Customer Reviews

Simply Dusty

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OH MY GOD! It's beautiful! Yes, I think they finally got it right this time! What a stunning Box Set! Finally, something worthy of the work of our dear Dusty. Beautiful book like format with a stunning full length photo of our Dusty on the cover! A fantastic booklet with wonderful photos (this time, I found no bad ones)...and some wonderful words and homages to our great lady from everyone from Burt Bacharach to Bette Midler and Annie Lennox.

The track selections are great and excellently sequenced in my mind. All the big hits are there, but there are also enough new tidbits to keep all of us old time fans happy.

The 3 previously unreleased tracks are breathtaking. I am still reeling from hearing "In The Winter". I will never be the same. The 2 new live tracks sound great also, and only make me wonder why they can't release ALL of the Royal Albert Hall concert? ..especially if they can get such a great sound mix from "Quiet Please..." and "Lose Again."

The other tracks I was glad to finally see on CD were "But It's A Nice Dream" and "Turn Me Around". They sound great and as crisp as if Dusty were sitting right next to me singing them. (chills! ) This version of "But It's A Nice Dream" sounds like a different take than the ones I heard over the opening and closing credits of KISS ME GOODBYE. Is this a 3rd version?

I also love the inclusion of the complete "Ragtime Selections" and the Lana Sisters track...gives a full idea of the growth of Dusty's voice and skill and how she changed throughout her career and how she stayed the same.

Last night, while listening to the Box set, among all my feelings of joy and excitement about this wonderful 4 CD set, I also couldn't help but feel a little sad.

I miss Dusty.

I miss having her pop up every few years and do something outrageous/different/fun/on the edge. I miss her voice in interviews, on television and in specials...and most of all, the release of any new material. I'm pretty sure we won't see another Dusty in our lifetime. Such a unique individual/performer/singer....nope. The mold was broken when she was made, I'm afraid.

But having this 4 CD set brings me a little bit of relief. The voice was silenced way too soon and the woman was taken from us way too young, but at least we have over 90 songs to enjoy and remember her by. Right? Right? (I'm trying to keep this upbeat guys!)

Hopefully, there is more that has still not been unearthed. I hope so. Listening to "Someone To Watch Over Me" my heart aches at the thought of what an album of jazz standards, with just Dusty and a piano, would have sounded like? Even though it never happened, I'm sure we all know it would have sounded like everything else Dusty sang...unique, stunning and as close to perfection as music can get. Let's hope there's more where these great forgotten tracks came from...

Until then, as Dusty once sang, "Roll Away...it's only time and the river....Roll Away, to the endless sea..."

I've thrown away a small fortune on boxed sets over the years, purchasing everything from Classical to Folk to Metal and spanning the decades from CDs to vinyl. But even among such fine company, this collection sparkles.

Firstly, a word about the quality of the recordings. They have obviously been made with tender loving care. Painstaking effort went into remastering these songs. This is especially evident in Dusty's earliest recordings from the beginning of her career, decades before digital technology when even analogue masters left out large chunks of dynamic range. In all likelihood, some of these analogue masters have either been lost or destroyed. The earliest songs were probably reconstituted from the best vinyl pressings that could be scrounged, then electronically filtered, cleaned and enhanced to yield as much quality as possible. The result is a set of recordings with marvellous body and clarity, and likely the finest reproductions extant of Dusty's early work.

But quality of recording is meaningless without the essence of the singer. It's Dusty who breathes life into these tracks, and it's Dusty who makes this set one of the finest you are ever likely to own.

Over the years, a lot of nonsense has been written about Dusty, and within the alternative community, she has taken on the stature of a poster queen Diva. This kind of camp worship does her a disservice, because if we listen to her carefully, it is clear that she is, from first to last, a singer. Not an entertainer, composer or artiste; nor a role model, glamour queen or political refugee; but a singer. Her dedication to the perfection of her craft was legendary and bordered on the obsessive. She may have recorded hundreds of songs, but she respected each of them as an individual friend; accorded each the delivery and uniqueness that she felt the song deserved. Not for Dusty the over-ripe sentimentality of Barbara Streisand, the cynical egocentricity of Diana Ross, or the overpowered caterwauling of Celine Dion. For Dusty, the song always came first. The singer's job was to showcase the song, not the other way around: to find just the right tone and just the right shading to do each and every song perfect justice. If she found fame and adulation in doing it well, that was just a very special and fortuitous fringe benefit.

Listen to the hustle in her voice when she sings Son of a Preacher Man and contrast this to the wistfulness in I Think It's Going To Rain Today. You'd swear you were listening to two different women. The first could be a street-wise barhop. The second could be a lost little girl. Or listen to the magic in Goin' Back. Somehow, she imbues it with an orange haze of nostalgia, but she does so with restraint, dignity and grace. Other singers might manage the nostalgia, but only by smothering the song in syrup. This is the Dusty difference; the mark of a dedicated singer to whom Self is subservient to Craft; an honesty completely lost on the plastic bimbos polluting the airwaves today.

Dusty is impossible to classify. She was a shape shifter, equally at ease singing blues, country, torch, pop, folk, showtime, bebop or dance. I can't name another singer who could claim a repertoire that so successfully spanned the bubblegum pop of Wishin' and Hopin' to the traditional folk of Poor Wayfaring Stranger to the techno of What Have I Done To Deserve This to the romantic balladeering of If You Go Away. The word 'talent' has been cheapened by relentless overuse and attribution to undeserving mediocrities, but Dusty was real Talent with a capital T. We lost her far too young.

This boxed set is manna for the discerning listener. Buy it. Buy it now. Then you will understand why this woman was so respected by her peers that she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the most gifted and treasured singers in modern music history.

Box sets usually fall into one of two categories. Either they are aimed at the casual fan, including all the hits and little else, or they are created for the diehard who has already got all the hits, so are jampacked with rarities and offcuts... kindly ignoring the songs that made the subject in question a household name. Regardless of which category the box set is produced under, they usually have some major flaws which remain highly uncomforting considering the extortionate prices people pay for the roddy things.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world's first Perfect Box Set.

The fact that the woman's voice gracing this particular collection is Dusty Springfield's, a woman who simply by uttering a single note could send a whole room running for the tissues, is probably a defining factor in regards to its quality. I will not be as cliched to say that she never recorded a bad song because such a comment is certainly a mighty compliment to pay, but considering her back catalogue Dusty's repertoire remains frighteningly strong. 'Simply Dusty' spans four discs which run chronologically through all of Dusty's hits, other tunes she turned into classics even though they never gained a single release, a large slab of favourite album tracks, and enough rarities / unreleased material to keep even the most ardent fan happy.

What so few people realise is just how amazing Dusty's voice really was. Somewhat tragically, the majority of people can belt out a staggering amount of the sixties Motown-influenced tunes and perhaps one or two of the late '80's Pet Shop Boys-produced hits, but the rest of career is a dead zone. 'Simply Dusty' will reintroduce both casual and hardcore fans to what was, dare I say, the single most versatile voice on the planet. It follows her career through the heartwrenching ballads and toe-tapping Motown stompers of the sixties, the more Streisand-esque easy listening tunes of the early seventies, the silky ballads, disco, and R'n'B tunes of the late seventies, the punky power pop/rock of the early eighties, the synth-laden dance fests of the late eighties, and a brief flirtation with country just before her untimely death in 1998. Folk, country, easy listening, power ballads, Motown, R'n'B, pop, jazz, heavy rock, Eurotrash, punk, swing... Dusty did it all. And it is all covered in this 90+ collection.

For fans more familiar with her catalogue like myself, 'Simply Dusty' is a treasure trove for sought-after material. Firstly we get three songs from the legendary uncompleted album 'Elements' in the mid-1970's. 'In The Winter', 'Home To Myself' and 'Exclusively For Me' are three of the single most emotional tunes in her reportoire, and makes one wonder what other uncompleted Dusty classics are lying around in the vaults... The 12'' mix of Dusty's disco romp 'That's The Kind Of Love I Got For You' is included, as are a number of selections from Dusty's dance / pop / rock / Hi-NRG 1982 release 'White Heat'. Fans will rejoice at the thought of having 'I Wish That Love Would Last' and '(But It's A) Nice Dream' on CD, and with good reason... they're awesome songs! Add some cuts from the hat trick of unappreciated seventies albums 'Cameo', 'It Begins Again', and 'Living Without Your Love' plus the final song Dusty ever recorded (a short but touching version of 'Someone To Watch Over Me') and 'Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage' from the Royal Albert Hall gig in the seventies, and the collection is pretty well-rounded.

As well as being an aural delight, the packaging of 'Simply Dusty' screams pure class. Lovingly assembled by fan Paul Howes and a host of other people close to Dusty including Annie Lennox, Bette Midler and Elton John, the booklet includes tributes, rare photos, and a long write-up on every song included. A complete discography and 64 pages later, and the packaging really does scream 'quality'.

This project came into being shortly before Dusty's death, and was commissioned with her approval. This would perhaps explain the one glaring ommission, that of her 1985 'comeback' single 'Sometimes Like Butterflies' - not exactly her strongest vocal performance, but a rather sought-after rarity none-the-less. Nevermind, the rest of this amazing package more than makes up for it. Fall in love with Dusty all over again, and realise why she remains the single greatest voice of our times.

This 4 CD Box set put together by Mike Gill and Paul Howes is a wonderful sampling of the work of the best female vocalist of the 20th century. It says something about Dusty's versatility and range that a 98 song set still doesn't cover every aspect of her amazing singing ability.

In a 40 year career, Dusty sang it all, pop, rock, r&b, folk, soul, country, techno, jazz, Brazilian bossa nova, showtunes, in French, Italian, German and Spanish. And most impressively, every style she attacked became her own. She was never afraid to challenge herself musically, and although she only wrote a few songs in her repertoire, she somehow managed to make every song she sang a Dusty Springfield song.

This box set does a great job in tracking Dusty's evolution from a member of the Lana Sisters trio to the lead vocalist in her brother's folk group The Springfields to her solo career all the way to her final years. We are treated to an exhuberant journey through her amazing solo career from the success of the 60s, to the amazingly overlooked vocal prowess of her work in the 70s (mostly unheard due to poor management and record sales) all the way to her resurgence as the Brit Queen of Pop with the Pet Shop Boys in the 80s and 90s.

There are plenty of rare gems to keep even the most avid Dusty fan's interest piqued. Three previously unreleased tracks, including a stunning interpretation of Janis Ian's "In The Winter", and a shimmering live recording of "Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage" from her 1979 Royal Albert Hall concert alone are worth the price of the entire box set.

And then there is perhaps my favorite track of the whole affair, a rare, first time ever release of a Peter Allen song called "But It's A Nice Dream" from the motion picture KISS ME GOODBYE. It's a perfect example of what made Dusty so special. A song that would seem run-of-the-mill, even cheezy, sung by anyone else, becomes a gem of unequaled beauty, full of longing and heartbreak. Dusty had the magic touch. Many other legendary vocalists would have killed for even a shred of that ability.

Long live the Great White Lady of Soul. Some soul divas may still be clamoring for R-E-S-P-E-C-T...but Dusty never had to beg, she earned hers by wraping her voice around her songs.

There will never be another Dusty Springfield. I hope this Box Set helps educate those who are still unaware of her impressive significance.

O.K. so I'm a fan, but I am still capable of being honest. This really, as the cover says, is the definitive collection of Dusty Springfield music covering her early days, through the her middle -sometimes referred to as "lost" years - right up to the 90"s & re-discovery with the Pet Shop Boys. Many of the 60's tracks have been re-mastered and re-aligned. (The original mixing on some tracks - eg "In the middle of no-where" seemed to not have been "mixed" at all, with the music on one side and Dusty on the other. Happily now balanced and sounding great.) Quite a few tracks have never been released until now - particularly some from the 70's when Dusty was at a personal and professional low. You can hear the (almost) despair in her voice on tracks such as Janis Ian's "In the Winter". Reading "Dancing with Demons" tends to add an sad appreciation to some of these previously un-heard songs. A prevailing theme of loneliness and lost love registers strongly. A (very) few of the un-released tracks do not add to the Dusty legend - but in a strange way fit in as an honest part of the whole picture. Even if you are not interested in the background however, this collection is the only one you will need as it covers nearly every album/single she ever released - even some from the impossible to find 70's years. ("Cameo";"It Begins Again"; "Living without your Love" & "White Heat".) The penultimate song -"Quiet please, there's a lady on stage", although technically not perfect is a highlight. The last song she ever recorded ("Someone to watch over me" 60seconds recorded for an Insurance company television commercial) is almost unbearably poignant. Dusty left a vast legacy of music. From jazz and show tunes to rock, disco and new age. This fabulously talented person has gone - but we still have that voice. The book included in the box set is informative with great photos. And, beneath disc 4, a poem to Dusty by Annie Lennox. This box-set is truly a very special event.

What else could there be said about the quality of Dusty Springfield's music? Nothing I could possibly add would expand the scope of her legend or appeal. What I can tell you, however, is that this is the Box to get if you're seeking a fair and accurate overview of Dusty's eclectic recording career. While the 1997 American Box Set tends to be too ballad heavy (especially Disc 3), leading the listener to believe that she sunk into MOR quicksand and that great singers should only interpret the slow stuff, the four discs in this collection gloriously expound the versatility of Dusty's instrument. Included between all her expected and essential hits are songs from her beginnings with The Lana Sisters, The Springfields, and as Mary O'Brien, noted album tracks, and rarites right up to her very last recording ("Someone To Watch Over Me", for a UK insurance TV commercial). Also included are seven tracks (not three as indicated by the reviewer prior to me) from her 1978 and 1979 albums, some of which have not appeared on previous collections. Of particular collectors' interest is the inclusion of the rare 1979 12" Disco Promo "That The Kind Of Love I've Got For You"--all 7:06 of it. 1982's American Casablanca release, "White Heat", is more accurately represented here than on the US Box, which included three of the album's four ballads. Not bad songs, but certainly not a fair assessment of the album either. The LP's true direction is given proper dues here with four different tracks: three loud synth and guiter rockers ("I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends" co-written by Sting, "Blind Sheep" which sounds like Mutt Lang was in the control booth, and "Sooner Or Later {You'll Be Loving Me}" complete with New Wave vocorder--none of which sound dated or out of Dusty's context) and one Elvis Costello ballad ("Losing You {Just A Memory}") that Dusty make's one of her best. One curiousity that is omitted is her 1985 single "Sometimes Like Butterflies". Though not one of her best performances, its inclusion here (and it's rarer B-side "I Wanna Control You") would have rounded out her sporadic 80's output. But still, a complete package this is, and making it just that is not exclusively its music but its liner notes as well. An extensive and informative essay, quoted accolades from at least 17 of music's Who's Whos, UK discography (this is a British issue), extremely detailed annotation for each and every track, and terrific photos all make this the one that all other box sets to follow should refer to before leaving the drawing board.

It's been a long time coming, and it's worth the wait. Mercury has finally released a definitive box set covering the Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul's entire career, from a home recording of a ragtime medley to a version of "Someone to Watch Over Me" cut for a tv commercial that is understood to be the last recording Dusty Springfield ever made. Kudos to Mike Gill and Paul Howes for taking on the daunting task of selecting just two to four tracks from each project Dusty was involved in, and for being so generous with the material from the 70s and 80s that hadn't made it to CD until now. Every hit is here and all the key LP tracks, as well as cuts recorded with other artists and one-offs. Listening to the box as a whole, I'm struck by the sheer volume of great material Dusty lent her unique, inimitable, totally moving voice to throughout her career. For every superb overlooked or unreleased cut, like her takes on Jaye P. Morgan's "Closet Man," Janis Ian's "In the Winter," Melissa Manchester's "Home to Myself" and Peter Allen's "Quiet Please There's A Lady on Stage," there are three or four equally excellent tracks that necessarily had to be left off this set. This will have to do until Bear Family exhumes the entire Dusty Springfield oeuvre for one of their own legendary 9 or 10 CD box sets. Until then, this is indispensable

This is a terrific box set spanning all of Dusty's career from her early days to her very last recording before her untimely death. The audio quality is the best I've heard on many of the selections, and the selections are not limited to "greatest hits." There are some lesser-known tracks, too. The set as a whole is a fitting tribute to the great talent, showing off the various facets of her recording history. If you love Dusty, this set is right up there with food, clothes, and shelter.

This was my first-ever CD box and that fact speaks enough for itself.Like so many other children of 1980's,I discovered Dusty Springfield after her collaboration with PSB and with 11 of her albums in my CD collection,I thought nothing can surprise me anymore - this wonderful CD box brings much more!Previosly unreleased songs,newly remastered old ones,hard-to-find B sides of singles AND loving tribute from famous musicians (Elton John,Bette Midler,Burt Bacharach...to Annie Lennox!),in short - perfect gift for any music lover.I just finished reading her biography "Dancing with demons" so I am still influenced by memoirs of her long-time manager who knew her as less-than perfect human being behind glamourous image,but no matter what personal problems she had to cope with,she left a beautiful legacy of her music.I was very moved with this CD box,but it does leave a impression that Dusty lost her way after brilliant 1960's period and for the rest of her career she was sort of lost,trying different music styles and not always finding that brilliance that shined through 1960's.After "Memphis" album,"Rolling Stone" predicted she could end up as hotel-lounge singer and that is excatly what almost happened - only her private alcohol/drugs problems stopped her actually.Knowing than her manager later managed Labelle,I can't stop wondering what would happen if Dusty had some clever team behind her,instead of spending "lost years" singing background vocals for others.At the same time,in 1970's Rita Coolidge had big hits while basically imitating Dusty's breathy,smoky vocals!Now,lady is gone and we have this beautiful CD box to remind us what a talent she had,IF ONLY big-time record companies were interested to invest time and money behind her...

Luckily, Dusty Springfield recorded enough songs to fill many compilation albums, but this box set is the very best of Dusty Springfield. Besides featuring the majority of her hits such as, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", "Son of a Preacher Man",and "The Look of Love", this collection also includes a number of beautiful and sophisticated rarities like, "See All Her Faces", "Love Me by Name", and "(But It's a) Nice Dream". Several of the selections such as "You've Got a Friend", "Yesterday When I was Young", and "Make it with You", are covers that may possibly, be better than the original versions. Dusty Springfield the artist, was almost as complex as Dusty Springfield the woman; and this set thoroughly represents the the various genres and artistic styles that she explored over the years.

Jennifer K. Lafferty
Author of Offbeat Love Stories and More