Customer Reviews

The Best of Brandy

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These days everyone is releasing a greatest hits collection. It seems that even those who had one great hit a couple of misses and a myriad of b-sides and remixes are releasing a collection, The Very Best Of Dr. Alban anyone?. Back in the day, a collection was an anthology, only a few greats reached that level of grandiosity. Now even Britney is scurrying to put one together at any chance. They have become big business. As a consumer, one would want a collection of supposed sure-fire hits than an album that requires time to digest.
However, as a result of this overproduction of `greats' the title has become sort of a cliché and only a few hold as much substance as The Immaculate Collection or #1s.
This one, however, is a keeper. Brandy, after four amazing albums in a row, released the hits that made her a voice of a generation.
Bursting onto the scene with the innocent and instantly infectious "I Wanna Be Down," Brandy has yet to release a miss. Even when the sales went down, she released one of the best albums of 2004 - Afrodisiac.
This Best Of includes all the hits from the global number one "The Boy Is Mine" with Monica to the heavy on staccato "What About Us?."
The ballads a ever-present with "Have You Ever?," "Almost Doesn't Count," and "Brokenhearted" with Boyz II Men front man Wanya Morris.
It comes as no surprise that this record embodies 90's nostalgia as the feminine urban sound was kept alive by Brandy, her duet mate Monica and the late Aaliyah.
Tracks like "Baby" and "Best Friend" will bring back memories. The collection also includes a remix of "I Wanna Be Down" with Queen Latifah.
Other cuts that did not make albums are also included like the Phil Collin's cover of "Another Day In Paradise" with brother Ray J and Quincy Jones' rehashing on "Rock With You."
The latest hits "Who Is She 2 U" and the Kanye West aided "Talk About Our Love" add some new sounds.
Brandy has always created music for the people. Great melodies, simple lyrics and groovy sounds are all part of what makes Brandy still a star.
This album is a record to listen to and a record of our times. Brandy is set to switch labels after this package, let's just hope she continues her legacy.

Brandy has never been one of your typical soul belters nor has she been a pretty all dancing/some singing r'n'b puppet princess. What this retrospective shows is that over the last 10 years, she has used her warm, husky voice with subtelty and to excellent effect. Production on all of her albums has been sympathetic allowing her voice to almost "float" over the music at times giving it an ethereal quality. This is top notch contemporary pop/r'n'b that plays well to Brandy's strengths particularly on tracks like The Boy Is Mine, Sittin' Up In My Room and Talk About Our Love. Having said all this, for some reason Warner has released a different Best of Brandy in this part of the world. According to the track list here on Amazon the US release is missing Top Of The World, Missing You, Sittin' Up In My Room and Talk About Our Love while my version doesn't have Angel In Disguise, Brokenhearted, Best Friend and He Is. I think I got the better deal.

Although Brandy was only in her mid-teens when her debut album was issued in 1994, there was something relatively mature about her voice that set her above and beyond most others in her age range. A decade later THE BEST OF BRANDY collects as many of her key cuts that can fit on a single CD, and serves as the Brandy album to own for those who want the highlights (fans will no doubt want to keep the original albums, though). With a couple of exceptions, the tracks are presented in chronological order, and the earlier tracks clearly benefit from fresh remastering.

It's indicative of how big a splash she made on the pop scene in the mid-1990s that more than half of this anthology covers only the period from her first to her second album (1994-1998), and it's a tribute to the producers and songwriters that these are generally the most memorable cuts. They include four key tracks from her 1994 self-titled debut, the WAITING TO EXHALE cut "Sittin' Up In My Room," a cover version of "Rock With You" lifted off a Quincy Jones album, and six (!) from 1998's NEVER SAY NEVER.

After that her voice continued to mature, and this set lifts (only) two tracks each from 2002's FULL MOON and 2004's AFRODISIAC. While the tracks selected here from those CDs are worth repeated listens, one starts wondering if her career is on the verge of settling into a depersonalized procession of dial-a-producer, dial-a-rapper cuts. Granted not everyone has the talent to write personal songs, but I hope in the future her music will find a way to reveal more of herself. If nothing else, the nice soulful version of Phil Collins' "Another Day In Paradise" included here suggests she has a lot of options available to place her voice in varied contexts. No matter what happens in the future, THE BEST OF BRANDY is a solid collection that lives up to its name.

I was very happy with the selection of Brandy songs that were put on this album. All of these songs are my absolute favorites from Brandy. They all show her growth and her range from the first single "Baby" to her most current work "Afrodisiac". This is one of the best "greatest hits" or "best of" albums that I have purchased in a while. Some of my favorites on this CD are "Baby", "Best Friend", "I Wanna Be Down", "Angel In Disguise", "Sittin Up In My Room", "Talk About Our Love", and "Almost Doesn't Count". I recommend this album for any Brandy fan or R&B fan. BKLYNBABYLON signing off...

I never realized that Brandy had so many hit records. This is really a great compilation that Rhino has released. The set includes all of Brandy's biggest hits, and I don't find it lacking at all in the choice of songs included on the set. What does seem missing from the set is Brandy. What do I mean? There are no new liner notes or comments from the singer about the songs. No new video. No journalist scribed a retrospective in the linter notes for the set. It's pretty basic on the inside. Another thing missing is a lot of artist record new songs to coincide with the release of their greatest package. There are no new club bangers or new hot joints on the set which is rare for Brandy because it seems like she usually has new music out when the weather starts to break. There is one song on the set that is new to some fans, the song "Another Day In Paradise," is a duet with Brandy and her brother Ray J. This song was previously only available overseas and it was part of a Phil Collins tribute album.

As mentioned all of Brandy's biggest hits are here. The set opens with "Baby," which sounds great. When you listen to how Brandy breaks it down towards the end of the song you can hear how future big groups and artists like Destiny's Child were influenced by Brandy. From the first album are "Best Friends," "Brokenhearted," and both the original and remix version of "I Wanna Be Down." The smash song "The Boys Is Mine," is here as are both of the singles released from her second and third albums Full Moon and Afrodisiac. The soundtrack cuts are here, you will find "Sitting Up In My Room," from the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack as you will find Brandy's version of "Rock With You," which was featured on a Quincy Jones project.

It's really a great album and Brandy's latest songs "What About Us," and "Talk About Our Love," really sound great.

There is no song called "He Is" on this album. And "Sittin' up in my room" is on this album but is not on this list.

The Album is great!!!!! I love both songs that were remade: Rock With You and Paradise. They were great.

When you think about purchasing a "Greatest Hits" or "Best Of" CD, usually you may get some of the hits but not all, then you have to still search around and make up your own "hits" cd with all your favorite tracks. Well that is not the case with this package. This is one of the few compilations that give you the full picture and the complete story. Brandy has released several solid efforts over the past ten years and the best of the best is represented here in all her hits. They even included
"Brokenhearted" (w/ Wanya From Boyz II Men) "Sittin Up In My Room" "Rock With You" and the remix to "I Wanna Be Down" (w/ Queen Latifah, MC LYTE, & Yo Yo) This is one cd where you won't have to press the skip button even once.

I love me some Brandy Rayanna Norwood. I don't know there is something about the chick that keeps me wanting more and more. She is so beautiful, talented and just incredibly hot!!! I am so pleased with this compilation from her. My favorites include Angel In Disguise, Full Moon, Another Day In Paradise wiv the fine Ray-J, ECT. As you listen to each song you can really appreciate her growth over the years both artistically and vocally.


Upon listening to the album people should finally stop hating on her, and understand that she is only human and she deals with the same insecurities and problems that we all face. She is a living Legend in the R&B genre and the industry would never be the same without her. I'm so happy that she has bounced back from the disappointing sales of her last album (the amazing "Afrodisiac" *see my review) and is still going. It's okay Bran Bran, we all know you were going through a lot of shiznit last year. Please go cop this album it's totally hot . Keep going B-Rocka do yo thang, we love you girl!!!!

I have been playing this like crazy the past few days of Brandy's best-of album! Even both versions of I Wanna Be Down, the single version and that ultra-funky version with MC Lyte, YoYo and Queen Latifah! I even notice the growth of her voice as the second album's song selections weave into the third album's songs. Angel In Disguise still sounds strong 7 years later as is Full Moon 3 yrs. later. But Brandy's got loads of funky numbers in Baby, Who Is She To U,The Boy Is Mine with Monica, Best Friend, Top Of The World with Mase, Talk About Our Love with Kanye West and others. Even the songs from Quincy Jones album, the Waiting to Exhale album and that one Phil Collins tribute album are all nicely done. Have You Ever still sounds fabulous. Would have wanted some more cuts from last year's fabulous Afrodisiac, but they can only have so much to put on one CD. I wished that they could have written a passage of some liner notes in the booklet on Brandy: her career, what inspired her to do these songs; this one only lists the songs, writers, and chart positions of the songs. Or made it a 24 page CD-booklet of rare photos, as with other best of albums. Maybe they were pressed for time to put it out. She has really grown and accomplished so much as a singer and actress. Vocally, she's one of the best singers with her raspy vocal style. This album is so consistent and the songs blend and flow so perfectly here! Hope that she enjoys some more success on another label soon, like she did for a decade on Atlantic.

I love this album. Brandy is great and very talented. I didn't enter a fifth star, becuase Sitting Up In My Room isn't on here. That would have made this absolutely the best. All the other songs are great though and you'll love this.