappers would go away&Lionel Richie's Music was running things again. this is a soul Brother who brought it.Only Michael Jackson had a Bigger impact back in the 80's than Lionel Richie. Irony they both Wrote the Mother of all World Uplifting songs in 'We Are the world". Lionel is only 2nd to MJ in terms of Leaving a Successful group&then going solo&blowing up even bigger. but Lionel Richie as a Songwriter is on that Mount Rushmore of Great songwriters. the Brother wrote them songs that you feel in your guts. LR was always the Musical Truth. this is a Great collection. Lionel Never sold as a Artist. he always stayed in his lane. Props to the soul brother always on Dat. he got the Career that is should be a required Blue-Print. he did it the right way.