Customer Reviews

Ultimate Collection (2 CDs)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The music loudness wars continue: primer below

h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war to read simply fill connect the "H" and the "T"
Unfortunately this new collection is a prime offender. It is compressed and brickwall limited within an inch of it's life. Hey record companies, we have our own volume knobs, please stop doing this. It robs the recordings of all dynamics and is very fatiguing to listen to over the course of the album. Also, when musicians in a band do a "build up" where say, the guitars and drums get louder, it'd be nice and accurate on the CD if the volume would actually change and get, louder. Here during the numerous buildups in songs, "I need a Lover" is a prime example, the volume level stays the EXACT same throughout. That's not how the band played it, how they recorded it or how it used to sound on the original records. TOO much compression. A shame.

We all know most of the songs on this collection and can agree that Pat Benatar and her band and producers created some of the best rock ever. Can we also agree to one thing: please record companies stop putting short versions (radio edits) of songs on greatest hits collections. This REALLY bothers me. There are so many short versions of some of her biggest hits here. I would much rather have a few of the lesser known songs left off then to have to deal with what we have here. Of all Pat Benatar's greatest hits collections that I know of the only one to have the full length album versions is "Best Shots" Yes I know there are some songs left off on this collection and the sound quality is not as good as some of the other collections but I can deal with that. ( A cd recorder and a DJ mixer can tweak the sound and you can make your own collection)So please let's voice our displeasure about this and maybe our voices will be heard.

Wow, I think there are more of these compilations of Pat's than actual studio albums. Not sure what the need for this is, but the songs are great, but any fan already has them. Wish they would have licensed something from her last 2 studio albums from 1997 and 2003 to make it a little more rounded. This makes it look as if she stopped in 1993.

This is a good set, but for 5 bucks more, you can get Synchronistic Wanderings Benetars box set that has long versions of all these songs and a killer booklet and demo, alternate versions, unreleased, and rare stuff. Go Pat! I heard a year ago that she was going to release an acoustic album of all her hits. Where is it?

Simply said, Pat Benatar has the greatest female voice in rock. The only downfall of this CD is it is yet again another greatest hits. Her new paired down version of Everytime I Fall Back however, makes this CD a must have for all Benatar fans.

There has been a lot of compilations for Pat Benatar and I know her music is the best thing ever but once "Synchronistic Wanderings" appeared in the market it was known which compilation CD was the best one. It seemed like all of these other cd's only went up on her hits until 1993 and we know that there was hits after that. I also noticed that no one knows how to spell on this cd either such as "Painted Desert" appears as "Painted Dessert" I was laughing and I am just imagining Pat singing about "Painted Dessert"lol!! anyways...this cd is good in a pinch other than that "Synchronistic Wanderings" is the best one so far!

It's been 3 whole years now since the last Benatar compilation, which was Capitol's 2005 successful release of Greatest Hits, which followed 2002's Classic Masters, which followed 1999's Synchronistic Wanderings Anthology. These are only a few of the numerous Benatar releases over the years released by Capitol and Chrysalis. For a more comprehensive Benatar compilation overview just do an Internet search. Wait until you see what's out there!

In other words, did we really need another Pat Benatar collection for the market? Of course not. But it's been a while since we've had a retrospective that covered more than just the hits. We would have to go back to the excellent 1999 'Synchronistic Wanderings' for a more comprehensive Benatar collection. In 1994, Chrysalis released a retrospective covering 33 tracks over 2 discs entitled, All Fired Up: The Very Best of Pat Benatar.

'Ultimate Collection' goes a step further by not only including forty 24-bit digitally remastered tracks but by also filling each CD to it's near 80 minute capacity. I think that this one is the best of the bunch... well, so far!

Wait until you hear the sound quality! Here's what you need to do: Grab the first disc and play "Shadows Of The Night" to start. Listen for that drum beat at 20 seconds in. You'll know exactly what I mean when I'm talking about Capitol's brilliant 24-bit digital remastering! Over 25 years after "Shadows" was a hit you can hear it in a whole new dimension.

I really wanted to rate this release 4 stars because it is yet another Benatar compilation. However, the mastering is as good as it gets! Evren Goknar, who mastered 2005's 'Greatest Hits' and 1999's 'Synchronistic Wanderings', has really gone the extra mile with this release. The mastering for the songs featured on Greatest Hits sound the same to me on this set. However, that was only 3 years ago, so I didn't expect any upgrade of any kind since they already sound wonderful.

However, it's the upgrade from 1999 that can be noted. While the 1999 mastering sounded great it's the new 2008 mastering that really shines. Evren has given tracks like "Anxiety (Get Nervous)" and "The Outlaw Blues" a sonic lift for this release. Even the True Love era songs sound brighter, wider, and more crisp. They all sound absolutely incredible! I must admit that I purchased this release for the sound quality alone. Capitol never disappoints! If sound doesn't matter all that much to you, then you may wish to skip this new compilation.

So what about the tracklisting? How many more times can you own these songs? Well, the tracklisting is nearly perfect, in my opinion. Of course, I would have traded a few songs for others. Tracks like the favorite "My Clone Sleeps Alone" and "I'm Gonna Follow You", for which the promo video was an MTV regular, are missing. The 'Seven The Hard Way' album is underrepresented here with only 3 tracks, whereas some albums are represented with 5 tracks! My favorite Benatar track is the cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" from Crimes of Passion, and it's missing here. But, everyone has their favorites, and I suppose that Capitol has to draw the line somewhere and leave some goodies on the albums in order to maintain decent album catalogue sales.

Note that this is a Capitol release, so I didn't really expect to see material licensed from other labels, including 1997's Innamorata and 2003's Go. Surely it would have been nice to have a track from each album make an appearance here, but it is a Chrysalis/Capitol collection after all! Although not listed as such on either the back sleeve or Amazon, "Every Time I Fall Back" is presented here in a newly recorded 2008 acoustic version, not the original LP version or Remix. The song was featured recently in 'The Young & The Restless' soap opera. It's a great new addition to the package and a great closer.

All versions are the original LP versions except where noted above (as provided in the Amazon tracklisting). Single edits had to be used where available, of course, in order to fit 40 tracks over 2 discs.

As for the product itself, the packaging is very good throughout (I love the artwork), featuring stunning photography by Matthew Rolston (including a great shot from the "Lipstick Lies" video on the back of the booklet) in addition to liner notes by Scott Kempner. Additionally, both U.S. Billboard and U.K. peak chart positions are included for charting songs. A few minor typos are present throughout, but nothing too major or annoying.

Pat is on tour again this summer so if you are just discovering her for the first time, 'Ultimate Collection' is a great place to start. Here's your chance to hear Pat beyond just the greatest hits! Now, Capitol Records, when will we be getting the next batch of Benatar remasters?

I've been a serious PB fan ever since I first heard "Sex As A Weapon" on the radio here in the UK - I was hooked!!!! Couldn't make up my mind whether to buy the 7" or 12" and ended up buying both as well as Seven The Hard Way album!!!!!

Yes, yet another compilation from Pat (who is on my MYSPACE friends!!!!) but what would have been great for me would have been the inclusion of a few original extended mixes. The extended mix of "Sex...." is AWESOME and so is the dub remix (both found on the 12" single). The video version of "Love Is A Battlefield is also superb. Come ON Capitol.........please please please PLEASE can we have these original extended mixes on an official CD release!!!

You simply can't go wrong with this 2 disc set of many of Pat's best and biggest songs. It features something from every album during the Chrysalis years, which established her as Billboard Magazines #1 Female Rock Performer of all-time. It shows the wide range she has, from her more mainstream songs like "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "Fire and Ice" to her new wave side with "Lipstick Lies", "Love is a Battlefield", "We Belong", and "Sex As a Weapon." It also showcases her blues with "True Love".

I do wish that the CD had included a couple of more recent songs such as "Strawberry Wine" or "River of Love" from her "Inamorata" CD. Or the song "Go" from the CD of the same title. That last song is Benatar at her best and it harkens back to her earlier work. You should hunt it down and give it a listen.

I really Like Pat Benatar, but I think there were only Like 4 good songs on BOTH CDs combined! Would i recommend it? Most likely not.