Customer Reviews

Gold

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After several woefully inadequate Livvy comps comes this Grand Slam from our friends at Hip-O. It's got FORTY tracks, including bunches of songs I never dreamed they'd bother looking for. Finally you can follow ON-J's complete chart progression from sweet country-pop critics' target... to leather-clad (yeah baby) "Grease" and "Totally Hot" pop-rock lust goddess...through chart dominance and chronic headband-wearing with "Physical"...through declining chart fortunes for such goodies as "Soul Kiss" and the Elton John collaboration "The Rumour."

I feared "Gold" would still leave off a bunch of key hits like Donna Summer's entry in this series, but it doesn't. It even goes Beneath the Top Forty to bring us gems including these...

"Banks of the Ohio": Followup to "If Not For You" is not a sweet love song at all, which is probably why it stopped at #94. Listen to the lyrics. How could you, Livvy?

"Something Better To Do": This is an excellent broken-heart song with a great lyric and a typically subtle vocal. A #13 hit the "Magic" and "Back To Basics" sets should have included.

"Every Face Tells a Story": I got this single after seeing it in one of the Billboard books and wondering why it didn't chart higher (#55). Paul Grein's lovingly-penned liner notes opine that the world wasn't ready for a harder sound from our diva. It's not exactly Joan Jett, but it does have a little guitar bite to it. I'm so glad they included it.

"Sam" (#20 in 1977): Actually the other hits discs included this too. It's just really pretty and if you haven't paid it much attention you should.

"Landslide": Intense midchart (#51) followup to "Physical" and "Make a Move on Me" should have done better.

"Heart Attack" and "Tied Up": Thanks Hip-O for including both the "new" songs added to ON-J's Greatest Hits Volume 2.

"Livin' In Desperate Times": Hard-to-find #31 New-Waveish followup to "Twist of Fate" is even more manic than that Top 5 hit. Otherwise available only briefly on CD on the you'd-never-buy-it-anyway soundtrack to "Two of a Kind." Which I see is again out of print.

"The Best of Me": Wow. Never dreamed they'd include this minor (#80) hit duet from David Foster's 1986 solo album on Atlantic. Hip-O, I love you. Probably Foster's only lead vocal out of about a thousand hits he's produced, this love ballad was written by Richard Marx and is also popular among Barry Manilow fans (he does it in concert and put a version on his box set).

"The Rumour" (#62, 1988): I loved this song so much that when I saw it struggle for video and airplay against weaker efforts from ingenues like Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and Kylie I realized how screwed up the charts and the music business could be. Limiting a song's exposure because of an artist's age is beyond wrong. And it's not like Olivia wasn't still a hottie (as she remains today)! Some of it is sexism as well since Elton John (cowriter/producer/keyboards/backing vocals) was still able to make the top reaches of the chart with the similar (and also great) "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That."

Olivia's only Top 40 entry not here is "I Can't Help It," a duet with Andy Gibb from 1980 that's available on Andy's hits discs. You need to get and/or keep 1992's "Back To Basics" CD for "I Need Love," a personal favorite that was ignored even more than "The Rumour" four years earlier. An AIDS-aware caution against casual sex, this was produced by Giorgio Moroder and is extraordinary. I still recall Olivia talking about it as a guest on Miami's Y-100, one of the few stations who played it.

I hope you found this helpful. As someone who is almost always disappointed at best-ofs that leave off important stuff, this one has me dancing, literally, figuratively, and 'round and 'round (#82 in 1979). The world is a better place because this CD has been made! Buy it at once!

After all these years of tolerating small incomplete compilations of Olivia's work, this one throws the previously released works into oblivion. The song selection is the most comprehensive of her American releases, the later albums released in her native Australia are not included. Almost all the tracks from her two Greatest Hits packages are here, not included is the self-penned "Changes" from Hits album one. There are other omissions, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from the album "Making A Good Thing Better," "Toughen Up" from "Soul Kiss" that was a video hit, "Take A Chance" from the "Twist Of Fate" soundtrack featuring John Travolta and "I Need Love" from "Back To Basics" that was remixed to 12" and a club hit. These omissions do nothing to deter this package from being what it is, a beautiful testimony to a career of a fantastic singer and all around great person. The song selection is presented in chronological order so we can listen to the growth of her artistry and concludes with her tender re-recording of "I Honestly Love You" featuring an arrangement and backing vocals by Babyface. The recordings in the seventies are numerous because releasing albums every six months was considered normal and was expected by both the label and buying public. Churning out that bulk of material meant that a lot of "trash" was recorded to fill each and every album, given the quality of material here suggests that every album was approached carefully. The liner notes is a well written summary and the Billboard position of each single is listed as well as the album each song is from. The mastering rivals that of the Austrailan version of "Back To Basics," a two disc set that contains all her singles up to the album "Gaia." I must be honest here, I attempted to purchase this set at Media Play because the "Gold" series was on sale for $14.99 and when I tried to find this title in the series I was told that the buyer for Media Play declared this set wouldn't sell and refused to allow his Columbus, Ohio units to carry it, orders could be possible. Fuming, I went to the old standby "Borders" and bought it full-price. The moral?? If you want a title that is not mainstream you know what they say, "Stay Away From Media Play"!!

Though not quite the complete box set Olivia's fans have been waiting for, GOLD captures the artist's seminal recordings in unduplicated sound glory and stands as a terrific testament to her singular contribution to popular music. With sterling sound and wonderful liner notes that highlight the singer's incredible career, this collection is a MUST for anyone who ever hummed along to "I Honestly Love You" or worked out to "Physical." From the opening notes of Dylan's "If Not for You" to the final track (a remake of the Grammy winning "I Honestly Love You" with Babybace on backing vocals), this compilation trumps all of Olivia's previous sets by including rarely compiled tracks like "The Rumour" and "Living in Desparate Times" as well as "Fool Country", "Totally Hot" and the stunning pre-Grease releases "Making a Good thing Better" and "Let it Shine."

A few notable tracks are missing - which is why no fan will ever give up on a well-deserved box set - including Olivia's outstanding take on "DOn't Cry for Me Argentina" as well as latter-day gems from more recent productions like "Don't Cut Me Down", and cuts from "2" and "Indigo". Most glaring omission are two wonderful duets: a top 10 hit called "I Can't Help It" with Andy Gibb and the sweeping atmospheric love song "Fly Away" with John Denver, both of which would have served to recognize the artist's ability to wrap her lovely voice around any melody. But this is not a critism per se, and instead a plea for a more comprehensive career retrospective, which we can all look forward to.

GOLD is - simply said - a MUST OWN COLLECTION of one of the greatest voices of our time. This is a soundtrack to our lives, courtesy of the magical angelic voice that IS Olivia Newton-John.

Although time has seemed to dismiss Olivia as a two-trick pony with Grease and Physical, do not buy that for one moment. She was one of the greatest and most memorable hitmakers of the 1970's and 1980's and continues to record lauded albums to this date.

After Back To Basics failed hard at being a hits package (waaaaaaaay too much missing) and Magic worked much better, but still missed a number of key hits, the third time is the charm for Olivia, as Gold finally brings forth a collection of ONJ that every fan will want to own.

Among the tracks that were missing from either Back To Basics or Magic but included here include: If Not For You (Olivia's first pop hit), Banks Of The Ohio, Something Better To Do (a top 20 pop hit and #1 AC hit), Let It Shine (top 30 hit), Every Face Tells A Story, Making A Good Thing Better (a disapointment but underrated recording), Totally Hot, Dancing Round And Round, Fool Country (a much sought-after gem from the movie Xanadu), Landslide, Tied Up (a top 40 hit from the now out of print Greatest Hits Vol. 2), Living In Desperate Times (top 40 hit from the hard to find Two Of A Kind soundtrack), Soul Kiss (top 20 hit, Olivia's last US smash), The Best Of Me (duet with David Foster which made the US charts but has become a rarity), The Rumour, Can't We Talk It Over In Bed, Reach Out For Me and I Honestly Love You '98.

The prior two Olivia collections dismissed her post-Twist Of Fate catalog because her star wasn't what it once was, but anybody who continued to follow Olivia after 1984 realizes the calibre of her work never declined.

Everything is remastered and has never sounded better. My only gripes with the set are with the last two tracks. We get the dreadful Grease Megamix, which would be fine if we didn't already have Olivia's three Grease hits, and I Honestly Love You '98, which is pointless since the original 1974 version is on here. Yes, IHLY'98 put Olivia back on the charts but there are recent songs that deserved here more than these two songs. Such as "I Need Love" (which was a dance hit, from the Back To Basics collection), "Precious Love" (moderate country hit from Back With A Heart) or "Pegasus" from the Gaia album, which is Olivia's most critically acclaimed work to date, despite not getting a US release until eight years after it's release.

This is the perfect Olivia hits collection, there is so much to offer on this package that I can't do anything besides recommending it. If you're not an Olivia fan before, you will be after listening to this.

As many others detail, this CD set has Olivia's best known tracks, biggest hits, and some excellent album cuts. But no one else has seemed to notice the SUPER RARE track that must have been added for hard-core Olivia fans like myself.

The last track on the first disk is "Fool Country." This was previously only available as a B-side on a "45" of the single "Magic". It's a song from the movie Xanadu that was left off the soundtrack album, and is appearing on CD for the first time here. It's not a classic, like "Magic" or "Your The One That I Want," but it's fun, interesting and an awesome inclusion for completing collections.

So, I have every single Olivia Newton John album ever released, AND I bought this one too. That's pretty high praise for a greatest hits package!

When I first saw this listed on Amazon, I thought "hmmmmmm... another ONJ Hits compilation. Two CDs, 40 tracks, huh? Let's have a look..." I was pleasantly surprised to see a very comprehensive list of most everything that has charted in America by Olivia (including several mid-charting songs that may not have been mega-hits but are fantastic in their own right), then I saw the final track on Disc #1... "FOOL COUNTRY". Could it really be TRUE??? The quirky, funky new wave/country number featured near the finale of Xanadu but was left off the soundtrack album, only to be relegated to the b-side of "Magic"??? I had been hoping for YEARS that the XANADU soundtrack would be reissued with the non-album b-sides that were in the movie (the others being ELO's "Drum Dreams" and Olivia's lovely take on "You Made Me Love You", b-side of "Suddenly"), but needless to say its inclusion on this compilation really made my day, so when I played this CD you KNOW what I cranked up first! Anyway after that moment of sheer joy, I played the CDs in their entirety and fell in love with Olivia all over again. The songs sound fantastic and this is a magnificent career retrospective of Olivia, right down to the wonderfully prepared booklet chronicling all of the songs and featuring lots of pics spanning Olivia's career. I definitely agree with the other reviewers regarding the missing tracks (particularly "Fly Away" with John Denver and "I Can't Help It" with Andy Gibb), but maybe there will be a "Duets and Rarities" offering in the future, which will also include Olivia's songs from TOOMORROW and the highly sought-after SOUL KISS b-side "Electric" (which FYI actually appeared on the Japan and Germany releases of the SOUL KISS cd and is well worth seeking out!).

Olivia Newton-John has suddenly (no pun intended) become the most underrated songstress of her generation... Why? She definitely had the sales in the 70's & 80's, as well as success in the movies "Grease" and "Xanadu," to merit longevity. Many of today's top female performers note her influence on their music. Yet, Olivia's once well-reguarded stance as the top selling female artist of the 70's has tarnished, and most of Olivia's classic albums are long out of print in America. Which makes this collection a very welcome site - 40 of Olivia's biggest hits on two discs, nearly 2-1/2 hours of classic Olivia. Unfortunately, for the true fan, such a collection (until we get that much-promised box set) can never be complete, and there are a couple of jarring exclusions here (most notably her #12 duet with Andy Gibb, "I Can't Help It," and her #2 A/C hit duet wth John Travolta, "Take A Chance"); but for the average fan, this is the most complete set of hits on the market, and it does feature a couple of decent non-hits and the classic b-side from "Xanadu," "Fool Country," to appease us hardcore ONJ fans. What is truly needed is a complete overhaul of Olivia's catalog. Many of Olivia's 70's recordngs have never been released in America in their original form (her early albums in England were much different than her American releases "Let Me Be There" and "If You Love Me, Let Me Know," which were basically compilations of the more country-sounding selections). Also, Olivia's recent recordings "2" and "Indigo," as well as the long-delayed "Gaia" (which was released several years after it was released internationally), have totally been neglected in America and truly deserve a full release. What kills me most is that Olivia is out there touring and making the rounds, she's just not getting the attention she deserves. For the past five years, Olivia has hit the scene touring with a fantastic stage show, and "Grease" is perenially a hit on television every time it is broadcast, so why is her career in such a slump??? It still baffels...I also had a very hard time finding this cd in record stores, and I live in Chicago - a major metropolitian area! I went to three Best Buys - nothing! Went to a Coconuts - nada. Barnes & Noble had ONE copy, for 23.99 - which I ultimately paid. Gone are the days when her albums filled the bins. There is NO REASON - she truly could be a HUGE artist again at the drop of a dime - just listen for her new song "Best of My Love," a dance colaboration she recorded with her nephew, Brett Goldsmith - it is truly the best dance song since Cher's comeback "Believe," and could easily place Livvy back at #1. Now if only her management would see that potential and get her out there on the main circuit, and get her classic albums and market her story. She truly could be big again. Now, about this compilation - liked the liner notes and chart info, enjoyed the pics (though they were mostly just her album covers), think the selection is decent for anyone looking for an ultimate hits collection, but feel that it is missing too many key album tracks and rarites for the diehard fan. I was disappointed that the few singles that were different mixes as singles were not included in their single mix ("Totally Hot" in particular, which is a good 30 seconds longer and features an extra guitar solo on the single, and "Livin' In Desperate Times," which includes an extra bridge with Olivia singing "open up your eyes and watch me run..."), and key album tracks and b-side hits "He Aint Heavy... He's My Brother," "Fly Away" with John Denver, "Jolene," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "I Can't Help It," "Toughen Up," "Face to Face" with Barry Gibb, "Take A Chance," "Falling" with the Raybon Brothers, and "Love Is a Gift," among others, are missing, making this collection too incomplete to be truly definitive. Great sound quality on what is there, though. Overall - for the casual fan, a four-star collection.

This cd collection by Olivia Newton-John is definately worth its weight in GOLD!! Is by far her best yet! I personally prefer disc 1. As I am a little partial to her older songs of the 70's. "LET ME BE THERE" "IF YOU LOVE ME (Let me know)" "HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MELLOW" "PLEASE Mr. PLEASE" (Don't play B-17,) "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN" and "EVERY FACE TELLS A STORY." If you're looking for sadness, hope, love, happiness and heartache.. Then "GOLD" is the cd for you! This cd collection is every bit as MAGICal,and PHYSICAL. It will SUDDENLY give you a HEART ATTACK, cause you to be TIED UP, and have you LIVIN' IN DESPERATE TIMES. It will take you back to the 1950's with I HONESTLY LOVE YOU, HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU, SUMMER NIGHTS, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT, and cause you to have a GREASE MEGAMIX meltdown. All that's left to say is I HONESTLY LOVE this cd! Olivia Newton-John is a blue-ribbon songstress. If you are a true O.N.J. fan or a newcomer to her music, you will not be disappointed!

I always knew that I was a Olivia Newton-John fan but when I bought this CD Gold it was confirmed! An excellent pick of songs from listening to the popular ones to the ones I listened- to. To name a few:If Not For You, Every Face Tells A Story, Something Better To Do. I'm glad the song The Best of Me is on this CD. I love that song! I was happy to hear and see that Livin'In Desperate Times, The Rumour, Totally Hot, and others are on this CD. I forgot that I enjoyed If Not For You, Banks of The Ohio and Let It Shine. I have been a big fan since the mid to early 70's. I have all her albums but on record. Listening to these songs brings back memories and happiness. I know this sounds mushy but these feelings are true. If you are a big Olivia Newton-John fan and want to hear these songs I recommend this CD. This CD doesn't stay in my CD rack. It always get played.

I've always dug Olivia Newton John Musically.Her songs always felt good&easy going."Hopelessly Devoted to you" is my jam."Magic" makes me smile still. I enjoy the Carefree laid-back feeling that Her material had over me. this is a Great complete Collection&Finally a Full Hits Package that covers all the bases.enjoy.