Customer Reviews

Patty Smyth - Greatest Hits - Featuring Scandal

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While "Greatest Hits" is a rather ambitious title for a CD by a woman who has three Top-40 hits to her credit, this entire album is first-rate '80s rock.

The masterpiece here is the marvelous "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," but many other tracks are fabulous, such as the pensive "The River Cried" and a rocking ode to the passage of time called "Everyone Gets Older."

Patty Smyth possesses a fantastic voice, very hard-edged and expressive. And while some of the tunes are a little too indicative of their respective times, all the songs have charm and intelligence (well, except "Warrior," which is a pretty dumb song).

Patty Smyth is a true class act. And it's a crime that she only recorded a handful of albums. But this CD offers a great overview of one great singer's all-too-brief career at the top.

Scandal was a band from New York City that existed in the early 1980s. Their lead singer was Patty Smyth, and their lead songwriter was band member Zack Smith.

The CD "Patty Smyth - Greatest Hits Featuring Scandal" contains 6 songs from Scandal, and 10 songs from Patty Smyth as a solo artist.

Scandal started out as a post-punk new-wave pop band, and that aspect of their career is represented on this CD by the song "Goodbye To You." The song was originally released as a single, and also appeared on the 5 song EP "Scandal." That EP went on to become the biggest selling EP in the entire history of Colmbia Records.

I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing the video for "Goodbye To You" probably over 100 times on MTV during late 1982 and early 1983. In this song and video, Patty Smyth is the very epitome of a cool 80s new wave chick. In this song, she has a certain attitude, which is just oozing with spunk and sassiness, that just drives me wild. This is what being genuinely sexy is all about. It's about being in control of your life, and about being in charge, and about not taking any junk from anybody. To me, this song and video, more than any other, is what defined early MTV for me.

In the song "Goodbye To You," Patty is breaking up with her boyfriend/lover. She's glad to do it. She's glad to be rid of him. She's taking control of her life. She is in charge. In this song, Patty's voice has a spunk and spirit and attitude that has never been eqalled or bettered by any singer in any song ever. This is my #1 favorite song of all time. And this CD is the best sounding release to have this song. Patty's attitude - her spirit, her passion, her spunk, her sassiness - ooooh, it just makes me melt when I hear it. I cannot say enough good things about this song.

"Love's Got A Line On You" is the other song on here from the "Scandal" EP. This song is a very beautiful, haunting ballad, with lyrics that are very personal and intimate.

In 1984, Scandal released their only full lenth LP, which was called "Warrior." At this time, the record company was trying to move the band into the area of so-called "arena rock," with somewhat mixed results. This CD contains 4 songs from that album

The song "The Warrior" is certainly a very good feminist rock song where the singer makes it very clear that she is in control of her life. However, it lacks the new-wave spirit that made the group's earlier work so good. "Beat Of A Heart" is a pretty good rock song from that album. "Say What You Will" is a very pretty ballad, and does a great job of highlighting Smyth's lovely voice.

However, for me, the best song on this CD from the "Warrior" album is "Hands Tied." Smyth sings with a pain and hurt that seems very real and genuine. The song is very lovely. When she sings the lyrics, "Just remember, each time you squeeze her hand, you crush my heart," I can really sympathize with her.

Ultiamtely, though, my response to much of the "Warrior" album was this: Patty Smyth has a truly great voice, but she needs better material to be able to fully utilize that powerful, gorgeous voice.

Fortunately, her solo career gave her exactly that, and this CD contains many excellent solo songs that let her use her voice to its true potential.

"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" is a very beautiful ballad. Patty's voice soars here, and it is just so lovely and wonderful.

"Wish I Were You" and "Canival Lights" are two very moving songs.

"I Should Be Laughing" and "Dowtown Train" both allow Patty to use and show off her voice very well.

But my favorite solo song here is "Heartache Heard Around The World." This song contains a lot of the same attitude, spirit, and sassiness that made "Goodbye To You" such a great song. When she sings the lyrics, "I Want To Be A Rock And Roll Girl," it just drives me wild.

In summary, "Patty Smyth - Greatest Hits Featuring Scandal" is a wonderful CD with some very lovely and beautiful songs. I highly, strongly, and enthusiastically recommend it.

Maybe I'm old, but I prefer this kind of female singer to these "wannabe Whitney Houston" types today. Patty seems to have more originality and conviction. Remember the rumor that Patty Smyth was the replacement for David Lee Roth in Van Halen? Glad that didn't happen, but where the hell is she now? I guess being a Central Park West mom. I remember seeing Patty downtown in the 80's at the Ritz and she opened with a great version of "Kiss Me Deadly!" This was years before Lita Ford had the hit. Why didn't they include Patty's version of the rockin' "Sue Lee" by Willie Nile? I love that one and still say Margaret Cho should do a video or live cover of it! I think Patty's version of "Downtown Train" is miles ahead of the boring Rod Stewart. Come back Patty...do a "Greatest Hits" tour.

Sorry, but to exclude "Never Enough" is criminal. One of her most powerful tunes and the record label blunders and skips it. Not sure, but my guess is that this release does not utilize the full 80 minute time limit either. Boneheads!

When will the music industry get a clue and actually include all of her hits (maybe an expanded edition is on the horizon?).

Still good to see a compilation of hers out there, especially when the Scandal EP and her 1st solo album "Never Enough" seem to be out of print.

Keep the faith Patty! Hope to see new music from you soon!

Patty has one of the best rock-n-roll voices out there (along with Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson and Joan Jett) and the songs are great from the old to the new. I gave it 4 stars because i was a little miffed that NEVER ENOUGH and WIN SOME LOSE SOME were left out-but well worth it for the other great songs. Let's hope she actually does a whole new album...maybe someday.

I love this compilation- includes songs from the group scandal and songs as a solo artist. My favorite song on this album is HANDS TIED. I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 stars because the songs NEVER ENOUGH and WIN SOME LOSE SOME should have been included.

With all the nonsense we see in music stores from new women artists...Patty Smyth's Greates Hits collection reminds us that women vocalists once knew how to make good music. Hard hitting and infectious tunes make up this great collection. For an eighties rock fan like myself, this album is a must for my collection. Songs like The Warrior and Heartache All Around the World are as good as rock tunes get. Lets hope Patty releases a new album.....before we all drown in a sea of self proclaimed divas.

This album blends the gutsy sounds of hard hitting Rock & Roll and a softer side of Patty at her best! I can think of only a few artists who have created such a distinctive sound so identifyable. Patty Smyth proves she belongs on the world scene, leading so many artists who fall short of her proven talents. I anxiously await her new material!

I got this cd for one song and one song only, Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough, a great song, and what I thought would be the only good song on the cd. Not really knowing who Patty was, I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasntly surprised. Besides Sometimes Love.... there is the Warrior, The River Cried, Goodbye to You, plus many more. The only downside, is Downtown Train, yes to song that Rod Stewart did, His version was great, this one bites. But over all, this is a good disk, with good song writting, and Patty as a good voice.

I have been a fan of Patty for many years, and I've always felt that she's a huge talent with mostly mediocre material. This CD is the perfect one to own for Patty fans, as it features all of her very best work plus that of Scandal.