The Jackson 5 installment of MCA's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection is a terrific, concise collection of the group's 11 biggest hits. There may be some smaller hits missing, but all the big tunes – "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," "I'll Be There," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Dancing Machine" – are here, along with two solo Michael singles ("Got to Be There," "I Wanna Be Where You Are") and a solo cut from Jermaine ("Daddy's Home"). The end result is a budget-line disc ideal for budget-minded casual fans.
This discount-priced compilation of Motown hits from 1980-1985 includes the work of longtime label artists like Diana Ross ("I'm Coming Out"), the Temptations ("Treat Her Like a Lady"), and Smokey Robinson ("Being With You"), as well as relatively new ones such as Rick James ("Give It to Me Baby"), DeBarge ("Rhythm of the Night"), and the Dazz Band ("Let It Whip"). The inclusion of Michael Jackson's "Farewell My Summer Love" is something of a ringer, since it is a track Jackson actually recorded in 1974, given overdubs and a remix to cash in on his Thriller fame in 1984.
Michael Jackson's edition of 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection concentrates entirely on his solo recordings from the early '70s, including such blockbusters as "Got to Be There," "Rockin' Robin," and "Ben." This doesn't contain every single one of his early solo hits, but it does contain the great majority of them, which means it might satisfy the tastes of many listeners who just want a sampling of the best of this era.
Combining nu-metal with serious pop polish and structure, Alien Ant Farm always felt like a band that lived in two worlds: not quite heavy enough to be metal, but a little too fast-paced for the pop set. And while Alien Ant Farm's genre might be unclear, their entry in the 20th Century Masters series gives fans a bird's-eye view of their career and another opportunity to try nailing down what these guys were up to. Given the musicianship on tracks like "Movies" and their cover of the Michael Jackson classic "Smooth Criminal," while it might be hard to describe, it sure did work.
Vanessa Williams managed to turn the disgrace of losing her Miss America title into a pretty good career as an actress, singer, and annoying shill for Radio Shack. The Best of Vanessa Williams, part of Mercury's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection series, focuses on the vocal aspects of her talents and rounds up 11 of her hits for the label recorded between 1988 and 1997. She has two distinct specialties: the big ballad and the slinky, hip-hop-inspired dance track. Her biggest ballad is the smooth and somewhat saccharine "Save the Best for Last." It spent five weeks at number one in 1991 and was a real career-maker.