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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Q" uintessential!, April 20, 2002
Looking back at the almost super-human recording career of Quincy Delight Jones most music lover's would convienently seperate his lengthy back catalogue into two completely seperate ( but not totally distinctive! ) styles. The first obviously being his younger days playing, composing and producing, what many consider to be, true jazz....with giants such as Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn and the formidable Frank Sinatra. Writing film scores such " In The Heat Of The Night " and even Bossa Nova standards such as " Big Band Bossa Nova " ( a classic in my house! ) and you may have some small idea as to the incredible ease that Mr. Jones tackled, and ultimately succeeded, in composing and producing, a vastly dizzying array of musical styles. And perhaps even being responsible for beginning one or two of his very own! That being the case, with the release of 1974's " Body Heat " Q, once again, ventured on a completely different musical path....and one that would, while gathering in many new fans, would ultimately lose him quite a few long-time admirer's as well. But with the release of " Quincy Jones: Ultimate Collection " a disc that pays hommage to his days as a purveyor of some of 'Pops' greatest moments, perhaps it's time to simply give credit where credit is long over-due. As previously stated " Ultimate Collection " begins with the positively outstanding " Body Heat. " Containing one of Q's most brilliant songs " Everything Must Change " a track that has it's origins in pure Gospel but with an odd marriage of rhythm and blues tacked on, a true elegant classic is born! Plus, with an incredible assortment of other quality tracks to be found here, such as " Is It Love That We're Missing? " and " If I Ever Lose This Heaven " this is simply Quincy Jones at his very best. Songs that encompass Soul, R&B, Jazz all wrapped together with a true 'Pop' sensibility. Moving onto the " the Dude " which had three hits songs, " Just Once " sung by the throaty James Ingram plus a jazzy, Latin piece entitled " Ai No Corrida " and of course " Razzamatazz " with Patti Austin's playful singing leading the way. Special merit going to " Baby, Come To Me " a wonderful duet that still holds up under the rigorous test of time. I do enjoy " One Hundred Ways " but I must confess that after hearing it performed at one too many weddings it has lost some of it's allure! Anyway, of course, everything here is performed with a virtual Who's Who's of jazz musicians from the seventies and eighties. Much too lengthy to name... suffice to say that Mr. Jones has made some extrodinary musical friends during his tenure in the music industry! Oddly, while every song here has indeed some vocals it is also the excellent musicianship that should be given just as much attention as well. Some very nice things indeed! To be perfectly honest though, things do get rather bogged down about halfway through the disc. While all the tracks contained here are indeed catchy ( Ray Charles vocals on " I'll Be Good To You " deserved a Grammy! ) as a whole many of these songs are perhaps simply too well produced. Near the end of this fine CD many tracks begin to feel slightly too formulaic ( and lagubrious ) ultimately taking on a sheen that is too slick and well-thought out giving some selections an almost calculated feel to them. And while there's certainly nothing wrong with that, speaking only for myself, I tend to enjoy the selections that have a slightly more of an 'urban/old-school' feel to them. Obviously the earlier songs on the wonderful disc are the true highlight but, fortunately they did include " You Put A Move On My Heart " a strangely yearning and pleading tune with a vocal tour de force by Tamia, which is a slice of unadulterated 'pure Pop heaven!' Regardless of your affinity for Quincy Jones and which 'camp' you may belong to in listening to his extroadinary catalogue ( Jazz vs. Pop ) having a copy of " Ultimate Collection " should be considered essential for any music lover who enjoys the genre's that I've mentioned above. Music that would appeal to any mature music fan who appreciates a marriage of melody, musicianship and grown-up adult lyrics....of course all done with a sense of an artist who simply lives through his music. Thanks Q ( and Rod Temperton )! We all owe you one!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ultimate Collection - a misleading title for Mr.Quincy Jones, April 27, 2002
There is no Ultimate Collection for Quincy Jones simply because there are many Quincy facets in the art of making music. Thanks God Mr. Jones was blessed with so diversified capabilities in the big band area, in the jazz area, and in the popular music area that this CD title seems dishonest although this compilation is rather and honestly creative. Instead of "Ultimate Collection", this CD should be titled "A Collection of Quincy Jones backing Soul Music Singers". OK, if you want to have an honest pannorama of Quincy Jones on soul music, here you are. Here you'll find the great and rare Leon Ware, the great Patti Austin and (to me) the greatest soul song of all "Everything must change" wrapped in a spectacular Quincy arrangement. Now if you want a jazzy or GAS Quincy Jones, look for Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, OSTs signed by Quincy or even the original Quincy Jones albums. You'll also find them all here @Amazon.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Music, January 9, 2004
This is a wonderful collection of great R&B music performed by the best singers and musicians in the business. Every song is produced to the exacting standards Quincy has become famous for in his long career. Some of the outstanding songs include the duet with Ray Charles and Chaka performing I'll Be Good To You (my favorite), The Secret Garden with El DeBarge, Al B. Sure! and Barry White (bought the CD after hearing this on the radio), Mellow Madness sung by Paulette Williams, and You Put A Move On My Heart featuring Tania. This CD will put a move on your heart and unless you are dead, your heart will respond to these songs done by the best in the business. Buy this CD and your heart will sing and most probably your mouth will too when no one is looking or listening.
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