Customer Reviews

Sweet Life: His Greatest Hit Singles

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Most people I have ever talked to have never heard of Paul Davis. From what I hear he never performed and avoids publicity, but his raw talent still took him into the top 10 of pop twice with the classic "I Go Crazy" at #7 in 1978 (with an astonishing 25 weeks in the Top 40) and "65 Love Affair" at #6 in 1982. I grew up on Paul Davis and my very first favorite song was his Top 20 Classic "Cool Night" which peaked at #11 in 1982. For years, I only owned this song on 45 and finally forked out for a Japanese import of this album back in the mid 1990's. Though the sound quality was great, it certainly did not complete my collection. I was pleased to see the release of this collection as it features all of his most famous hits. Paul Davis was truly a free spirit in terms of music-not tied to trends and fads and proved that he could make it work when he took the Gospel flavored "Do Right" to #23 Pop. However, when regarding his music, I am disappointed to see that no album features all of his charted hits as was shown in the few English liner notes on the import CD I bought. What would best celebrate the work of this underappreciated performer is an anthology that features all 22 of his singles-including those that didn't chart in the Hot 100. Even though this CD has all the songs he made famous, it omits some of his most enjoyed sleeper hits such as "Cry Just A Little" (#78 Pop; also charted country for Marie Osmond). Hopefully, this would also include his other two songs featured in the Karate Kid "It Takes Two To Tango" and About Last Night "If We Can Get Through The Night" and his excellent version of "[I Don't Want To Be] Just Another Love" made famous by Tanya Tucker (whom he wrote several major hits for as well as for Marie Osmond and Dan Seals). As an artist and a producer, this CD is an excellent collection that is definitely worth it while it is still available, but a more complete collection is still needed.

Since I was 10 years old (back in 1977), I've purchased his records and enjoyed his many tunes like "I go Crazy", "Cool Night", 65 Love Affair, "Sweet Life", and his country/gospel songs are excellent too!! Now that I'm older, I really appreciate his music even more-- Timeless classics. The tracks on this Greatest hits are awesome, and it's by far the most complete that I've seen. It's definitely his best greatest hits collection to date.
Paul has another older greatest hits album with more obscure tracks on it, with lots of great songs left out! This album "Sweet Life - His greatest Hit Singles" is a much better value and definitely captures his best work and is worthy of the greatest hits title.
It's too bad that he stopped creating music back in the mid 80's, however, he's produced/written for other artists since.
In looking at the lyrics/melodies, they are simple songs that move you and make you feel good.
His pop music is good, clean fun!
Too bad the Music Industry is fickle, maybe great Artists like Paul Davis might've still been around, just a little longer to create more great music.

I've been waiting for this one for a long time. Paul Davis is a musical genius in his own right. I love COOL NIGHTS and 65 LOVE AFFAIR,but what is most inspirational is DO RIGHT.If anyone has heard of this song they know who HE is.If you like 70s-early 80s like I do,it will be refreshing to hear good music again and it's rare for me to like every song on this disk.Most songs only have 2-4 good songs and the rest are not as good. So give this one a try,it's one of my favorites.

As in sssswwwwweeeeeetttt! This is another classic example of another artist that has fallen between the cracks over the years. Good vocals and decent instrumentation on all of his hits such as "Cool Night, '65 Love Affair, I Go Crazy" and "Sweet Life". Good versions of other tunes like "Love or Let me be Lonely" or Keep our Love Alive". I've always believed that the older an artist gets, the better he becomes musically. What a shame that Paul and his music have been so overlooked in recent years. Just think of how many good songs have never been recorded. Right place and time. Thanks for you place in our time Paul. Enjoy this compilation. Memories.

The liner notes of this CD state that it was mastered in 1999, so there really is no excuse for it sounding as bad as it does; in fact the LP I have containing some of these songs sounds much better, and it is over 20 years old. Unfortunately, this is the only thorough compilation of Davis' tunes. It would be hard to believe that original master tapes were used as the source for this project. It sounds as though they taped the songs off the radio back in the 80's, and then used a 20-year-old-cassette as the source. It's sonically muted and in some cases there seems to be a subtle oscillating of the pitch of certain tracks. Perhaps the engineers really wanted to get an authentic
"warm" 70's/80's sound, but it just doesn't do his voice or songs any justice.

Paul Davis's "Cool Night" was the his first song I heard on the radio more than 12 yrs ago. The instrumental arrangement is simple and yet, very very beautiful. I wish I can find a better adjective.

After all these years my life has changed a great deal. Paul's music still pulls the sentimental string in my heart every time I listen to his songs. His compositions and performances are timeless. I really wish he can produce more music albums for all of us.

Why? "Ride 'em Cowboy", "Superstar" and "A Little Bit of Soap" are three good reasons. How about '65 Love Affair? None of them are on the other Davis greatest CD.

For years I have been looking for a Paul Davis Greatest Hits package that includes his 3 hits from 1982: "Cool Night", "65 Love Affair" and "Love or Let me be Lonely". Finally I have found this. A great album that contains almost all of Paul's Hot 100 chart entries.

I bought this CD the day it was released and i was hoping it would feature all of Paul's his and some new songs since he hasn't release a new album since 1981's amazing, but underrated, "Cool Night"album. instead, it's all of Paul's charted hits (both country & pop). that's still fine with me it's better than nothing. from his r&b/pop remake of the Jarmels hit, "A Little Bit Of Soap",his own take on the Beach Boys obscure version of "Darlin'" with a little help from Susan Collins, his synth-southern style r&b version of The Friends Of Distinction's "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" to the beautiful country-pop style of "Sweet Life" & "Ride 'Em Cowboy", Paul can do no wrong with any of the songs he structure. tight harmonies, nice keyboard work, incredible, if sometimes over-produced work which it didn't me at all. his weird keyboard is incredible from the beautiful synth/rhodes/piano funky guitar inspirational of "Do Right" (tight harmonies on the bridge of that song), to the pretty country-pop happiness of "Sweet Life" (co-wtitten by Susan Collins). Paul's weird keys on "Superstar" (with a small cameo vocal appearance by Peabo Bryson) & "Thinking Of You" (with a Beach Boysesque harmonies by Paul's ex-co-producer/engineer/musican Ed Seay) are a knockout. his "poppish" songs from the "Cool Night" album are a class(ic) of its own. the title cut with its haunting synths/guitar (slide solo) caputures the magic of the early 80's along with my 2nd all-time favorite song from Paul. i'm talking about the overlooked, underrated knockout, almost new-wave synth/rhodes wall-of-sound drumming, no guitar song "'65 Love Affair" #6 hit in the spring of '82. of course my #1 favorite song of Paul's and yours is the haunting, but beautiful "I Go Crazy" with its piano/rhodes/synth/B-3organ mixed with a little wailing steel guitar, beautiful strings arr. by the late, great Gene Page (who also did "Sweet Life" & "Darlin'").along with some classic bass & guitar lines thrown in to the mix and you got a classic #7 hit in the spring of'78. you can't tell if it's a pop,country or an r&b song, but who cares? it's now a classic. we don't want to forget the country songs he had hits with in the '80's: " I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" with Tanya Tucker & Paul Overstreet & "You're Still New To Me" with Marie Osmond. both #1's, both co-written by Overstreet. my only complaint is that there are 3 songs missing from this collection. "Cry Just A Little", "It Takes Two To Tango" from "The Karate Kid" & "If We Just Get Through This Night" from "About Last Night". that's why that one star is removed.maybe because Paul probably had some bad memories about the latter 2 songs in the'80s. Like everybody else, I,too am waiting patiencely for a new album Paul; but until then, this greatest collection will do.

Ya know......Some three years ago or so; I decided to start using the internet (namely Amazon) to find and purchase old music I had previously owned and I not only have been doing that but I have also been finding and purchasing some old music that I unfortunately missed the first time around and one of those artists is Paul Davis. What is so neat though is that it was like I had owned this CD all along because I remember every song. These songs are 70s and 80s memories at their very best. This guy is a class act. From the first track to his duet with Marie Osmond (which is the last track); this Disc is definitely Sweet. His covers of the Beach Boys classic, Darlin, (featuring Susan Collins) and, Love Or Let Me Be Lonely, are excellent. The Friends Of Distinction version of, Love Or Let Me Be Lonely, which charted some twelve to thirteen years earlier (around 69-70) is even better; but barely. What songs are my favorites on this CD?.....Ah Man.....That would have to go to, Cool Night, I Go Crazy, and Sweet Life. Thanks Amazon. I highly recommend this Disc. My opinion of it is.....Wow!.....Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom!.....LOL!
Final Note: Once you hear, Love Or Let Me Be Lonely, you will know where the Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Comes from. .....LOL Again!.....Great Tune and this CD is a Winner.