Customer Reviews

The Original Hits

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the most delectable, elegant disco music, better than most of today's House. Sylvester had a strong and expressive falsetto voice that is carried along on the most infectious dance beats. One could say he was the Smokey Robinson of the disco era. In the late 70s he was as popular as Donna Summer and ruled the dance charts with memorable tracks like the atmospheric Dance (Disco Heat), the rousing You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)and the soulful Stars. This album is not complete, as Sylvester had a couple of other hits too, like the brilliant Do You Wanna Funk and his version of the classic I Who Have Nothing. But this is still a satisfying collection of very melodic, hypnotic music that works well for listening and on the dancefloor.

As a confirmed Sylvester fan, "Original Hits" greatly confuses me. What is this album's point? How is it trying to keep itself together? These are indeed the original recordings, and some were even hits. But "Sell My Soul" and "I Need You," to quote two examples, weren't. Neither was "Body Strong." "Can't Stop Dancing" was basically a concert track which also happened to appear on his 1983 "Non-Stop Dance Party" greatest hits LP. "You Are My Friend" was more of a hit for Patti LaBelle than Sylvester, although it is a great song and helps anchor the brilliant 1979 "Living Proof" concert album. Where, for that matter, is "Do You Wanna Funk?"

If you are going to call yourself a "hits" album and forget perhaps Sylvester's biggest hit (outside of the double A-side of "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)), where is your thematic cohesion? It's an album chock full of great songs, but more a scattershot collection of good moments rather than a unified "hits" album.

I saw him in concert at the Galleria Design Center on several occasions...Tea Dances, Halloween, New Year's Eve - I saw him sing with Patti LeBelle at the Moscone Center - I even saw him sing at the Van Ness Muni Station when MUNI opened their new subway/underground. Wouldn't you know, we had to go in and have an all night dance party first - MUNI cars end-to-end on both sides of the station as bar cars, coat cars, lounge cars - and the main platform as the dance floor - with Sylvester overhead, singing his heart out for us!!!

This CD, if you ever see him in person, will bring you back. If you never saw him perform, you'll get a hint of what the energy was like.

What can I say? SYLVESTER is one of those very talented singers whose songs were so rich and magnetic it can keep you on the dance floor all night.I never saw him in concert but from what I was told, him and TWO TONS of FUN will leave you breathless and 100% entertained!This cd of his greatest hits is one of my top 10 disco collection items.What also helps is that there are no cuts or edited versions(these are the original records).My favorites here are "YOU MAKE ME FEEL MIGHTY REAL and DANCE(DISCO HEAT)"! These 2 songs are dance stimulating,feel good,with powerful rich voices and pulsating tempos!My other 3 favorites are "I NEED YOU (also stylish & danceable),"STARS"(smooth & sophisticated), and "YOU ARE MY FRIEND" with PATTI LABELLE. SYLVESTER was a great and divine entertainer and a great loss to the music industry. I highly recommend this c.d for anyone who wants serious boogie down disco music so HAVE FUN!!!!!!

good presentation of earlier work. 2 problems; variable sound quality on a few songs and bad edit on Sell My Soul (that was one of my favorite songs by him).It would have been nice to have the 12" version of that.

...this album does contain most of Sylvester's "popular" dance classics, such as "Mighty Real" and "Disco Heat". But what makes this album indispensible are the "club" classiscs "Down,Down,Down" and "I Need You". I've never seen "Down,Down,Down" on any other compilation, and this is as powerful a track as you will ever hear, and may be my favorite Sylvester song. The only "club" classic that is missing is "Over and Over". I love the popular music, but it isn't hard to find. For the true afficianados, they're searching for the tunes that rocked but are hard to find.

Sylvester is the original Disco Queen, his greatest hits is a send up of everything disco. Not to be limited he also does Living For The City with a delightful gospel flare at the end, and Ohh Baby, Baby. This is one of the best cd's I own I play it all the time. Sylvester was taken from us too soon.

This guy was the first lady of gay disco. This dude could make your heart pulse and throb without even trying. We lived in tiny town's back in the 70's. All the songs on this CD were blaring from every open window in the gayest parts of towne in the 70's. It was a real party time with the strong beat and wild party lyrics we freaked from night till dawn and beyond to the sweet sounds of Miss Sylvester! Hearing this CD brings it all back like it was just yesterday. Hearing Sylvester is the next best thing to a time machine.

I love every song on this CD. This CD is a trip down the gay disco in its most fabulous and firey best! Rau Paul and the Village People took notes but Miss Sylvester was the one the only the Greatest! She rules rocks and rolls!

This is a nice compilation of some of Sylvester's biggest hits. The one track that should motivate you to own this disc is "You Are My Friend". That song alone is worth the price of admission. What an amazing talent who shined so bright ... if only briefly and gone too soon.

the main reason i wanted this was "You Are My Friend"---for that alone it gets 5 stars.