The Very Best Of Cher

Cher

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 1, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B000083E79
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (163 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,084 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Given a five-decade career that's been one long series of critical write-offs and subsequent comeback triumphs, it's tempting to argue that the natural elements are actually earth, wind, fire, water--and Cher. Anchored by her 1998 international mega-success "Believe" (the song that made Cher the oldest woman to score a chart topper) and its equally club-savvy contemporary collaborations with producers Mark Taylor and Brian Rawlings, "Song for the Lonely" and "A Different Kind of Love Song," this 21-track anthology is indeed the first to contain all her No. 1 hits, stretching back to her epochal 1965 duet with Sonny Bono on the faux-Dylan "I Got You Babe." And if it shortchanges her Phil Spector-rooted origins and a true perspective on her '60s and '70s career (though kitsch classic chart toppers "Dark Lady," "Half-Breed," and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are all here) to focus on her string of '80s and '90s pop successes in service of writers like Diane Warren ("If I Could Turn Back Time") and Desmond Child ("Just Like Jesse James"), it's good to remember that, according to the pop soothsayers, none of them were even supposed to happen, let alone make her an icon for a whole new generation. It's a tribute to sheer, fashion-defying willpower--and as unlikely an argument for the notion of "the singer, not the song" as one is likely to find. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description
21 unforgettable Cher songs on one disc spotlighting Sonny & Cher along with her recent hits. slipcase. Warner/Geffen. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Cher Retrospective Available, April 1, 2003

By	James E. Bagley "Jim Bagley" (Sanatoga, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Cher's recorded for a lot of labels over the years. This is the first set to include recordings from all of them. Her 60s Sonny & Cher ATCO phase is represented by I Got You Babe and The Beat Goes On (I would have liked to have seen Baby Don't Go included here too). Her 60s solo hits on Liberty, Bang Bang and All I Really Want To Do are here (omitting the hits Alfie and You Better Sit Down Kids is no big whoop).

In the 70s, Cher recorded for Kapp/MCA. Her trilogy of trash (Gypsies Tramps & Thieves, Half-Breed, and Dark Lady) are here, but not the top 10 Way Of Love (where Cher sounds like a man) or her hits with Sonny (All I Ever Need Is You, A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done). Her lone Casablanca hit from the 70s, the disco fave Take Me Home, is here, hinting at Cher's future as a dance diva.

In the 80s, Cher made a major comeback on Geffen Records singing power ballads like Heart Of Stone, I Found Someone, Just Like Jesse James, and If I Could Turn Back Time and the wedding fave After All with Peter Cetera. The one major recording left off from this era is my theme song: We All Sleep Alone.

Major comeback number two, with Cher as the ultimate dance diva on Warner Brothers, is well-represented by her hits Believe, Strong Enough, Song For The Lonely, and Different Kind Of Love Song (the latter improved in a faster-paced mix).

Even if you have Cher's strong collection If I Could Turn Back Time, you should get this for the added Warner Brothers dance hits and 60s Liberty singles, plus The Beat Goes On. It would take two discs to get all of Cher's hits collected and until someone does, this Rhino set is clearly the best sampler

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cher is timeless!!!, June 11, 2003

By	Mark Twain "Sam" (www.chismetime.com) - See all my reviews

There is no way the very best of Cher can be offered on one disc. Her five-decade career has truly been amazing and her triumphant comebacks are always anticipated. While this CD certainly contains a lot of the 'very best,' it is still missing a number of brilliant tracks that should have been included. Didn't anyone think a two-disk woud have been more appropriate for this timeless diva, who--along with Madonna--is the best of the best?

Thankfully "Dark Lady," "Half-Breed," "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "If I Could Turn Back Time, " "Just Like Jesse James", "After All," "Heart of Stone," "And the Beat Goes On," and of course, "I Got You Babe" are all included here.

Tracks that should have been included are "You Better Sit Down Kids"; "Where Do You Go"; "Alfie"; "Living in a House Divided"; "The Way of Love"; "All I Ever Need Is You"; "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"; "Train of Thought"; "We All Sleep Alone"; and "Love and Understanding," plus a few more, which would have made for a terrific second disk. I'm sure every fan wouldn't have minded paying more for that.

Rodney Jerkin's remix of "Different Kind of Love Song" is inferior to the original album version, which should have been included but unfortunately is not. However, "The Very Best of Cher" gets bonus points for including the phenomenal track "All Or Nothing," from the "Believe" album, an underrated and overlooked flop single that's just as good as "Believe," if not better. This CD makes for an addicting guilty pleasure from one of the most fabulous female entertainers around.

Her newer fans should definitely pick this up. It is still a pretty good representation of her songs from the 60's to today. The range of music is pretty fantastic, and only Cher can carry it off. Her voice is distinctive and amazing, able to carry all types of beats-- from folk, pop, disco, rock, country, and house. The queen continues to reign. Let the beat go on!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best compilation so far, May 26, 2003

By A Customer

There have been several Cher "Greatest Hits" compilations over the years, but this one is the best. While I would have preferred they dropped the 2 songs with Sonny and included a few more of her hits (e.g., "The Way of Love," "Love and Understanding," "We All Sleep Alone," "Living in a House Divided" and "Train of Thought"), and put in the original version of "A Different Kind of Love Song" (far better than the remix version on this CD), I nitpick. This is still a good representation of her songs from the 60's to today. The range of music is pretty amazing, and only Cher can carry it off. She's not technically the best singer, but her voice is distinctive and sounds appropriate for rock, country, pop, and dance. Everyone I know that has listened to this CD has loved it.