There's artists that I honestly adore but have never bought a record from. Most of those artists are artists that either a) lived out their career before I was born, b) started their career before I was born or c) have records that I've testedt out that I disliked. Call it laziness, naive-ness or what-have-you but I live in the moment. Yeah, ok.

Donna Summer is one of the artists that I've mentioned beforehand. From her guest appearance on any early 1990s episode of Cosby-wannabe family sitcom Family Matters (as you may have guessed, I had no idea who this woman was) to several books, Donna has done everything under the sun in her illustrious career. Too bad it took my mom to introduce me to her. One day she had downloaded a bunch of 70s-80s tracks and wanted me to see which ones I liked. To say the least, I loved the several Donna songs that were there. Subsequent interest in other songs followed but I never got my hands onto a regular CD...until now.

This disc, one of several greatest hits compilations she has, was released as a source of hype for her autibiography but didn't produce such hot sales figures.

Tracklisting:
Love To Love You Baby (*****)
Could It Be Magic (****)
I Feel Love (**** 1/2)
I Love You (****)
Last Dance (*****)
MacArthur Park (*****)
Heaven Knows (**** 1/2)
Hot Stuff (**** 1/2)
Bad Girls (*****)
Dim All The Lights (*****)
No More Tears featuring Barbra Streisand (**)
On The Radio (*****)
The Wanderer (*** 1/2)
Love Is In Control (****)
State of Independence (** 1/2)
She Works Hard For The Money (*****)
This Time I Know It's For Real (****)
I Will Go With You (**** 1/2)
That's The Way (***) new track
Dream-A-Lot's Theme (*** 1/2) new track

The album kicks off with the...um...expressive Love To Love You Baby, a single that was originally over 16 minutes but is cut down to about 3:30 for its appearance on this album. This song just leaves me clueless as to its description. This playful, faux orgasm-filled romp in the land of catchy disco was Donna's first "official" single and boy was it an amazing start. Her grunts and moans sometimes take the place of full lines Set me free, set me free-hee-aaauugghhhh.... over the elevator-music-sound-a-like-but-only-cooler keyboards and steady percussion. The song will leave some blushing, some wanting more and some feeling dirty. Could It Be Magic, a cover of a Barry Manilow (yes, you read right), is next up and is a second strong track. With the wailing back-up vocalists, slick bass and tribal-esque percussion, this inquisitive song is a chance to hear Manilow gone soulful. Summer's vocals rip through the lyrics in her signature style, a mix of childlike softness and naughty girl...well...everything else. You detect the innocence in her voice right away while the ad libs suggest the polar opposite.

I Feel Love, another big Donna single, is like a more toned down version of the first track, to a point. Over the fluttery, rapidfire synth work, Donna wails and uses her obvious range to her advantage, especially on the poised, classic hook. Her voice offers a sharp contrast to the kickin' bass of the track, shedding a light on it that only her voice could. She starts out rather meek and pristine-sounding but comes into her own on the first hook and never looks back. I Love You is a bit more of a lush, r&b-influenced track with a strong vocal performance and a very sunny jook. Donna seems to have found her niche on this song, sounding extremely confident on this driving, sound effect heavy celebratory track. With the glittery percussion, interpretive string work and stuttery bass, I Love You captures the sentiment of that statement perfectly without making it overly corny.

Don't tell me you don't love Last Dance, people. I mean, c'mon. The slowed up, dramatic intro that makes you really feel the power she has in her voice that remains untapped is enough to drive me crazy; when it picks up the pace and gets that air tight little groove going, you know you have a classic on your hands. Intermittent horn sections, prominent percussion that backs off nicely (cymbals and hand drums especially) and soulfully sleek bassline are all some of the wonderful elements to this timeless track. Its nice someone made a track especially for the last dance, especially considering the time period that this music is from. This is the track you'll get into most.

The Baroque-esque intro to the lyrically bizarre MacArthur Park is only the beginning of quite a ride for the listener. You hear warm back-up vocals that hold up her insane, nearly a cappella intro(I believe that last note is still going on to this day) then she just lets loose with some of the most head scratching lyrics I can recall from an r&b song. Someone left the cake out in the rain/ I don't think that I can take it/ Cause it took so long to bake it/ And I'll never have the recipe again The gorgeous party-horns when the song really gets movin' are greatly executed while the rubbery bassline is exactly what the doctor ordered. Damn, girl, I'll get you a new cake for making such an awesome song.

Heaven Knows has a bit more of an expected sound with the more toned down nature of the song. The semi-grandiose string work is a nice contrast to the percussion-heavy, latin-lite rest of the song. With vocals from Brooklyn Dreams, this suave dancefloor burner is another keeper. Hot Stuff is one of Donna's biggest songs and rightfully so. Fusing rock, soul and disco in a nearly flawless, uber pounding track that will surely get people up with that signature hookline. The rock-esque synths between the first hook and second chorus are pure genius while the back-up on the hook is clever (random shouts of "hot stuff!" always bring a smile to my face). Get on board, the Bad Girls express is about to jump off. With some undeniably cool self-provided sound effects and a nice little swagger from Donna, this horny heavy track of prostitution is one that I'll always listen to. Yay for hookers.

Dim All The Lights has this charming, more slowed down intro with the backed off bass, sweltering drums and dreamy sway that fades into this keyboard heavy (and do I detect a hunt of cowbell?) little ditty that's so old school it hurts. In a good way, of course. The bass progresses as the song does while the stripped down beat allows her natural charisma shine through. This has all the makings of a sister song to Last Dance, at least lyricwise. Ew...Barbra Streisand...(disgusted face)...this song, No More Tears, is just horrid. The almost-humorous melodramatic Broadway-esque intro (loopy, melancholy strings, wafting little bass, sparingly used piano) is a crime to the lovely Donna right here and now. Donna, of course, sounds strong although when she first comes in, she sounds very chipmunk-y. This song is pure, unadulterated, nonpasteurized cheese with the teeny note fading into the supposed dance track. Barbra Streisand quirky disco song=...?

On the Radio...(quiver)...ok, now this is a soulful track. Forget all of what you've heard; this is the stuff right here. With the downtrodden intro similar to Last Dance, climbing piano and intoxicating horn section, this oft-covered classic has that certain something you can't help but love. There's no one thing that I could focus on and tell you about; its a song you have to hear to know what I'm talking about. The production is also flawless. The Wanderer is flat out weird. With the jazz-meets-funk synth work, mumbly vocals and overproduction (it's like a blanket is thrown over her voice), it's a total head scratcher. Its a bit too forced and tries a bit too hard to be different (Kudos on trying to be different but you shouldn't lessen the quality of your music just to be different) so you leave the track quite confused as to her direction.

Love Is In Control's intro is pure fire. Sans the gun metaphors, its just the bassline riff and some occasional keyboarding that make the intro extremely buoyant. When Donna comes in, the full effect is reached; she sounds extremely strong, her voice much deeper and huskier than normal. The hook is pure fun; a falsetto back-up over the wax-y bassline and mechanical percussion effects is enough to get you smilin'. Even if you dislike the song, the hook will pick you back up. State Of Independence is a swangin' dancehall track that kindof takes you off guard. Its been an odd stretch of the record and this doesn't do much to slow that trend down. Her performance is ok but there's too much going on to fully enjoy the track; it just ends up sounding extremely hokey.

She Works Hard For The Money...aw yeah. This quirky, Sally-Field-in-Norma-Rae fist clenching "f*ck the men, let's drink to us" anthem for all you hard workin' women was Donna's last major song. Its digi-keyboard heavy sound mixed with some kickin' production and danceable percussion that is kind of drowned out at times is a force to be reckoned with/ Performance is skyrocketing; the glorious back-up is enough to finish off this amazing track. This Time I Know It's For Real is very Debbie Gibson-sounding but with that little extra dash of soul added to make the song just different enough to be accepted. The hook's pretty tight but it's just too much. Period.

I Will Go With You is an exotic, etheral throbbing dance track that finds a gorgeous balance between orchestral ballads and club tracks. The vocal performance she puts on is unreal, especially the gargantuan last few notes. You seriously have to hear it to believe it. The lyrics aren't the best thing ever but with the slick production and the latin-heavy beat, you don't need much lyrically. The new tracks disappoint, however. That's The Way is a track best described as Janet-Jackson-and-the-Spice-Girls-go-to-the-islands and go on a sugar high. Her vocals are eerily similar to Miss Jackson's while the harmonious intro is Spice-y and the warm synths and glossy bass scream "take me to Jamaica". Dream-A-Lot's Theme (I Will Live For Love) is better but not by much. The intro is soaring and gorgeous but the transition from that to the actual track is a bit awkward. The women's anthem lyrics are fine but nothing too unusual.

Donna Summer is a frickin' goddess, people. The recently 55 year old superstar has contributed some amazing dance classics that make white hetero male me want to get on the dancefloor in my most John-Travolta-circa-Saturday-Night-Fever leisure suit kind of way. Vocals? Check. Lyrics? Mm-hmm, got 'em. Hell, y'all know if you'll like this. But buy it anyway.

Great Music To Play While: toot-tooting and beep-beeping (eat that, RKelly!), freaking out over a cake left in the rain, bumping and grinding at Studio 54, wanting some hot stuff (careful, you might burn your hand), feeling the trigger finger itch due to sometimes blah material, hearing your letter on the radio (lucky bastards)

Last Three Reviews:
Sheryl Crow- The Very Best Of Sheryl Crow
Janet Jackson- The Velvet Rope
Avril Lavigne- Let Go

Recommended: Yes