Customer Reviews

Gold

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People complain that too many Donna Summer hits compilations have already been released, but "Gold" offers the most comprehensive anthology of an artist who peaked - commercially, at least - a long time ago. Some of the real bonuses of this release include uniformly excellent sound and full production credits for all the tracks, as well as full or previously unavailable versions: the 4:57 edit of "Love To Love You Baby" is the best of the edits; similarly, the 6:28 promo single version of "MacArthur Park"; "I Feel Love" is finally included in an anthology in its superb full length album version; the fantastic 6:47 12" single version of "Hot Stuff" (not included even on the recent Deluxe release of "Bad Girls"); the definitive 5:49 full version of "State Of Independence" (for many her best-ever recording). Her later releases are rightly included as single or edited versions, and whatever you think of them, it's good to hear so many brought together; the Tony Moran edit of "You're So Beautiful" (first available on 2003's compilation "The Journey") ends the album on a high. A real attempt has been made with "Gold" to provide the best-possible summary of Summer's career, and for my money this is a great anthology for both fan and newcomer alike.

Let me preface this by saying one thing. If you have 1993's "The Donna Summer Anthology", hold on to that, but if you don't, run, don't walk, to the store to get this.

Donna Summer has been showered countless hits collections in her career. However, Gold is only the second to even attempt at covering a broader range of her career than the disco period and the biggest of the 80's pop and 90's dance hits.

The two discs work perfectly. Disc one exclusively covers the Casablanca disco phase where Donna was on top of the world. Disc two starts right at 1980, where Donna had signed to Geffen and was going through a change, both spiritually and musically. I am one who loves both periods.

In the late 1970's, Donna was a disco superstar, the one artist who was able to give The Bee Gees a run for their money in America. From early sexual works such as Love To Love You Baby and Four Seasons Of Love to edgy electronic classics such as Once Upon A Time and Bad Girls, Donna and Giorgio Moroder carved out a special niche in pop music for them. She was sexy and had a wonderful voice, he was a studio whiz. The music was fantastic and turned Donna into a true icon.

After the disco backlash hit, Donna was one of the few artists to survive with a career after radio blacklisted the genre by successfully reinventing her image. After marrying Brooklyn Dreams meber Bruce Sudano, Donna turned to religion and chose to better herself. Granted, it was a turn that alienated some of her gay fanbase because it's hard for some people to think of "Christian" without homophobia, but I have no doubt that Donna is innocent of the claims laid against her.

The 1980's were a time of experimenting for Donna, from a Pat Benatar style rock album (The Wanderer) to a soulful Quincy Jones production (Donna Summer) to straight-ahead pop albums (She Works Hard For The Money), Donna showed true diversity, from doing everything from hard rock to gospel on an album, she started losing fans. It was to such an extent that David Geffen shelved Donna's 1981 "I'm A Rainbow" for 15 years, because the album was a total potpourri of genres. Needless to say, the music was still phenomenal despite what sales tell you. More recently, she has enjoyed the occasional one-off dance hit from newly recorded cuts that make it onto soundtracks, live albums and greatest hits packages.

This collection is a fine representation of Donna's long and fruitful career, and as she is finally working on a new album (let's hope this time it's for real), this is only the beginning of another period of memorable moments.

this might sound insane, but collectors will understand. Just about everything else you already have, but the 7" remixes of When love Cries and Love's About to Change my Heart BOTH include added vocal parts that were not on the original album recordings, and this is the only place you can get these 2 versions on CD!!! That makes this an absolute MUST HAVE.

Donna Summer Gold is an outstanding two CD set that gives her fans a terrific collection of her hits and other great songs! Donna's voice is in excellent form throughout this album; and the sound quality couldn't be better. The artwork is also very good. This two CD set is a must-have for Donna's fans.

"Love To Love You Baby" is one of Donna's biggest hits; she throws herself into this song and makes it hers and hers alone! The musical arrangement never drowns out Donna; it enhances the song instead. "Could It Be Magic" has Donna handling complicated tempo and key changes seemingly effortlessly--but, of course, we know it really wasn't that easy. Donna's talents more than carry her through great disco ballads like "Could It Be Magic." "Love's Unkind" has a rock beat that's mixed with a disco beat; this is great music for dancing and I predict you'll enjoy "Love's Unkind" very much. "I Feel Love" reminds me of the disco days when the clubs were full of people dancing their cares away--those were great times!

"MacArthur Park" gets a fine treatment as Donna sings this with grace and style. When the tempo changes drastically Donna never misses a beat; and this impresses me. The song may start slow and sweet; but it sure turns strong and hot! "Bad Girls" is both a great song and the title of one of Donna's albums from 1979 or 1980; and listen for Donna to outdo even herself on "Dim All The Lights." "Dim All The Lights" is great disco and it still makes good dancing music today! The first CD also has a spectacular duet between Donna and Barbra Streisand; "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is sure to please you.

The second CD continues the hits. "The Wanderer" has a great beat that is absolutely infectious; and I really like her huge hit entitled "She Works Hard For The Money." "She Works Hard For The Money" has some rather sad lyrics but it still works well as a strong song about survival. "Supernatural Love" has a great beat and Donna sings this with all her heart and soul--what a belter she is! "Dinner With Gershwin" is a tune that didn't quite make it all the way but I remember this song well. "Dinner With Gershwin" is actually one of Donna's better songs. "This Time I Know It's For Real" has a relentlessly upbeat flavor as Donna sings this beautifully; and the dance beat makes you want to jump up and dance wherever you are!

"Melody Of Love (Wanna Be Loved)" has a magnificent piano arrangement that, along with the brass, makes this number very special as Donna Summer sings this flawlessly. Donna's excellent diction makes her singing all the better, too. "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)" comes from classic opera but the arrangement is so brilliantly put together that it actually works as a dance song! The second CD ends strong with Donna Summer performing "You're So Beautiful." This tune showcases Donna's ability to sing with a more modern dance type of music that we hear in many clubs today.

If you ever had doubt about Donna Summer's ability to sing, this will lay your fears to rest. This two CD set is fantastic and it demonstrates just how strong Donna Summer's talents really are. I strongly recommend this two CD set for Donna Summer fans; and fans of disco and modern dance music will like this, too.

Hip-O's "Gold" compilation is an excellent retrospective of Donna Summer's career. Summer is an amazing vocalist, probably one of the most underrated for the sheer talent and expressiveness she brought to her material. "She Works Hard for the Money" is on a short list for my all-time favorite tracks with its pulsing beat & Summer's relentless vocal and blazing electric lead on the track, "Never sell out, she never will, not for a dollar bill, she works hard." "State of Independence" is also another incredible track written by Vangelis & Jon Anderson and has a "Yes" feel that Summer embodies delightfully with the gorgeous chorus and the percolating keyboards. Donna drills the Drifters' classic "There Goes My Baby" with a pulsing rhythm track and her amazing vocals. The first disc contains all the amazing gold records that blared "On the Radio" that made us know whether Donna was one of the "Bad Girls" or simply "Hot Stuff," her music has an incredible energy and joy that still reads well 30 years after her first release. If I had anything to add, her "Christmas Spirit" is my all-time favorite holiday album so I'd have loved to hear the title track tucked inside this collection. Hip-O has done an excellent job with the remastering of the tracks, keeping the mix's bright sound. Enjoy!

In January of 2005, Donna Summer released her twenty-eighth album entitled, GOLD, a double-disc greatest hits compilation, featuring just about all of Donna Summer's greatest hits from 1975 to 1979. Sure, this album is almost a repeat to that of THE DONNA SUMMER ANTHOLOGY, but the catch is that there are more tracks to be included past the year of 1992.

Disc One: 1975-1979
LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (Single Version)
Original version from the album LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (1975). Still an awesome song, but I definitely enjoy hearing it a lot more when it is in its full-length 16:51 (sixteen minute, fifty-one second) version. But it is still an amazing (not to mention: Orgasmic) song.

COULD IT BE MAGIC (Single Version)
Original version from the album A LOVE TRILOGY (1976). Still one of the best cover songs around. I love the Disco-Dance version of this song.

TRY ME, I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT (Single Version)
Original version from the album A LOVE TRILOGY (1976). It is obvious that the producers of this album were not going to let this song get away with coming onto this compilation in its full 18:00 (eighteen minutes). This here single version is great, but hearing the full eighteen minutes of the song is even better.

SPRING AFFAIR (Single Version)
Original version from the album FOUR SEASONS OF LOVE (1976). Great song, but it is not in its entirety. The album version is a full 8:30 (eight and a half minutes), but I could listen to this song without any problems whatsoever.

LOVE'S UNKIND
From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). A great song.

I FEEL LOVE
From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). Still one of the best Disco songs.

I LOVE YOU
From the album ONCE UPON A TIME...(1977). Another great song.

LAST DANCE
From the original motion picture & motion picture soundtrack THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (1978). Such a great song.

MacARTHUR PARK (Promotional Single Version)
Original version from the single MacARTHUR PARK (1978). Another awesome song. The version you see here is the exact version to the original 8:35 (eight minutes, thirty-five seconds) version, except that this is known as the Promotional Single Version, where the last 2:10 (two minutes, ten seconds) were cut from it. Included in those last two minutes, thirty-five seconds were the last instrumental breaks and the final chorus. Still a great song.

HEAVEN KNOWS (Single Version)
Original version from the single HEAVEN KNOWS (1978). Another great song. This version actually is not that different from the original. This track is just twenty-five seconds longer than the original. That's the big difference, really. Still a great song.

HOT STUFF (12" Single Version)
Original version from the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Great song, and it only runs a minute longer than the album version.

BAD GIRLS
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Great song.

DIM ALL THE LIGHTS
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Another classic tune. I really enjoyed the way she performed this song on VH1 PRESENTS DONNA SUMMER: LIVE AND MORE: ENCORE!: starting it off with the ballad portion, but in the way Rod Stewart would have sang it (since Donna had originally written the song for Rod Stewart, where she chickened out in giving it to him), and then flowing into the dance portion of the song, which sounds more like a Donna Summer recording. Classic song.

SUNSET PEOPLE
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Great song.

NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) (performed by Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer)
Original version from Barbra Streisand's album WET (1979). Great song, still the best Diva Duet I have ever heard.

ON THE RADIO
From the album ON THE RADIO: GREATEST HITS VOLUMES I & II (1979). Another classic song that is still being played "On The Radio".

Disc Two: 1979-1999
THE WANDERER
From the album THE WANDERER (1980). Awesome.

LOVE IS IN CONTROL (FINGER ON THE TRIGGER)
From the album DONNA SUMMER (1982). Great song.

STATE OF INDEPENDENCE
From the album DONNA SUMMER (1982). Great.

SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY
From the album SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY (1983). Great song.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE (performed by Donna Summer & Musical Youth)
From the album SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY (1983). Awesome song.

THERE GOES MY BABY
From the album CATS WITHOUT CLAWS (1984). Great.

SUPERNATURAL LOVE
From the album CATS WITHOUT CLAWS (1984). Great.

DINNER WITH GERSHWIN
From the album ALL SYSTEMS GO (1987). Awesome.

ALL SYSTEMS GO
From the album ALL SYSTEMS GO (1987). Amazing.

THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL
From the album ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME (1989). Still one of my favorites.

I DON'T WANNA GET HURT
From the album ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME (1989). Great song.

LOVE'S ABOUT TO CHANGE MY HEART (7" Mix)
Original version the album ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME (1989). Great song.

WHEN LOVE CRIES (7" Mix)
Original version from the album MISTAKEN IDENTITY (1991). Awesome.

FRIENDS UNKNOWN
From the album MISTAKEN IDENTITY (1991). Amazing song.

CARRY ON
From Giorgio Moroder's album FOREVER DANCING (1992). Great song.

I WILL GO WITH YOU (CON TE PARTIRO)
From the album VH1 PRESENTS DONNA SUMMER: LIVE AND MORE: ENCORE! (1999). Great song to dance to.

DREAM-A-LOT'S THEME (I WILL LIVE FOR LOVE)
From the album THE JOURNEY: THE VERY BEST OF DONNA SUMMER (2003). Great song.

YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL (Tony Moran Edit)
Previously Unreleased. Great.

So far, this is the last Donna Summer album to be released, where we fans are still awaiting the arrival of another Donna Summer album. Hopefully, whenever Donna Summer releases her next album, it will be as great as the last twenty-eight albums she has released.

Donna Summer has had more greatest hits compilations than I have had hot dinners. From "Walk AWay", "Best of Donna Summer," On The Radio (GH 1 & 2), "Anthology", "Endless Summer", "Journey - Very Best of Donna Summer" to this latest offering "Gold".

The good news is that GOLD is quite possibly the best compilation to date. Why?

1. The digital remastering is brilliant
2. There are 2 CD's containing every key single.
3. There are original versions of songs, as opposed to the remix versions found on her other compilations. For example, this is the first time the correct single version of "Love to Love you Baby" is included on a DOnna Summer compilation. Forget the dismal remix found on "Endless Summer". The version found on 1979's "On The Radio Greatest Hits 1 & 2" almost contained the correct version but it had a little twigging done to it to make it flow with the next song. Other points worth noticing are that GOLD contains the promotional single version of "Mmarcarthur Park" which originally was hard to find on a Donna Summer CD. Also, there is a decent 6.50 minute version of "I feel Love" - the only way to hear this song.
4. The CD comes with a very interesting booklet with rare photos of Ms Summer.

While other reviewers say that 1993's ANthology is a better compilation, GOLD contains most of those songs anyway. In adddition, GOLD is digitally remastered, unlike Anthology.

The only complaint with GOLD is that there are the same amount of 80's songs as her 70's songs. I would have preferred if they had put less 80's stuff as these were her inferior years.

Overall, a risk free purchase. If you have any of her other compilations, you could throw them out after buying GOLD.

This entry into the Universal "Gold" series is an excellent one, all of Donna's major hits are here, some 12" versions but mainly the original album length and 7" cuts. The songs are presented chronologically and leaves no space on either disc which makes this collection cheap for the price. Donna was the supreme dance floor Queen and I'd like to see a set of her choice 12" mixes compiled. Donna recorded songs for her two previous "Greatest Hits" packages released in the last decade and those cuts are here as well, making the two prior releases obsolete and to further keep this comp fresh, her studio side "I Will Go With You" from the VH1 soundtrack "Live and More" recorded for Sony is here also. All "Hits" compilations from any artist releasing such a set should be as comprehensive as this one.

There is just so much that we reflect on from the 70's and the feel of Disco. Yet, with all the feel of the 70's, we really think of very few acts that still showcase very well within the depths of Disco. Out of all of them, nobody has been able to capitalize on that feeling like Donna Summer has. She has been known as one of those acts that always comes back by surprise. Yet, so many may feel that she has released oo many hits collections under her belt. Although that might be a bad idea to so many, there are very few that really reflect on the Disco diva from Boston to its limits.

Donna Summer: Gold, the 2005 hits collection contains all of her standards that have been widely recognized from her career in so many wanys including She Works Hard For The Money, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), The Wanderer, On The Radio, and other great songs. The collection also includes some tracks that were overshadowed from other Donna Summer hits collections including Supernatural Love, and Unconditional Love with Musical Youth to name a few. There are so many good songs here, but some might feel that there are just too many hits collections that reflect Donna Summer's career. Yet, some might obligate to choose the 2003 The Journey: Very Best Of Donna Summer collection instead of this one, or any other one Donna has released.

Yet, while so many people are into divas that seem like they're manufactured and there music is worthless like Britney Spears, Ashanti and Lindsay Lohan, it is sometimes too easy to forget about guilty pleasures like Donna Summer. Donna Summer: Gold is a great collection for anybody young or old alike who hasn't heard her music before, or for those who want the definitive Donna Summer collection.

Album Cover: B

Price: B

Remastering: A

Songs: A

Overal: B 1/2+

This is one of Donna Summers "Greatest Hits" collections that should not be overlooked.Not only is it one of the most complete ever released but the remastering alone is worth every cent.The sound is Amazing!!!,so much so that it sounds as if these songs were originally released today!.The only thing that I did not like is that they took out "Dont cry for me Argentina" which was included in the Donna Summer Anthology to put "Dinner with Gershwin" which to me has little or no relevance in this compilation.Now the pros are they included the 7inch version of "When Love Cries" which is beautiful and much better than the original and the last track "Youre so Beautiful"which I had not heard of until now which to me is pretty cool and I love the beat!.Having all that said go ahead and buy it!,you wont repent.If youre a huge fan of Donna Summer and like to collect her recordings I would also reccommend a few other wonderful Greatest Hits compilations "On the Radio"(because the songs are mixed together and the music is nonstop!)and "The Donna Summer Anthology"(Because it has some beautiful songs that are not included in here)."The Journey"also deserves honorable mention because its a 2 disc set,number 1 includung her more popular recordings and two cool new songs "Thats the Way" and "I will live for Love"and # 2 including 12''versions of some of her hits.