"Ray Parker, Jr. - Greatest Hits"

Ray Parker Jr

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 1993)
• Original Release Date: October 12, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VND
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,350 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of Ray!!!, August 7, 2008

By	Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I was a big fan of Ray Parker Jr. back in the 80s, and only recently found some of his albums on CD; "A woman needs love", "The other woman", and "After dark". Most of the songs on this greatest hits are taken off his earlier albums; "Jack and Jill" and "You can't change that" (off the first Raydio albums), "Two places at the same time" (the title track, "For those who like to groove"), "A woman needs love" (the title track, "That old song"), and "The other woman" (the rock-ish title track, "Let me go").

A sprinkling of songs off later albums also appear, as well as his #1 smash "Ghostbusters" from the movie of the same name.

So why get this collection if one already owns the earlier albums? Well the Pop/Rock-tinged "Bad boy" (one of my favourites) never appeared on any studio album (it was a new track on his 1983 Greatest Hits collection. I wish the other new track "The people next door" was also included here), and there's also "Jamie", and "Christmas time is here" (the latter boring if you ask me) for the completists.

Aah, the memories.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT SOUL MUSIC USED TO SOUND GOOD, June 7, 2002

By	Gabriel Albert (Grants, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This CD is a definite addition to any soul music lover's collection. It includes material when Ray Parker, Jr. was with Raydio. My favorite songs on this album is "You Can't Change That", "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)", and "Jack and Jill". All of these songs sound so good and have that unforgettable sound of the late 70s and early 80s (old skool at its best)! Before hitting it big with Raydio, Ray Parker, Jr. appeared on other artists' albums playing guitar and played on my favorite soul singer's album, YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE (1976) by the wonderful Candi Staton.
Surprisingly Ray Parker's biggest hit, "Ghostbusters" doesn't sound as good when compared to his earlier material. So if all you've ever heard from Ray Parker, Jr. is "Ghostbusters", then you are missing out on a lot of good tunes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ray Parker, Jr. and his "Raydio", May 21, 2002

By	David Hugaert (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Ray Parker Jr. Greatest Hits" is an outstanding collection, which chronicles the former session musician's career, both as a founding member of Raydio and as a solo artist. As almost all the songs will attest, Ray is more than just "Ghostbusters", which should be pointed out that Ray took a lot of heat with this monster hit, in that its' lead guitar riff is somewhat reminiscent of Huey Lewis & The News' "I Want A New Drug". These two songs shouldn't be compared to each other at all, for one doesn't really sound like the other when it comes to musical versatility. On to the other stellar compositions as featured in this collection. The upstart "Jack And Jill" is a cute adaptation of the classic nursery rhyme, which features solid instrumentation from the band, not to mention some ultra-sonic keyboard playing and soaring lead guitar majestics, courtesy of Parker. The other "Raydio" hits, "You Can't Change That", "Two Places At The Same Time", "A Woman Needs Love" and "That Old Song" are stand-up compositions as well, and these posess many bittersweet qualities, especially "You Can't Change That" - with its' bouncy, frolicky instrumentation and tender, playful lyrics and in "That Old Song", complete with references of yesteryear just brimming with nostalgia. "Two Places At The Same Time" demonstrates Parker's ability to make a ballad into a lyrical piece of art, and he drives the point home with a sensual vocal precision. "A Woman Needs Love" provides an insightul look into the "man vs. woman" crescendo, with a "two can play at this game" mentality. After a successful stint with Raydio, it was now time for Ray to take flight with an equally successful solo career, which got off to a flying start with the smash hit "The Other Woman". This was followed up with more successful singles: "Ghostbusters" (from the blockbuster motion picture, of course), "I Still Can't Get Over Loving You" and the synthesizer-heavy "Jamie", to name others. Smooth instrumental jams are contained in the wonderful "For Those Who Like To Groove", as Ray and Raydio are right on the money with this one. It's unusual that a holiday track would be found in a collection of regular songs, but that is the case with the joyous "Christmas Time Is Here". Almost all the songs in this well-put-together collection of Ray Parker, Jr. favorites are worthy of repeated listens, with the exception of "Jamie", which may be too synthesizer-heavy to suit some people (myself included), although there are certain people who might get some enjoyment from it. Overall, with "Ray Parker Jr. Greatest Hits", the "Raydio" man really did himself and his legions of fans proud, and is thus worthy of being in every music fan's CD library, whether they are a fan of contemporary rock or soul.