The Greatest Hits Ultimate Collection [shm Cd]

Heart had a second run on the charts in 1985 when they signed to Capitol Records and refashioned themselves as a mainstream pop/rock band, heavy on melodies and power ballads. The move paid off immediately, as they scored four Top Ten hits from Heart, their first record for the label: "What About Love?," "Never," "These Dreams," and "Nothin' at All." Heart kept up their hot streak for several more years, reaching the Top Ten three other times with the number one hit "Alone," "Who Will You Run To," and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You." All of those songs are on Greatest Hits 1985-1995, along with 11 other tracks, including the semi-rarities of the Ann Wilson and Robin Zander duet "Surrender to Me" and the "studio version" of "You're the Voice." It may run a little long for the more casual fans, but overall, this is an excellent overview of the era, perfect for fans that don't need the full-length studio albums.

It’s been a long 16 years since Bon Jovi was last compiled, when Cross Road arrived for the holiday season of 1994, two years after Keep the Faith capped off a near-decade long run of dominance for the Jersey rockers. As it turned out, it was the first act of Bon Jovi’s career. A subdued second act followed in the ‘90s, with Jon Bon Jovi flirting with a solo career once again before returning to the fold late in the decade, with the band setting out for a decade of professionalism, sometimes cresting into the charts – usually with the assist of a canny country crossover – sometimes not. Greatest Hits condenses the highlights of this journey in a mere 16 songs, just two longer than Cross Road – its simultaneously released cousin, Ultimate Greatest Hits, adds a disc with 12 additional songs – and two of those are new tunes that are unlikely to show up on any subsequent best of.

Jon Bon Jovi's first official solo album, Destination Anywhere (apparently Blaze of Glory doesn't count because it was a soundtrack) finds the hard rocker attempting to simultaneously make his signature sound more mature and more contemporary. Producer Stephen Lironi tones down the sample-driven rhythms that characterized his work with Black Grape, giving Bon Jovi a laid-back and modern musical bed. Of course, the singer chooses to write melodies and lyrics very similar to those of his full-time band, only less bombastic. And that's the key to Destination Anywhere – it really couldn't have been made by the band, because there are too many subtle sonics and melodies for the group. So, in a sense, it's a breakthrough for Bon Jovi, because it is the first time he sounds like he's come to terms with adulthood. That doesn't mean Destination Anywhere is a complete success – it, like his other records, is hampered by filler – but none of his contemporaries were able to age this well, and the record is a fine example of late-'90s mainstream pop.

One Woman: The Ultimate Collection is a compilation album released by American R&B singer Diana Ross on EMI in 1993. The single-disc collection was the alternative to Ross' 1993 four-CD box set, Forever Diana: Musical Memoirs, which was a 30th anniversary commemorative of her hit-making years over three decades including work with The Supremes. This collection was similar featuring both Supremes hits and solo hits.

Released a decade into Boyz II Men's enormously successful career and a year after another best-of collection, Ballad Collection, Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection puts all the quartet's hits on one disc. Songs like "Motownphilly" and "End of the Road" were phenomenons during their reign atop the Billboard charts, and many of the other songs here were nearly as ubiquitous at various points in the '90s.

The band say this has been reissued “in celebration of our original line up tour” and the track listing is based on the first CD edition (so no Help! with Lananeeneenoonoo), although disc one does feature three bonus tracks: Hot Line To Heaven (from 1984’s Bananarama), The Wild Life (non-album 1984 single – not issued in the UK – written for the film of the same name) and Cheers Then (from 1983’s Deep Sea Skiving). This new edition comes with a bonus disc that features 11 remixes of singles, including Really Saying Something (with Fun Boy Three), Robert De Niro’s Waiting and Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).

Simply Red's second major hits collection not only celebrates their illustrious 25-year career but also marks the end of it, thanks to Mick Hucknall's announcement that he will henceforth only be working under his own name. The much more comprehensive 25 features all but two of the tracks included on 1996's Greatest Hits, plus several tracks from the commercially inconsistent last decade. Of course, it's the late-'80s and early-'90s material that made Simply Red, essentially a solo vehicle for Hucknall, a household name. The likes of "A New Flame," "Holding Back the Years," and debut hit "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" all showcase their signature blue-eyed soul sound…

LSD: Love, Sensuality and Devotion gathers over a decade's worth of Enigma's definitive tracks, including the song that started it all, "Sadeness, Pt. 1." "Return to Innocence," "Beyond the Invisible," and "Cross of Changes" are all featured as well, and though the collection ranges from the rock-tinged "I'll Love You…I'll Kill You" to atmospheric, electronic fare like "Shadows in Silence," since it's all essentially Michael Crétu's vision, it flows surprisingly well. Since Enigma's sound has varied fairly drastically over the years, LSD: Love, Sensuality and Devotion is the perfect starting point for anyone curious about Crétu's music, and the only Enigma album that casual fans might need.