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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely premature collection of an underrated artist., November 17, 2004
Mandy Moore may not have had as much success as Spears or Aguilera, but she had a lot to offer. The self-titled 2001 album was a rock-solid dance/pop collection, and she was able to prove the critics wrong when they thought "Candy" was the only trick up her sleeve.
If she'd had another three or four years to make more music, a greatest-hits set might be justified. Unfortunately, this best-of does reek of a quick cash-in by the record company, because Moore has had only two full albums of original material thus far, added to one covers record and a half-album (I Wanna Be with You) which reprised a number of tracks from her debut. Three tracks from soundtracks bolster the track list a little, but still, it hardly makes a musical history worthy of a greatest-hits set. The music, judged on its own, holds up somewhat. The early material is thin, but enjoyable in its own way -- it *is* teen pop, after all. But Moore's always had a strong voice and personality, and the three tracks from the Mandy Moore album certainly see her taking command.
Looking at the DVD, which collects her music videos, it's no wonder Mandy Moore decided to shorn her locks and go for a dark brunette look. She once said in an interview that being blonde made her look more anonymous. But I think these videos are even more to blame. To put it simply, it's the usual modern-music-video hogwash -- put your artist in lots of costumes with lots of gyrating, unchoreographed hardbodies around you, and just keep wiggling your behind at the camera. A great single like "In My Pocket" deserved better; if the director had bothered studying the lyrics, he might not have turned this video into another body-ogling soft-porn orgy. Several of the other videos do have multiple locations, but by and large they are "stare-at-the-camera" pieces, with no concept or narrative, that look like they were shot in one day and then subjected to bells and whistles in editing to attempt to hide their vacuousness.
The DVD has one major plus, though, which is the tracks from the live "Sessions at AOL" included here. While I can't be sure everything is played live (headphones on musicians would suggest a click track, which in turn suggests pre-recorded tracks being used), Moore sounds great here, freed into a casual environment. It almost reminds me of Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged performance in 1992, when Carey proved she could excel without studio sheen. With her focus on her film career and that momentum-slowing covers record, it's hard to tell where Moore will go musically, but she remains one of the few artists her age with the potential and vocal ability to become something special.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Collection, November 20, 2004
The Mandy Moore: The Best Of album/DVD, packaged beautifully, put together perfectly, is well worth the buy. There is nothing new on the CD, but it still comes across as a full, satisfying album. Here are my reviews on each song individually:
1. Candy - Still sticky and sweet as it was in the late 90's, it reminds you of the more cute, and less sexual, side of the teen pop genre at the time. The bridge, penned by Mandy, is almost a guilty pleasure. 5/5
2. Walk Me Home - A sweet, melodic, intrancing song. The sincerity in Mandy's voice captivates you and brings you back to the first time you heard this song. Though not as catchy as "Candy", "Walk Me Home" is still a good offering. 4/5
3. So Real - A single not released in America, "So Real" is well-produced, but not single worthy. Mandy sounds really young here, but her voice sounds beautiful, and very "commercial". The song is kind of synth-pop. 3/5
4. I Wanna Be With You - Probably one of the most beautiful, melodic songs Mandy has ever been a part of. Immediately after the song finishes, you want to take a second listen. Mandy's voice sounds very mature and miraculous on this song. The music is breath-taking and plays extremely well with her voice. One of my favorites. 6/5
5. In My Pocket - Critically acclaimed, "In My Pocket" deserves the hype it's received. It has a very middle-eastern feel to it and was like a blue bird in a flock of crows in 2001. The song has very inticing lyrics and grabs you in, refusing to let go. You'll be dancing in no time. 5/5
6. Crush - Probably a bigger hit than "In My Pocket", but only semi-rightfully so. The song is beautiful and melodic in it's own right, but seems ill-offered compared to the previous single. However, once you forget about the beauty of 'yester year', you'll love this second offering. 4/5
7. Cry - Probably the biggest hit off the "Mandy Moore" album, this song is beautiful and entrancing. The lyrics are beautiful and thoughtful, and you'll love Mandy immediately for just being involved with it. 5/5
8. Only Hope - Not really a single, but it deffinitely came to be known as the "A Walk To Remember" song. The song is entirely beautiful with sweet piano and violin, perfect against Mandy's sweet, and clearly matured, voice. Probably my favorite Mandy song. 6/5
9. Have A Little Faith In Me - Unfortunately, this never came to really be a hit. I can see why though, as it does take a while to grow on you. However, You can immediately hear how much Mandy Moore's voice has matured and become her own. The song is mid-tempo, and by all means, very beautiful. 5/5
10. Can We Still Be Friends - I am not sure if this and the following two songs were ever singles in other contries, but they were not released in America as singles. They are incredible all the same. This song is inticing and sweet, and has incredible voice layering at points, especially at the bridge. I would have liked to see "Moonshadow" here instead, as it was a single in the Philli's. Either way... 5/5
11. Senses Working Overtime - The opening track for the "Coverage" album, "Senses" is very enjoyable and fun. Deffinitely adds some light to the "Best Of" album. At first, though, it is almost annoying, but after a while, you will love it. 4/5
12. I Feel The Earth Move - Fun and catchy, I am glad this song was included here. While it is... interestingly produced at times, you will really be into it half-way in. Deffintely one of my favorites off the "Coverage" album. 5/5
13. On Top Of The World - This song was released on the Stuart Little 2 soundtrack, but is deffinitely not a children's song. Mandy really shows her vocals on this one and comes through amazingly. The lyrics are beautiful, and the simple drums and accustic guitars give a nice, breezy feel to it. 5/5
14. Secret Love - Well,... this song is interesting. It was released on the "Mona Lisa Smile" soundtrack. Mandy's voice sounds beautiful, but the music sounds almost trite. The chorus is an exception, as it sounds beautiful and romantic, but almost everything else is annoying. Perhaps I just need to give this song time to grow on me, but for now, it's a skipper. (2/5)
Overall, the Mandy Moore: The Best Of album is excellent. On top of that, the album art is absolutely gorgeous. All together, there are 5 pictures. All of them are pretty, but I especially like the ones inside the CD insert. She looks absolutely amazing in them. The only odd thing here is that there are no pictures on the back slip (outside or in). In any case, the album art is beautiful, and has delicate-looking design. On top of all this, you also get a DVD with her music videos and 4 AOL Sessions videos. To see my review of the DVD, please visit the "The Best Of Mandy Moore DVD" section. Thank you for reading, and I strongly encourage you to buy this collection.
P.S. To clear something up, Sony Recording Company (not Mandy) are the ones who released this CD/DVD. Because Mandy is no longer with Sony, she had nothing to do with the release of this collection, and is understood to of rather have not had it released, as she thinks it is "too early" in her career for a "Best Of". I am sure, though, like any other artist, that Mandy will be thankful for your support in any case.
- Kaleb (Kathleen's Son)
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Far from the best, November 19, 2004
In 2003, actress/pop starlet Mandy Moore stunned the musical world by releasing a solid, mature covers album -- wow, it was, like, so different from the forgettable bubblegum she had released in order to get her foot in the door. That makes "Best Of" a deceptive title for this tepid gooey collection.
The first several tracks are the aforementioned bubblegum, generally cloying pop tunes that express teen longing and adoration, such as "Candy" and "Walk Me Home." The fluffiness of these songs is not helped by Moore's vocals -- while she has a good voice, she sounds very young in the early songs. A few soundtrack songs are tacked in, such as the competant "Only Hope" (from her screen debut "A Walk To Remember") and pleasant "Secret Love" (from"Mona Lisa Smile").
But things perk up when Moore's "Coverage" songs come on -- she sounds smoother, more assured, and far more mature. The songs are covers of songs by Todd Rundgren ("Can We Still Be Friends?"), XTC ("Senses Working Overtime"), Carly Simon ("I Feel The Earth Move") and Joe Cocker ("Have a Little Faith In Me." She retains the "feel" of the original, while shifting her vocals from mellow to rock-ish, depending on what the song needs.
Moore is a good singer, there's no question about that -- she has some very good musical taste and vocal talent, and she does justice to the songs she covers. But unfortunately this collection appears to be a last minute cash in, since she left Sony in the past year. At least "Best Of" shows just how much Moore has grown as a singer.
The early pop is virtually unlistenable -- as sugary and lightweight as a giant wad of cotton candy, with songwriting that could have been churned out of the Big Generic Love Song Machine. And while Moore did not make the songs on the second half, she chose well-written classic rock and pop songs by respected musicians.
Moore's vocals also grow up in the most recent songs. In songs like "Candy" and "Crush," she sounds like what she was -- a teenage girl whose voice hadn't fully matured yet. But in the most recent songs, Moore's voice has a richer sound and wider range. And she puts plenty of passion into her vocal delivery, something that is definitely lacking in the early songs. Since Moore reportedly detests her first few CDs, it's not surprising.
"Best Of" is definitely a lie. While it has a few tracks of Mandy Moore's that are well-done, the main focus is on the gooey love ballads done years ago. Here's hoping that a few albums down the road, Moore can put out a true "Best Of" album.
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