Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best career overview available, August 27, 2005
People complain that too many Donna Summer hits compilations have already been released, but "Gold" offers the most comprehensive anthology of an artist who peaked - commercially, at least - a long time ago. Some of the real bonuses of this release include uniformly excellent sound and full production credits for all the tracks, as well as full or previously unavailable versions: the 4:57 edit of "Love To Love You Baby" is the best of the edits; similarly, the 6:28 promo single version of "MacArthur Park"; "I Feel Love" is finally included in an anthology in its superb full length album version; the fantastic 6:47 12" single version of "Hot Stuff" (not included even on the recent Deluxe release of "Bad Girls"); the definitive 5:49 full version of "State Of Independence" (for many her best-ever recording). Her later releases are rightly included as single or edited versions, and whatever you think of them, it's good to hear so many brought together; the Tony Moran edit of "You're So Beautiful" (first available on 2003's compilation "The Journey") ends the album on a high. A real attempt has been made with "Gold" to provide the best-possible summary of Summer's career, and for my money this is a great anthology for both fan and newcomer alike.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An above-average Donna Summer collection, October 29, 2005
Let me preface this by saying one thing. If you have 1993's "The Donna Summer Anthology", hold on to that, but if you don't, run, don't walk, to the store to get this.
Donna Summer has been showered countless hits collections in her career. However, Gold is only the second to even attempt at covering a broader range of her career than the disco period and the biggest of the 80's pop and 90's dance hits.
The two discs work perfectly. Disc one exclusively covers the Casablanca disco phase where Donna was on top of the world. Disc two starts right at 1980, where Donna had signed to Geffen and was going through a change, both spiritually and musically. I am one who loves both periods.
In the late 1970's, Donna was a disco superstar, the one artist who was able to give The Bee Gees a run for their money in America. From early sexual works such as Love To Love You Baby and Four Seasons Of Love to edgy electronic classics such as Once Upon A Time and Bad Girls, Donna and Giorgio Moroder carved out a special niche in pop music for them. She was sexy and had a wonderful voice, he was a studio whiz. The music was fantastic and turned Donna into a true icon.
After the disco backlash hit, Donna was one of the few artists to survive with a career after radio blacklisted the genre by successfully reinventing her image. After marrying Brooklyn Dreams meber Bruce Sudano, Donna turned to religion and chose to better herself. Granted, it was a turn that alienated some of her gay fanbase because it's hard for some people to think of "Christian" without homophobia, but I have no doubt that Donna is innocent of the claims laid against her.
The 1980's were a time of experimenting for Donna, from a Pat Benatar style rock album (The Wanderer) to a soulful Quincy Jones production (Donna Summer) to straight-ahead pop albums (She Works Hard For The Money), Donna showed true diversity, from doing everything from hard rock to gospel on an album, she started losing fans. It was to such an extent that David Geffen shelved Donna's 1981 "I'm A Rainbow" for 15 years, because the album was a total potpourri of genres. Needless to say, the music was still phenomenal despite what sales tell you. More recently, she has enjoyed the occasional one-off dance hit from newly recorded cuts that make it onto soundtracks, live albums and greatest hits packages.
This collection is a fine representation of Donna's long and fruitful career, and as she is finally working on a new album (let's hope this time it's for real), this is only the beginning of another period of memorable moments.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
CRUCIAL for the collection of Donna completists, August 18, 2005
this might sound insane, but collectors will understand. Just about everything else you already have, but the 7" remixes of When love Cries and Love's About to Change my Heart BOTH include added vocal parts that were not on the original album recordings, and this is the only place you can get these 2 versions on CD!!! That makes this an absolute MUST HAVE.
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