Essential Patti Labelle

Patti LaBelle | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B00136MBWA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,098 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Two CD set of winner of two Grammy Awards and seven N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards (including Entertainer of the Year) Patti Labelle's career has spanned four spectacular decades. From her early years with the Bluebelles in the sixties to the pioneering funk-band Labelle in the seventies to the stellar #1 hits as a solo artist in subsequent years, she has consistently been at the top of her game and she is one of the most beloved and recognized entertainers of our time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Overview of Patti's Career, June 12, 2008

By 

gassy goon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Patti Labelle (Audio CD)

To distill Patt's long career starting in 1962 to now on a 2 CD set is not an easy task to do. With such a deep catalog of so many albums & singles, hits & album tracks, there is much to choose from. This is probably the best 2 CD set on Patti's music that has been done. It's not chronological, which is nice for a change. High points from all the years pop out at you, and each song fits nicely next to each other. Sound is great, packaging is nice. For completists & diehards, there is only one unreleased song: MEAN 'OL MAN'S WORLD. There is only one new to CD song: Labelle's OPEN UP YOUR HEART written & produced by Stevie Wonder from their 1973 album " PRESSURE COOKIN' ". And there is one alternate version : RELEASE [ THE TENSION ] [ Dance Mix ]. There are many highlights in Patti's discography & this covers the big hits : LADY MARMALADE, ON MY OWN, SOMEBODY LOVES YOU BABY, IF ONLY YOU KNEW, NEW ATTITUDE and many others. Plus Patti standards like OVER THE RAINBOW, YOU ARE MY FRIEND, COME WHAT MAY & more. Plus it has the most group Labelle songs on any Patti collection - 7. My only complaint - what is MOONSHADOW doing on here again? It's on 4 other CD's already, and at 9 minutes long occupies a lot of space. If the compilers had put on the epic PHOENIX { THE AMAZING FLIGHT OF A LONE STAR }, that would have been a big draw, as that album " PHOENIX " and also " PRESSURE COOKIN' " are not on CD yet. Also LAST DANCE is not unreleased , but from " PRESSURE COOKIN' ". Just release those 2 Labelle classics on CD !

Record companies love to issue " Best Of's ". This 2 CD Set is a great one. I'd recommend it over the other 2 CD Patti Sets : ANTHOLOGY which covers mostly just her early 80's Philadelphia International albums , and PATTI LABELLE GOLD, which does have some of her hits with MCA that are not on here like IF YOU ASKED ME TO , which is essential Patti no doubt about it. The balance & variety of material throughout her long career make this a treasued listening experience to some of the best R&B ever sung. It's not complete, but it is diverse. Now we just need a box set on Patti to cover all the rarities she has recorded over the years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Soulfully, Patti, June 11, 2008

By 

Michael Kerner "Michael Kerner" (Brooklyn, New York U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Essential Patti Labelle (MP3 Download)

It is just so hard to believe that there are fewer and fewer Soul Sisters that really still know how to sing their hearts out, that are just from the heart on the inside. Patti LaBelle has definitely shown that for over 5 decades in the music industry. On her own, as a member of The Bluebelles, and with LaBelle, she has really showed a lot of dominance with her voice and her strength that still stands the testiments of time. Nevertheless, with so many younger divas that have been overplayed on the radio lately like Beyonce', Rihanna and Fantasia Burrino from American Idol, feeling more like they are manufactured and not organic enough, it is easy to forget how influential Patti LaBelle really still stands. Now, there is another hits package that reflects her attitudes that just blow your mind away.

The new 2008 Essesntial Patti LaBelle is a double album that highlights Patti from her best over her big titles from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. The songs have all been restored nicely, and bring in a few nice treats that appeal to longtime LaBelle fans. The album includes some very rare treats including some new, never-before released songs as well as standouts from her eras in the music industry. The collection includes her big attitudes like New Attitude, her #1 duet On My Own with Michael McDonald, as well as classic staples like If Only You Knew, Love, Need And Want You. The collection also mainly highlights great songs from her work with LaBelle on staples Moon Shadow, and the cult classic Lady Marmalade, and her beginnings with The Bluebelles on gems like Somewhere Over the Rainbow and I Sold My Heart To the Junkman.

There are also some rare gems here featured on this collection as well including a never-before live rendition of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes If You Don't Know Me By Now, and the never-before released Disco dance edition of her song Release. While all the new songs are sure to bring fans to their knees, there are sadly a few great Patti LaBelle tracks that sadly were omitted from The Essential Patti LaBelle that would've brought in even more excitement including 80's tracks like Oh People, the classic If You Asked Me To (which was much more recognized from Celine Dion), as well as When You've Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven) and Stip It Up to just name a few.

While The Essential Patti LaBelle isn't as definitive or drawn out as well as her last double-album hits collection, the 2005 Gold release, there still is a lot of great material both old and new to draw in a lot of longtime fans who are just eager to her more from Miss Patti herself. Hearing this album, I actually am reminded of how gifted and strong Patti LaBelle still remains as a staple heart and soul. This is a great buy download for your MP3 player or to buy in your C.D. library. This new collection does bring in some great bite, and is really straight from the heart, and that is something worth while for a divas who still struts her stuff on her own.

Album Cover: B

Songs: B-

Price: B 1/2-

Remastering: B+

Overall: B-

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Good, The Bad & The ...Eh, August 15, 2008

By 

Jason A. Clark "MusiMan" (York PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Patti Labelle (Audio CD)

Okay, I am one of the more hardcore Patti Labelle fans, despite my age of 25. Over the years, her voice has gotten stronger and stronger and nobody can throw down like her live on stage, even now.
Now when I saw this collection, I was excited because it's more formal than the "Gold" series, just by looking at the covers and etc. So that was at the top of my list, certainly after my "Patti Labelle: Gold" was stolen last year along with other CDs.
Now i looked over the tracklisting here and i looked over it again today before I brought the CD. Now I brought home and here I am. Now where do I start?

Well here it goes.

The Good: First of all this is Ms. Patti Labelle, that's the first reason. This has all the important cuts of her solo career to include "If Only You Knew" which is a great way to open any cd that you have LOL. It has the live version of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" which is in a class of its own and it is one of the best live performances by her, even better than "Over the Rainbow". It has her group cuts and earlier hard-to-find songs on here from her 60s heyday. Cool

The Bad: The order is out of whack, although they did put her earlier stuff all on one CD and her more recent stuff on another; the same goes for solo and group cuts.
There are some more than deserving cuts missing from this for it to be called Essential, to include "We Ain't Finished Yet" from the 5 Heartbeats, "Love Has Finally Come At Last" with Bobby Womack (That version that's on the CD pissed me off), her duet with Luther from her One Night Only "Is It Still Good To You", her live versions of "Here & Now", "Stand By You", "Wind Beneath My Wings", & "Stand" with Donnie McClurkin. Then there's "If You Asked Me To", "Superwoman" with Gladys Knight & Dionne Warwick, "Go Solo" with Ron Isley, "Walk Around Heaven", "One Of Those Mornings" with Moby, "Right Kinda Lover", "I'm Gone", "Stir It Up", "Ain't No Way", her very hard to find version of "Black Butterfly", now that's Essential.

The Eh: While it's nice to see some unreleased stuff, a majority of the stuff on the second CD came from her least successful time; from the Philadelphia International Label and some of the other songs on here aren't even close to her best. her GOLD collection was way more better than this one. I thought they would've got it together by now but they missed more this go around.