Customer Reviews

Respect: A Century of Women in Music

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

 

 

When I received this for Christmas, I was overwhelmed to tears reading all the wonderful talent that I held in my hand. Rhino has once again outdone themselves, working extremely hard to represent a century of women who impacted and reflected the times in which they sang. The music is amazing, I continue to get goosebumps hearing many of the songs. Rhino execs admit that they weren't able to include everyone, and have graciously printed the names of hundreds of women who were musicians in the past century. The liner notes continue to match Rhino's top quality standards. What I appreciate most about this box set is that Rhino admits they chose not to include performers who buyers likely already have in their collection (Indigo Girls, the Mamas and the Papas, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, ABBA, Helen Reddy, Karen Carpenter, etc.), but worked to expose listeners to undiscovered nuggets, while still satisfying the craving for well known treasures. I defy any 60s fan (any race, any gender) to listen to Disc 3 and not be overwhelmed with joy at the outpouring of passion, fun and love. This just rocks, plain and simple.

Every selection in this boxed set is musically interesting and adds to the enjoyment of the other selections. Some of the songs are so well known, but don't usually appear together in one place--so it's fun to hear Lesley Gore next to Buffy Sainte-Marie, and only a CD away from Rickie Lee Jones or Billie Holliday. This set doesn't only include the music I already love but I exposes me to outstanding songs from other times that I wouldn't regularly hear otherwise or have the patience (or money) to search out. This boxed set is for anyone with intelligence, taste, and an open mind who wants to hear a great selection of music spanning the last 100 years.

I love this boxed set, but my main mission here is to fill some of you in. Yes, the collection would be better with Joni Mitchell, but if you bothered to read the liner notes, you'd know that SHE is the one who said she would never allow any of her work to be on any collection of strictly women musicians.

What a fabulous collection! Some others may feel that there were some glaring omissions from this collection, but I think it's perfect the way it is. I love that a lot of lesser-known artists were included. I'm tired of sets that are totally predictable and love having my musical horizons expanded. That's the best way to explore unfamiliar names without buying a whole disc you may not like. I also like that each disc has a theme so I can hear what I am in the mood for at the time. Best of all, it's not geared to only one genre. I try to be open-minded and give all music styles a chance and this allows me to do just that. Buy this for yourself, or another music-lover, you will not be disappointed!

This set endeavors to cover the artists who made a real mark in music, and influenced the artists who followed them. It does an excellent job. Starting with recordings from 1906, it takes the listener on a chronological trip through women's music. Thoughtful, and beautifully packaged, I can't recommend this collection highly enough.

If Amazon had a half-star system, I would have given this (otherwise) fantastic collection a four and a half. Missing Joni is not enough to cost it a star, just half.

But rather bewildering, considering Joni being one of the most influential women in rock, and considering Rhino's access to her Reprise and Asylum catalogs.

But really, this is one hell of a box set. Just the first two discs alone are worth the trouble.

The set is 11 years old, and the reviews here are pretty close to it. They probably should be seen in that light. For instance, who would you include today, and who (if anyone) would you bump? Or would you just (hopefully) add another disk?

In addition to some significant omissions mentioned in other reviews, I have issues with a couple inclusions. I never bought the Ricki Lee Jones routine. Too much faux Billie Holiday pop for my taste. I also never bought into the Cyndi Lauper schtick, and now that she's tried to re-invent herself as a blues diva I'm REALLY not buying it.

Some of the liner notes sound like they were written by post-Feministas still cranky about a lack of certain anatomical appurtenances. It was the late Nineties, time to get over it already.

The reference to Janis Joplin dying "before she lost her baby fat" is offensive to me. Might be because the comment is obliquely demeaning; or maybe it's because I knew her as a friend and a fellow artist, and that kind of bs still tees me off 40 years later. Would anybody say the same about Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Gene Vincent, Sam Cooke or Marvin Gaye? Or Aaliyah or Selena?

I give Rhino props for their efforts. It's not easy synthesizing a century of any kind of music in five CDs. The music itself is generally excellent, regardless of whatever limits may have been placed on the selection of artists and tunes. Think of this set as one of those college survey courses you were forced to take, but actually liked!

Without trying to be sexist, boorish, or punny, one can only imagine the labor pains involved delivering this ambitious and sprawling 5CD set to market. Beautifully packaged in a lavish, purple velvet box, `Respect' not only manages to balance the rich diversity - Kate Bush, Marian Anderson, Sarah Vaughn, Lena Horne, Laura Nyro, Mahalia Jackson - of women's music, it also successfully chronicles the cultural and sociological advances made, first in fits and starts, then in leaps and bounds during the ladies' rise to deserved cultural prominence. From the simple, romantic pining of Ada Jones' `By The Light Of The Silvery Moon' to Loretta Lynn's gender defiant `The Pill'; Patsy Montana's `I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart' to Paula Cole's `Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?'; Billie Holiday's `Strange Fruit' to Cyndi Lauper's `She Bop' a freedom of purpose and expression emerges that pales the "yea yea baby lets rock my Chevy" sentiments of most of their male contemporaries. Throughout there is heartbreak - the aching blues of Bessie Smith's `Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out', Patsy Cline's `Walking After Midnight', Aunt Molly Jackson's `Kentucky Miner's Wife' - and toughed out victory - Chrissie Hyndes' `Precious', Ike and Tina Turner's `Bold Soul Sister', Gracie's `Somebody To Love', Judy singing Joni's `Both Sides Now'. There's indiscretion (hell, you think only us guys know how to screw it up?) `Clean Up Woman', `Son Of A Preacher Man', `Love Child'. You got blues `cos women gets `em too:' `(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean' and pop `cos they like to party too `Heat Wave', `My Guy', `Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy'. As in any grand lineage, there are a few questionable inclusions. Can you really count The Slits, The Bangles, The Go-Go's, Yoko Ono, Roxanne, Doris Day, Anita O'Day, Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair, and PJ Harvey in the same company as Ella, Aretha, Alberta, Ma Rainey, Patti Smith, Carole King, and Kitty Wells? The test of time dictates no, but these sisters belong here as pieces of a far greater quilt. An heirloom given generously from generation to generation. `Respect- A Century Of Women In Music' includes an informative eighty page book of essays and history, photos, and sound bites from such Grande dames as Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm, Rachel Carson, Margaret Sanger, and Gloria Steinem. (Rhino)

I bought this and I think I will get it for all my girlfriends this year. The first three CD's are alone worth the price and the box and book inside are also lovely.

The only thing that bothered me about this collection was the lack of Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox and the Indigo Girls. I like everything else about it. But these three artist deserve a place amoung these other great women (as much as Paula Cole I don't know why she's on here.)

The early jazz and blues stuff is great!! CD 4 is good and thank god for Joan Baez!

All in all a good collection and a nice gift for the woman in your life who has everything, chances are she doesn't have this much great music all in one place...

This is a must have for not just the women, but for any race, and any age. A classic set!