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Elly Roberts reviews
Sony BMG
- October 2007
- Rating: 10/10
Record breaking Diva: on the verge of a comeback? Surely.
Whitney Houston shot to fame in the UK with her debut single Saving All My Love For Youin November 1985. Since then shes clocked-up numerous accolades and awards.When youve got a back catalogue like Whitneys, its not too hard putting togethera compilation like this.
The multi-award-winning, record-shattering singer, born Whitney Elizabeth Houston(niece of singer Dionne Warwick and daughter of Cissy Houston) from New Jerseyscored a record seven successive number ones on Americas Billboard Hot 100.
In 2001, with sales exceeding 140 million, she signed a record breaking $100mrecoding deal. UK-wise she topped the singles chart four times with debut singleSaving All My Love For You (1985), I Wanna Dance With Somebody(1987), One Moment In Time (1988) and a cover of Dolly Partons I WillAlways Love You (selling 1,355,055 copies / 10million world-wide) from thesoundtrack to chick-flick The Bodyguard, starring alongside Kevin Costner.
The soundtrack is also one of the best selling albums of all time, and the bestselling soundtrack ever.
Ultimate, which peaked at 3 in the UK late last year, and as of w/c 8/1/08dropped from 12 to 28 after 10 weeks on chart, is still hanging on well. Itmade the top ten in Denmark, New Zealand, Ireland, and Sweden, peaking at 34in the United World Chart Alums Chart no less, which goes to prove that despitea troubled personal life and commercial decline from 2002-2005, she remains anartist with immense pulling power.
It tracks her hits spanning three decades, featuring her unique powerful dramaticsoprano, melismatic infections and expansive vocal range.
From her 33 UK chart entries theyve whittled it down to 18 tracks, running innon-chronological order, and its not a bad choice either, but there are acouple of strange omissions such as the classic Step By Step and herlast top ten entry, the amazing duet Could I Have This Kiss Foreverwith Enrique Iglesias, which should have replaced the lacklustre My Love is Your Love.
Best bits include the opening song I Will Always Love You, How Will I Know,So Emotional, Its Not Right But Its Okay.
Houston holds the Guinness World Record for the Most Awarded Female Artist ever.Listen to this and you understand why.
Just in case you hadnt realised, shes had a hits album before: 2000s TheGreatest Hits over two CDs.
File under: Essential, essential, essential.
Weblinks:whitneyhouston.com /myspace.com/whitneyhouston.com /arista.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. I Will Always Love You
2. Saving All My Love For You
3. Greatest Love Of All
4. One Moment In Time
5. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
6. How Will I Know
7. So Emotional
8. When You Believe (duet with Mariah Carey)
9. Where Do Broken Hearts Go?
10. Im Your Baby Tonight
11. Didnt We Almost Have It All
12. Run To You
13. Exhale ( Shoop Shoop)
14. If I Told You That (duet with George Michael)
15. I Have Nothing
16. Im Every Woman
17. Its Not Right But its Okay
18. My Love Is Your Love
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.