Customer Reviews

Best of

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I was truly excited when this cd first came out in 1996, I had to have it and purchased it the day it came out. For years all I had from Jennifer is the soundtrack to "Dreamgirls" and the album (cd) "Get Close To My Love" which I found at a record store in the cut-out bin selling for around four dollars. This cd of her work has been in demand from the fans for years, I'm glad Geffen gave in. "The Best Of Jennifer Holliday" samples work from her soundtrack work with "Dreamgirls" and her three solo studio albums with Geffen and a track from her only album with Arista, "I'm On Yor Side," which was the album's title also. After this track the cd is filled with remixes which aren't bad, there was a cd single released from this album, the radio remix of "No Frills Love" with a previously unreleased song made "b" side, "Up Jumped Love," a mid-tempo ditty produced by Mtume. The cd could have been filled out with longer remixes or full-length original remixes in the like of "No Frills Love," the original 12" mix is an amazing display of synths and vocal tricks. Be that as it may, Geffen did release radio remixes to update this collection, they could have simply made this a collection in the way of "20th Century Masters," a much shorter collection featuring album cuts not found here. The bottom line here is Jennifer is not much represented by studio work, to say the performances here are all stellular would be redundant, this is a great representation of her work.

It's unfortunate that Jennifer Holliday never attained the attention she really deserves. In MY eyes, she is one of the best singers that ever lived! Due to the lack of material, perhaps, is why Jennifer never got as big as Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin. But when it comes to VOCAL QUALITY, she's better than the two I mentioned COMBINED :-)

But listen to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", "Come Sunday", or "I'm On Your Side" and you'll be convinced that this woman has the most beautiful and powerful vocals ever heard! Gosh, she could move MOUNTAINS with her vocals!

I've been a fan of Jennifer Holliday since the debut of the phenomenal single "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack. There was (and still is) something about that song that just cuts deep into your soul; the passion she puts into that song lets even the most casual of Holliday listeners know that this lady means business! "I Am Changing", another "Dreamgirls" track is a glorious song of self-empowerment, affirming the indomitable will of the human spirit. "I Am Love", from the "Feel My Soul" album is simply a revelation; listen to that song and you can just TELL that Jennifer's soaring.

Beautiful ballads aside, Jennifer also let's her legions of fans know that she can also rock the house with the best of them. Dance tracks like "Just Let Me Wait", "No Frills Love", and my personal favorite, "Early Warning" (from the Love to Infinity Sessions) can make you work up a sweat just standing (or sitting) still! This can't be Jennifer's "best", because I know that there is still more to come from this talented and formidable singer, and I for one eagerly look forward what's ahead!

If you've never heard Jennifer Holliday sing, then you have not lived and could be in for the treat of your life. She's that good. With all this talk about "divas", Jennifer is the real thing minus the attitude. Her powerhouse pipes are only surpassed by the masterful control of her delivery so whether she's signing an anthem or the softest song, she always stays within an emotional range that I would call perfection.

Those of you who are familiar with Jennifer Holliday probably first heard of her via her huge single "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Broadway sensation "Dreamgirls" or "No Frills Love". While she only released 3 recordings and never reached the initial success of her signature song, every single song in this collection is second to none and many should have been smashes.

This amazing collection of her Geffen recordings, released in 1996, is now out of print and her been replaced by the barebones "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Jennifer Holliday," which you should stay away unless you can't find this one at an acceptable price.

While Jennifer is still very much a part of the current music industry via a ton of dance reworkings and a few killer singles, I find it criminal that no producer has worked with Jennifer on a fully realized release. Amazing artists like Tina Turner or Cher, just to name a couple have made it around the block again because they are special and ageless. Jennifer deserves the same opportunity, or actually the public does even more, and this collection will tell you why.

There are few collections that truly deserve 5 full stars and this is one of those. The songs have aged well as the production is not too time specific and I would put money that any of these songs would top the charts if re-released as many of today's best selling artists need all sorts of bells and whistles, production miracles, marketing-infused collaborations to sell. Not this woman.

Listening to the voice of this wonderful singer is the equivolent of fireworks put to music--powerful and stunning! It is hard to imagine that anyone could go into the studio and put such dynamics into a recording. Ms. Holliday does this and more. Every song on this CD is a winner. The additional four bonus cuts are not found on any of her other "best of" CDs, therefore this is the one to have.

Grammy you are missing out on one of the greatest singers that this country has. She shines above them all!

There can be no denying that Jennifer Holliday's voice is one of the few true treasures in contemporary music. There can also be no denying that her limited recorded output and lack of greater success are among the true crimes in contemporary music. Unfortunately the material she has sung has not always allowed her to shine, nor has she always had the arrangements to do justice to her gift. Luckily some of her greatest moments are included here, giving a taste of her prowess as a belter and as a true interpreter of songs. And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going is still my all-time favourite vocal performance and even on funky outings like No Frills Love and Hard Time For Lovers, her voice lifts them to another level.

I was fortunate to see Jennifer Holliday's legendary performance as Effie Melody White in Michael Bennett's original production of "Dreamgirls", and just last month, a quarter century later, in a solo performance in the rotunda of the San Francisco City Hall as the headliner for the 2007 Equality Awards. Her full-throttle, gospel-fueled voice was a marvel then and it still is now. Even though it has been superseded by the Millennium Collection, this 1996 compilation is still worth seeking out for several tracks not available on the later release. It should come as no surprise that the two best known songs from "Dreamgirls" are still her finest moments on record simply because they fit the contours of her outsized voice and often theatrical delivery - the conciliatory urgency of "I Am Changing" and of course, her do-or-die signature anthem, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". Not even Jennifer Hudson's superb cover can approach the heightened emotional desperation and roof-raising volume that Holliday delivers.

It seems inevitable and something of a shame that the rest of her recorded output feels somewhat marginal despite often stellar vocal performances. Holliday was surrounded by grade-A talent like David Foster and Maurice White during the 1980's, when most of these songs were obviously recorded. However, most of the results now sound over-arranged and often dated. Pulsating disco beats saturate unmemorable tracks like "Just Let Me Wait", the echo-dominated "No Frills Love", and "Heart on the Line", while "Hard Times for Lovers" just sounds like generic, synth-saturated filler. "This Game of Love (I'm Never Coming Down)" is pure Ashford and Simpson with its hooks and hiccupping rhythm, and Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow's "Read It in My Eyes" sounds like a mix between Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire" and Christopher Cross's "Arthur's Theme" down to the melancholy trumpet solo.

When Holliday's voice is allowed to soar unencumbered by multi-tracking, the results can be sublime - the lush power ballad, "I Am Love"; the gospel-tinged "I'm on Your Side", and the quiet storm of "Say You Love Me". Easily the most impressive non-Effie track is the most elegant as she wraps her sizable voice with supple conviction around a sauntering cover of Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday". Probably to make the disc sound less like an eighties time capsule, there are three remixed dance-oriented tracks included, the so-called "Love to Infinity 96" sessions - a hyped-up, clubby version of "No Frills Love"; a sassy cover of the Bee Gees' oldie "Love Me"; and the more generic "Early Warning". An unreleased track from 1983, Maurice White's "Someday", is a nice if overproduced R&B cut. Holliday's recording career has been hamstrung by such excess behind the scenes, but as "Come Sunday" proves, she really could soar with more timeless material. Her voice is a true force of nature.

I had the honor of seeing Jennifer in my first broadway show which was Dreamgirls. I was blown away and have been an obsessed fan ever since. I own everything that she has ever recorded. If I were going to make a compilation of all of my favorite songs, this would be it. There are more that I would add but that would make this collection a box set.
If you have missed any of the albums during the time that they were available, you can make up for it here.
Jennifer has sung me through many dark times and I am eternally grateful to her.

Robert DeAngelis
Author/Oblivious Sensitive

As one of the earlier post mentioned i too saw jennifer on the tony awards show from the uk on some cable channel. You can still see this and many other performances of Jennifer on youtube.com. Jennifers voice is remarkable, her tone, power and phrasing are so unique that nobody could come close to singing a song like she can. The emotion is remarkable and if you like big voice divas then you cant get much better than this. Its a shame she wasnt surrounded by better producers and song writers that could have given her a bigger catalouge of songs but she has still managed to capture the hearts of many fans. The ballads are Jennifers showcase on this album. I am love and I am changing do her voice justice. If you havent heard her sing then give it a go you wont regret it. Lets hope she gets more exposure with the new dreamgirls show coming out and releases more material. Until then get this album.

Jennifer Holliday has been blessed with a wonderful voice. And that's an understatement! Her songs ooze with emotion. They come from deep in her heart to reach deep into the listener's heart. You can feel the conviction in her voice when she sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Don't mess with Ms. H!

She throws in some great power ballads too! "I Am Changing" is heart wrenching and some remixes of several songs add to the great variety on this CD.

If you want to hear good music and a strong, powerful voice, Jennifer Holliday is your woman! This is a true diva!