Let's disect this compilation.

The disc starts off with the bouncy, "Turn Your Love Around", a #5 hit on the Billboard charts and then the duet, "Love All The Hurt Away" with Aretha Franklin that was a modest soft hit. The The album gets cooking with "Give Me The Night" which garnered Benson a Grammy Award. The set goes on to to include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", which was not on CD and "Never Give Up On A Good Thing", which was on the top 100, the b-side of Turn Your Love Around, and was also shelved. Then the set goes on to the greats, "On Broadway, White Rabbit and This Masquerade". The second part of the "collection" kicks off with "Love Ballad" in which George reworks LTD's '76 #1 single. "Nature Boy" was the peak at which George went for pop hits instead of his jazz standards. It was a #2 on the r&b charts in '77 and includes some juicy keyboards by Ronnie Foster that was edited out on the single. The third CTI single, "Last Train To Clarksville" gets the listener in a sort of a traveling mood. "Livin' Inside Your Love" is up next and includes George and his protege' Earl Klugh on acoustic guitar. The final CTI single "Here Comes The Sun" is a prelude to his Warner pop hits. Next comes "Breezin" his most enduring works. The single was #1 across the board and propelled George Benson into stardom. "Moody's Mood" a single from the "Give Me The Night" album garnered him best r&b performance of the year. "We Got The Love" a single from Chaka Khan's first solo album is great. The set concludes with "The Greatest Love of All", which was on the The Greatest's opening credits was on the top 100 in '75. If you are a fan and want a definitive look get The George Benson Anthology which is wonderful, but if you want strictly his top 100 hits go for this one. One extra note: the cassette version includes the tracks that were deleted on CD, it maybe on two tapes but those tracks are great.

The LP joins Benson's late 70's-early 80s Warner Bros. hits ("Turn Your Love Around," "On Broadway") with carefully chosen covers from his years on Creed Taylor's CTI label (a flamenco flavored "Last Train to Clarksville," an Afro-Cuban grooved "White Rabbit," with Earl Klugh).

Zigzagging between eras unintentionally plays down Benson's virtuoso guitar soloing (and fun bop-along singing), while spotlighting his less satisfying straight pop vocals. Compare Benson's tender, tentative version of "Here Comes The Sun" with his strained vocal on 1977's "Greatest Love of All." Or worse, his duets with powerhouses Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin. Quincy Jones understood both sides of the singer, and Q's productions on 1980's "Moody's Mood" and the hit "Give Me The Night" are highlights. When jazz was emphasized (as on the tracks from 1976's Grammy-winning "Breezin'"), Benson showed his true passion and talent.

This was shown when, after some smaller R&B hits ("Inside Love," "20/20") Benson returned to vintage jazz with traditional albums like "Tenderly" and "Big Boss Band." But warts and all, "Collection" reminds you that "smooth jazz" once was a new way for musicians like Benson to grow appreciation for traditional music, rather than mask soft, glitzy pop instrumentals.