Essential Collection [Import]

R. Dean Taylor | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 16, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Polygram UK
• ASIN: B00005LOAO
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,501 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Gotta See Jane

2. Back Street

3. Ain't It A Sad Thing

4. Gonna Give Her All The Love I Got

5. There's A Ghost In My House

6. Don't Fool Around

7. Indiana Wants Me

8. Woman Alive

9. Loves Your Name

10. Taos New Mexico

11. Fire And Rain

12. Shadow

13. Two Of Us

14. Poor Girl

15. Let's Go Somewhere

16. Candy Apple Red

17. Sunday Morning Coming Down

18. Just Like In The Movies

19. My Lady Bug Stay Away From That Beatle

Editorial Reviews

UK budget-price compilation for Motown songwriter who was the first white act to record a number one single for the label when his 'Indiana Wants Me' appeared in 1970. 19 tracks. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At long last, I FOUND it!, September 30, 2003

By 

"gmachler" (Eau Claire, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Collection (Audio CD)

After years of waiting to find R Dean Taylor on CD, IT'S AVAILABLE....I have loads of memories of this guy and his music. Yeah, I'm old...but being able to order up this CD and enjoy song after song (Taos New Mexico; Gotta See Jane; Back Street, and of course, good ole Indiana) makes me feel 30 years younger!! My goal is to wear it totally out. Thank you Amazon!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely Underestimated, November 11, 2002

By 

T. Struszka "onart.com - for artists and art... (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Collection (Audio CD)

Since years I've been checking various music sites for a CD by Taylor and so far I had been successless - today I started to panic because my self burnt CD with some of his hits is ruined (do NOT NOT NOT use these Neato etc labels for music CD - they're a sure killer on the long term).Anyhow I disagree with the reviews posted before - Taylors hits i.m.o. belong to the creme of the 60's singles in a grey zone between Neil Diamond and Psychedelia -songs that remain in your ear with an actionthriller-like atmosphere and excitement that you will not forget, even if you hear them for the first time today. Very notable the arrangements inclusing integrated streetsounds. Unfortunately the forgotten hit "Window shopping"(at least a medium hit in germany in the mid 70's) was forgotten on this compilation too.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Collection yes, essential - not so sure, December 2, 2001

By 

Zub "Zubenelgenubi" (Forks Twp., PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Essential Collection (Audio CD)

Except for the appearance of "Indiana Wants Me" on several compilation albums, Motown has not issued any of R. Dean Taylor's music done for the Rare Earth subsidiary back in the early 70's. This CD is the first collection of any kind done for Taylor and comes from Universal's Spectrum label in the U.K. Although Taylor had a few minor hits besides his signature "Indiana..." and was deserving of some sort of collection on CD, maybe Motown knew something here.

This collecton is a mish-mash of tracks - a few second-rate sound-alikes of "Indiana...", a few classically Motownesque songs, a few attempts at covers of others' hits that would have been better left in the studio and a few compositions that just don't gel. Taylor was an accomplished songwriter with several big hits - "Love Child", "All I Need", et al - done for other Motown superstars but beyond the quasi-novelty "Indiana...", Taylor did not really succeed as a performer. His voice has no real distinction nor appeal and stylistically he did not dovetail with any of the other material he attempted. As a singer, he's something of a Burt Bacharach, perhaps. From a collector's standpoint, within the 19 tracks included, this CD does gather up all his top-100 charted sides although it is a bit challenging to listen to this number of unsuccessful other cuts.

The sound quality is mostly OK with most tracks in stereo excepting 10,12,14-16,18,19. However, track 16, originally in an album, must have come from a poor source as it sounds fairly bad here. The six-page flopover liner notes booklet has track details and a single-page musical history of Taylor. This fills a void in the Motown reissue realm but unless you're a collector or a devoted fan of his stuff, little to recommend here.