Customer Reviews

SWV - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

90s R&B...no other female group personified 90s R&B (except maybe TLC) as well as SWV, and this greatest hits collection proves it. Spanning from 1992 (when the post new-jack-swing era really began) all the way to 1999, this album has it all.

We get things started off with a bang in the form of the "Right Here/Human Nature Duet Mix" which features Michael Jackson...this cut never fails to impress me. Next we go into the 1996 out-of-nowhere stunner, "Can We" which features Missy over a Timbaland beat, which sets things off for the summer of '97 jam, "Someone" featuring a newly triumphant Puff Daddy.

Track #4 could be considered SWV's signature song...yes, it's "Weak"; but it's slightly different - when Coko sings (near the end), "something 'bout the way you do, the things you're do, oo, oo, ing..." Coko's voice is solo, where on the original album version, this part is accompanied by backgroud vocals...just a minor difference that I noticed - this was probably a radio/single version.

"You're Always On My Mind" is the version you'll find on their debut, 'It's About Time' - I think the remix version (see 'Remixes' from 1994) is better. "Anything (Old Skool Radio Version)" is a certified classic from 1994, with the Wu-Tang (particularly Method Man) making an unforgettable appearance here. The "I'm So Into You" remix here is okay, but they really should have stuck with the original, which really set things off for SWV back in late 1992, early '93...(my sophomore year in high school - I remember fondly)

Why is "Give It Up" on here? Sure it's decent, but I think "When This Feeling" from 1996's 'It's About Time' was much more deserving, but hey, it works I guess. "Fine Time" was a blatant attempt (1996) to combine "Weak" and "You're Always On My Mind" and call it a new song. It was a minor hit, but eh, it works as well.

"Downtown (Street Radio Mix)" picks things up again in a major way, and the sample of Silk singing "I Wanna Get Freaky With You" was a perfect way to add more heat to this already steamy song. "Rain" (from 1997) is a stunningly beautiful ballad, trust me. "Use Your Heart" - very Michael Jackson-esqe in a "Lady Of My Life" kind of way...loungy and plush is the best way to describe it.

"Surprise Me" is okay, but "Mystery" is the song that really made me go, 'darn, I miss SWV...come back' because they really turn out this ballad. "Mystery" is such a great song - just get this album to peep this one out, that is, if you like SWV in the first place. The final two cuts "Can't Cope" and "You're the One (remix)" are decent. If there are more bonus cuts, than they weren't included on my copy...

Thanks for reading!

C.H.R.

The album as a whole is da bomb! So many great songs in one. The extra tracks really let Taj and Lelee shine! Great songs, great beats! I miss SWV and hopefully more will come in the future!

Swv's greatest hits is the best collection of hit songs ever. The group needs to get back together. Anyone that wants to help me get some petitions going and get the group back together, email me at summerdaddy@yahoo.com! Swv great job!

I don't know how they did it back then but I know that i wish they were still doing it now. SWV is definitely my favorite female R&B group of all time. The tracks on this CD are the bomb. All the best hits. All my favorites and some more. It's one of those CD's that you'd have to buy twice. Why? You scratched the first one in 20 different places cause you played it so much. Go get it! It's more than worth it.

I am truly happy that they finally released a greatest hits album. I wish they could grace us with some future hits, but everything happens for a reason.Once again majority of the tracks on the album features the now soloist "Coko", but at least they incuded the songs that "TaJ" and "Lelee" had a chance to shine on! It's a shame that another great female group could not work out their differences. At least we true SWV fans have this album to add to our collection!

The CD starts with one of the groups BIGGEST hit and finishes with another. The CD is chocked full of sassy-licks that would get anybody moving and grooving, even if the group didn't hit it off at first or last with you. The vocal talents of the group are displayed almost equally even though lead singer Cheryl "COKO" Gamble who is now struggling to share the same success on her solo outing as she did with group still did 80% of the vocals on the Greatest Hits Project. Tamara "Taj" Johnson displayed her talent on several cuts, who now enjoys being a full-time model more than the group itself and also sharing the spotlight, as far a vocals with former band-mate Leanne "LeLee" Lyons, who is also in the process of maybe making LyonsKing Management a hopeful success, also displayed her vocal efforts on the set as well. As a whole the group is better than some and should have kept on cranking hit after hit and as just to give thanks to the many fans who showed their support for the chart topping group, they even added unreleased tracks to help gain the attention of potential buyers who might want to hear how they progressed throughout the years and as well as they loyal fans. The only downfall of the album is the track listing which should have been arranged more from old to new instead of guessing what was the first and last of their success. Whoever said people get better with time sure must have had SWV on their mind and there's no doubt that SWV sure puts that quote to their best and fullest efforts.....

This was the type of music back in my days of high school. What really made give this album 5 stars, was the fact that for once there are songs where someone other than coko get to sing the lead. Can't cope and Mystery were pleasant surprises when I first heard them plus if you like jams that make your car boom, these 2 song are sure to do it!

EVERYTIME I HEAR THE SONG WEAK IT REMINDS ME WHEN I WAS ONCE INVOLVED WITH THIS GUY AND EVERYTIME I SAW HIM OR WAS AROUND HIM I....... WOULD JUST GET WEAK AT THE KNEES.THEIR COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A BETTER SONG TO HAVE COME OUT THAT YEAR TO DESCRIBE WHAT I WAS REALLY WAS FEELING WHEN I SAW THIS PERSON..RAIN WAS ANOTHER ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES I COULD LISTEN TO BOTH OF THESE SONGS ALL DAY LONG....SWV WHAT A WONDERFUL JOB WELL-DONE THANKS A MILLION.....MJ

I bought this for the 3 unreleased songs I don't have by my fave group SWV. I also got an unexpected surprise with the allstar remix for "You're The One". I love the remix which uses a slowed down beat for "Heartbeat" by the group Seduction. "Surprise me" is a good song with sexy lyrics, talkin' about making love in the rain and I wanna see water drip down your theighs. Okaaay gurl, u go. And "Mystery" is a good ballad with that unmistakable SWV sound and great vocals. "Can't Cope" is a cute song but honestly, it sounds like a demo version because some of the vocals don't match up with the music. I think they needed more work done on this song. Is it just my imagination or was Coko missing on all of these songs? SWV drama! Don't 4get to check out TAJ on Survivor!

Though they produced several strong singles throughout their relatively short career, SWV were ultimately a slightly less thrilling version of THE girl group of the early nineties, En Vogue. Unlike En Vogue, who had four strong vocalists, SWV for the most part was centered around the highly potent vocal work of Cheryl"Coko"Gamble, who managed to overshadow the other members of the group for the entirety of their time together. This compilation offers strong proof that they could carry a tune, but some of the choices represented are a little head-scratching. For one, the version of 'Right Here/Human Nature' presented here includes Michael Jackson's vocals from the original, which only further muddles a song that already relied too heavily on the 'Human Nature'hook in the first place. The mixes of 'I'm So Into You'and 'You're The One' are different as well, not nearly as good as the respective album versions. On the plus side, their two best singles, 'Can We' and 'Anything', are left untouched. Nevertheless, this ultimately fails to compensate for some of the major omissions that occur.