The Best ...So Far

Anne Murray | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 29, 1994)
• Original Release Date: November 29, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002TU5
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #760 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #43 in Music > Pop > Soft Rock
  • #54 in Music > Pop > Adult Contemporary > General AAS
  • #70 in Music > Country > Today's Country

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Not exactly a country artist, since her records lack twang, and too casual and intimate to make for a standard-issue MOR pop performer, Anne Murray's phenomenally warm, smooth voice has nevertheless secured a lofty place for her in both categories--and has occasionally brought her into the mainstream (read: traditionally rock and soul dominated) pop arena. If you're not a fan, or much of a country enthusiast, it's her '70s pop hits that'll make the package worthwhile. "Snowbird" is here, as is "You Needed Me." If you are a fan, or are looking for songs that hit only on the country or Canadian charts, there'll be a lot of key stuff missing. Investigate the 3 CD Now and Forever collection. --Gavin McNett

Product Description

A full 20 hits from that impossibly warm voice that lit up both the pop and country charts in the '70s and '80s. Hits include Snowbird; You Needed Me; Danny's Song; You Won't See Me; Daydream Believer; Love Song; Broken Hearted Me , and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Serious Music Fans!, July 18, 2004

By 

K. Downey (Atmore, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best ...So Far (Audio CD)

Anne Murray - The Best...So Far is must for any serious music collection. Murray has been in the business more than 35 years, has sold more than 40 million records, and is still selling out concert halls today. The songs included are songs we all know by heart including her four Grammy winning songs (Love Song, You Needed Me, Could I Have This Dance, A Little Good News), the early RPM award winning songs (Snowbird, Danny's Song), her Duet of the Year with Dave Loggins (Nobody Loves Me Like You Do), and countless others.

The woman who has been named Female Vocalist of the Year more than 20 times by various awards shows and has won more JUNOs than anyone - EVER -has indeed put 20 of her finest tracks on this one CD. This includes one unreleased gem of a song - the sweetly sentimental Over You. Of course there will be some songs that weren't included on the CD that could have been there, but that's only because Murray had so many top-notch songs to choose from. Indeed, these 20 songs do represent Murray's incredible success in the business...so far. If it's not in your collection, add it right away. You won't be disappointed.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First-Class Best Of From A Distinctive, Reliable Hitmaker, August 1, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best ...So Far (Audio CD)

Distilled from the exhaustive 3CD set "Now and Forever," Anne Murray's "The Best...So Far" lives up to its title. It gleans some of the best pop/country crossover hits from one of music's most distinctive, reliable voices.

Influenced as much by the blue-eyed soul of Dusty Springfield and by 50s pop singers like Patti Page as folk or country, Murray conveys emotion and drama with minimal histrionics. Her versions of Kenny Loggins' "Danny's Song" and "A Love Song" are calm and reassuring where their author's vocals were Seventies singer-songwriter sweet.

Murray's 1978-81 string of hits ("Broken Hearted Me," "Could I Have This Dance," the elegant "You Needed Me") preserved adult MOR in years dominated by hard rock and disco ("You Needed Me" was Top 10 with "Boogie Oogie Oogie," and "Kiss You All Over"). She gives the same essential country/rock feel to the Beatles' "You Won't See Me" and to Jo Stafford's "Make Love To Me," recorded 20 years apart, hitting the mark each time.

Some song choices are contestable; her take of the Everlys' "Walk Right Back" would have been preferable to David Foster's "Now and Forever," as outdated musically as "A Little Good News" is lyrically (these days, few people watch Bryant Gumbel talk about anything). But overall, "The Best...So Far" is the Anne Murray collection to get for casual fans, summing her greatest hits in a portrait of what Carole King called "a very thorough professional." Highly recommended.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great compilation of Anne's music, October 16, 2003

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best ...So Far (Audio CD)

This compilation, concentrating as it does on the American hit singles, is not necessarily the best of Anne Murray. Two of my favorite Anne Murray tracks - Wintry feeling and Song for the Mira - were not released as singles, but I would certainly rate them more highly than some of the major hits. That said, this is a compilation of extremely high quality.

All the classics are here including Snowbird (the song that made her famous), You needed me (an American number one pop hit), Danny's song, You won't see me (a cover of a Beatles song), Daydream believer (a cover of a Monkees hit), Could I have this dance (from the Urban cowboy soundtrack) and A little good news (a political song, rare for Anne). Of the others, I particularly like Just another woman in love, Broken hearted me, Shadows in the moonlight and I just fall in love again.

While it is not possible to fit all of Anne's classic songs on one CD, this is an excellent collection. If you only want one CD of Anne's music, this is a good choice.