Customer Reviews

Best Of Ashford & Simpson

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson know how to write music. From their early Motown hits, to their work with Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and many others, they have written and produced some of the choicest soul music of the last 35 years. Unfortunately, they never seem to get the recognition for their self recorded/produced music that they have received for their work with others. This set goes a long way to showcasing how extremely talented the couple is as a duo.
A&S hit their peak as recording artists with a series of mid-70's albums on Warner Brothers Records, and that makes up the bulk of this set. To me, "It Seems To Hang On" is their single greatest moment in the studio, and listening to this tune is bliss, indeed. Sweeping strings, a wonderful base line and intelligent lyrics sung by two people who are clearly in love with each other make for an epic moment.
Also from the Warner years, the beautiful ballad "Is It Still Good To You" is a beauty of a duet - its lyrics reflect the level of commmitment in a relationship that has gone on for years, and Nick's strong vocals here are a real pleasure. "Street Corner" is another r&b radio staple that sounds great - unfortunately this album uses the single version, rather than presenting the entire "Street Corner Symphony".
Many fans will appreciate that "Solid", A&S's biggest hit from their years recording for Capitol is here - it's a good song, but for my ears, I would have preferred the inclusion of "Babies".
Another unfortunate exclusion is "Stay Free", a beautiful song from the mid-seveties. But it is more than made up for by the inclusion of Quincy Jones's "Stuff Like That", which features Nick, Val and Chaka Khan in what was their only joint recording appearance - these three could have done some great stuff together, given the opportunity (especially when one considers that Nick and Val wrote two of Chaka's biggest solo hits, I'm Every Woman and Clouds).
A great collection, but since it doesn't include "Babies" and "Stay Free", I can't give it a perfect score.

If you just want a nice collection of some of the greatest hits, this collection does a nice job of giving you just that...

The duo has started their own record label and have re-released two of their rare Warner Brothers albums on cd (avalible on cd for the first time ever). The releases include their very first album for Warner Brothers titled "Gimme Something Real" and their last Warner's album "Performance" which was a live recording with additional studio material. Both cds include the original art work, and could easily be considered collectors items. Once again, if you want the hits, check this cd out, and if you want more be sure to stop by the duo's official web site.

Ashford & Simpson were a duo that I always liked, admired and respected, yet never owned any of their music. I actually went to the store to seek this CD out last week, and playing it immediately put a smile on my face.

Song after song, from top to bottom, this CD has the goods. I've never been an Ashford & Simpson "expert," so I couldn't name a lot of their songs prior to this purchase, so many of the song titles did not ring a bell. But when I played it, it all came together!

I knew "Don't Cost You Nothing," "Send It," "Solid," and of course the opening live medley, but the other tunes made me smile the most -- songs that I always liked but sort of forgot about -- "Somebody Told A Lie," "It Seems To Hang On," "Is It Still Good To You," "Found A Cure," etc. Hearing those really makes you appreciate how prolific this duo were, for their own recordings and for others.

This is the kind of CD that makes you feel good. Period.

Along with full length versions of Ashford & Simpson's biggest hits, "Somebody Told A Lie" from 1976's "Come As You Are" makes its CD debut on this collection. Warner Records tracks such as "So So Satisfied", "Over and Over", plus more cuts from Ashford & Simpson's stay at Capitol would have been nice, yet it's a very satisfying set. Combine this one with Capitol's compilation and you'll just about have the two CD set this soulful couple deserved.

This is a great CD, however, there's one album in particular that I have been looking for since it came out in 1976 -- 'Come As You Are', which contains the song "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come." It's been out of print for so long. Can anyone tell me where I can get a copy from, please.

Ashford&Simpson are kinda taken for granted because they have written so many great songs&rarely get half there due.this Set Highlights many of there Solo Jams that still sound as fresh now as the time they were released."Solid" is still a Cut that can light up a dance floor same with "Street Corner".there voices also blend well together.this is a Happening set.

The songs by Ashford & Simpson reminds me when I was just a lit-
tle girl from 1974-1986! I remember seeing one of their videos
on Music Video 60 in 1984 like Solid! Great Job, Ashford & Sim-
pson, you'll are the greatest singers in The R&B Industry!!!

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are the colorful and yet under appreciated song writers for many R&B singers when lyrics and melody mattered. This collection has two songs never before released since vinyl! '(I Know You)Anywhere' and 'Somebody Told A Lie'.It is worth having for these two unreleased tracks alone. This collection show cases their simplicty yet masterful range of harmony and melody blended into a short, tasty feel good dessert. Too, many here to call a favorite.This is a good collection that falls short of a box set!This has the Warner Brothers and Capitol releases. They have many of the songs here that exceeded ones expectations of their ability to stay simple without going across the border of long winded preachiness. This is definitely not a collection that one must generally skip over many of the tracks to get a good song.Many will be recoginizable to a new fan.These songs were so enduring through time that so many of their compositons were chosen on movie sountracks.In the end you'll question why a box set was never released?

I don't think all of Ashford and Simpson's best songs would fit on one CD, but this collection is a good start. The songs come from many albums, including "Performance," "Gimme Something Real," and "Come As You Are," which were not released on CD. No Ashford and Simpson "Best Of" collection would be complete without "Solid." "Stuff Like That," which was co-written by Quincy Jones, is also outstanding. If you don't already have all of Ashford and Simpson's great music, add this album to your collection.

FINALLY A DOSE OF VITAMIN A & S!! IVE BEEN A QUART LOW SINCE THE 80'S. YOU WANT AN ANTIDOTE TO DEPRESSION?? JUST TRY AND TELL ME THIS IS NOT THE MOST JOYFUL MUSIC OUTSIDE OF CHURCH.( FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT SO INCLINEDTO ATTEND YET NEED SOME UPLIFTING. TRY AND KEEP YOUR AGED DECAYING HIPS IN YOUR SEAT WHEN YOU HEAR "DONT COST YOU NOTHING" OR "NOBODY KNOWS THE INSIDE."
WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS CD??? IVE BEEN WAITING SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW FOR ANYTHING FROM "PERFORMANCE" SINCE 1980 SINCE I LENT MY TAPE OUT AND NEVER GOT IT BACK IN 84 };Q... YOU CANT GET "YOUR'E ALL I NEED AND AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH NUFF MEDLEY" ANYWHERE ELSE.
"NOBODY KNOWS THE INSIDE" HAS GOT TO BE THE BADDEST DANCE SONG ALL TIME.!!! FINALLY THE STOCK/BOND ISSUE OF ASHFORD AND SIMPSON WILL GET SOME NOTICE. I THINK THEY HAVE MORE FUNK AND SPUNK THAN ANYONE WHO EVER COVERED THEIR SONGS. INCLUDING THE BOSS..AND MARVIN.. EVEN AT THEIR 50 ISH AGE, I DOUBT THERE ARE BETTER LOOKING PERFORMERS INCLUDING ALICIA KEYS WHO DEFINITELY LEARNED A FEW TRICKS AND COPPED A FEW BRAIDS FROM VALERIE. IS IT JUST ME ??? EVERY TIME I SEE ALICIA I KNOW IM SEEING VALERIE. MAYBE TONITES R AND R HALL OF FAME WILL END MY ENDLESS FRUSTRATION WITH THIS HIGHLY UNDERRATED DUO. I SWEAR I SAW THEM ON THE PROMO..? I ONLY WISH "REMEMBER ME" WAS COVERED.. IT TOOK ABOUT TEN YEARS TO FIND DIANA ROSS'S VERSION OF THAT ONE.. AND SPEAKING OF THE BOSS...WHERE IS MY SONG "THE BOSS"??? I WISH SOMEONE BESIDES DIANA WOULD COVER THIS SONG..SCUSE THE EXUBERANCE.