The Collection

Martha Wash | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 1998)
• Original Release Date: January 27, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Logic
• ASIN: B000005XA7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,074 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. It's Raining Men...The Sequel

2. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)

3. God Bless the Read

4. Give It to You

5. Someone Who Believes in You

6. Taking Away Your Space

7. Strike It Up

8. Come

9. Keep on Jumpin'

10. It's Time I Do

11. Catch the Light

12. Takin' Over

13. Carry On

14. Catch the Light [East]

Editorial Reviews

1998 Logic Records edition distributed by BMG Music.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant singer, mediocre collection, September 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Collection (Audio CD)

Martha Wash's voice is NOT the problem here. It's not even the songs that she sings on this 'greatest hits' collection. It's more a matter of what has been neglected, making the album incomplete. This can not even pretend to be the best collection of songs by Martha Wash, or even a collection worthy of being the only one by her on the market.

Let's start with the basics. RuPaul is a wonderful personality, but she can not compete with the original singing of Izora Rhodes (later Izora Armstead). Izora ripped into "It's Raining Men" with throaty abandon. RuPaul's vocals are not only totally outmatched by Martha Wash's, but they're annihilated simply by the memory of Izora's.

Another basic rule for a Martha Wash collection, or indeed any collection by such a good singer, is: unless the song is unbelievably brilliant, don't include tracks where the singer is not the focus. For this specific collection, the songs with C+C Music Factory should be dumped.

Another problem: Martha's work with Two Tons is underrepresented, and the work with the Weathergirls is not represented at all. There should have been space here to include a number (or, better yet, much more than one) by the Weathergirls. How about her singing on "Hope" from the 'Success' album, or either "Love's on the Way" or "Why Can't We Show Our Love" from 1987's 'Weathergirls' LP? Also, including "It's True I Do" as one of two songs from her Two Tons days is sacrilege. Where is the classic duet "I Been Down" from 1980's 'Backatcha' or "Just Us" from the original 'Two Tons o' Fun' album?

Another missed opportunity comes when Martha's work with Sylvester is ignored. She's instrumental to the success of songs like "I (Who Have Nothing)," plus perhaps her best singing ever on the live 1979 duet from Sylvester's 'Living Proof' LP, "Could It Be Magic?/A Song for You."

There are only two more complaints: could the rights to her duet with Luther Vandross on "I (Who Have Nothing)" been secured? If so, why weren't they? The two are simply incredible on the song.

Finally, her 1992 album 'Martha Wash' is represented, but with the wrong tracks. Including "Carry On" was a good move, and there's nothing wrong with "Give It To You," but it is not the best song from the album. "Leave a Light On" is a better dance track than "Give It to You." For that matter, so is part two of "Hold On." That album's best song was undeniably "Now That You're Gone," which she wails and growls in a low, throaty register. Why is it not included?

The album does show some spark in its selection of ballads, since "Someone Who Believes in You" and "Taking Away Your Space" are legendary. The latter features Martha hitting a note that an opera star would be proud of. If only two songs could be included from the Two Tons, "Taking Away Your Space" is a great choice.

Ultimately, though, the album is a cheat. If a novice listener plans to buy only this album, he or she will miss brilliant vocal moments. For a committed fan, it's not even a decent overview of her career. So how about the release of a better, more complete collection? If compilers can't resist including her singing backing vocals on club tracks, why not create a boxed set?

Her singing is five stars. The compilation is ridiculously inadequate. A piece of advice: search long and hard to find the original albums from all facets of Martha Wash's career. Those albums are a whole lot better buy than this collection.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Huge Talent!, January 2, 2003

By 

fabio-italy (milan, italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Collection (Audio CD)

Ever happened you were listening to the radio and you went: "hey this voice is familiar...?" and then the dj says the name of a band that is different from the one you were thinking of?
Well, then - most probably - you were listening to a dance group featuring the lady in question.
Martha has always been high up on the wish list of lots of dance groups in need of a vocalist with experience, skills and a GREAT voice.
See: Two Tons of Fun, C&C Music Factory or Black Box...just to name a few...
This Cd by Martha is a compilation that most easily includes 20 years of dance anthems.
I like the feeling i get whenever i hear her voice.
She is so talented, it hurt so bad when she was not given the due exposure because of her looks that apparently did not fit the marketing people.
So..what do we get here? A # 1 US smash with GONNA MAKE YOU SWEAT with C&C, a couple of Top Ten hits (STRIKE IT UP with Black Box - remixed version here - and her own GIVE IT TO YOU), two great duets (KEEP ON JUMPING, sung with another dancefloor heavyweight such as Jocelyn Brown and produced by Todd Terry, and the cover of Two Tons of Fun's IT'S RAINING MEN - a gay anthem in its own right....in duet with Ru-Paul...a winner!).
And then lots of good tracks, both to be enjoyed by listening or dancing as you please..
Do yourself a favour, good music is about music..not looks only.
Martha is waiting there for you to prove me right.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection!, December 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Collection (Audio CD)

This is a great collection of Martha's many popular hits with some new songs included too. I love this album! The only songs I think should've been left out would be "Everybody Dance Now," "Come," and "It's Raining Men." I 'm really not too fond of those songs, and I usually skip them. Songs like "Leave A Light On," "I Found Love (C+C Club Mix)," "Gonna Love You Over," "So What'cha Gonna Do" and "Just Us" should have also been included in this collection, so why weren't they?? I don't understand. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good collection. My personal favorites are "God Bless The Road (That Leads Me Home)," "Takin' Over (Feel The Groove)," "Catch The Light," and "Keep On Jumpin'." They're great songs and really show off Martha's talented singing ability. She's one hell of a singer and can definately belt it out. This is a must have for any music lover or true fan of dance music. Don't hesitate to get this great collection!