Anthology

plays great good addition to my collection

Sylvia has got to be an Angel

Sylvia was all the rage for a brief time in the 80s. Crossover hits "Nobody" and "Snapshot" were all over the airwaves and you could find her on stage and TV appearances. This compilation is an excellent window into her heyday and some great 80s nostalgia. I grew up in a household where both parents and kids enjoyed her music, my Dad was a big country fan. After Sylvia and her contemporaries disappeared from the airwaves, us kids moved on with the new music styles, my parents couldn't identify with what followed and went to oldies stations. Now I know why.Looking back I can see how she and some of her contemporaries portray a transitional period in music trendsand that's evident in the playlist. On this album you'll hear classic country styles reflective of her predecessorsalong with a pop/crossover stamp portending shifts that would ultimately put her and others on the wayside.She's among that unique group of "last of the old" artists bridging a period where sheermusical talent was everything, and a modern period where branding and presentation hold much sway.This album is a must for any Sylvia or 80s fan wanting to revisit those times.Great music from an artist with a stunningly beautiful voice.Sylvia portrays one of those transitional music styles the likes of which we'll never see again.

'The Matador' was the only reason I bought this; it can't be found on CD anywhere else at the moment. I did remember many of Sylvia's other songs, some of which are as good or better than 'The Matador,' but I was holding myself back from buying anything until a compilation which included 'The Matador' became available (Although this CD was originally issued in 1997, I just became aware of its existence; never seen it in a store). Frankly, I'm not normally a huge fan of super slick pop-country, and that is mostly what is offered here (I'm more of an alt. country, bluegrass and traditional country fan). What makes this material rise above its formulaic, by-the-numbers production, and the programmed dance beats that are layered over some of it, are Sylvia's gorgeous, rich voice, the warm personality that she projects (an appealing mixture of sweet and sexy), and the better than average quality of the songs (despite, in some cases, unimaginative arrangements). There were a couple of surprises waiting for me when I popped the CD into my changer for the first time: a drop-dead gorgeous cover version of The Association hit 'Never My Love,' which, with its arrangement of tinkling bells, electric sitar and vocoder effects, may be better than the original, and a truly lovely little ballad written by Sylvia herself. Called 'Straight From My Heart,' its chord progression and melody remind me of the kind of song Patsy Cline would have snatched up, had it been written back then. It would be a stretch to call these songs "country," but who cares, when they are so effective at communicating their emotions? These last two tracks have become instant favorite Sylvia songs. Although a few of the tunes on ANTHOLOGY could be termed, to quote Sylvia herself, "forgettable," the ones that are good or great easily make up for the two or three duds. At over 79 minutes, this CD could never be accused of being anything less than generous! The personal notes Sylvia has written about each number in the insert are an added bonus.

This cd is from my teenage years. I loved it then but didn't have the money to buy it.Along comes Amazon and makes it affordable. How could you not love Sylvia!?!

This is the only compilation that actually contains almost all of Sylvia's hits.The original recordings of 19 of her 20 charted songs between 1979-1987 are here.Sylvia had songs in the country top 40 every year from 1979 to 1986,elevan of which made the top ten.They are -1. "Tumbleweed" 1980.2. "Drifter" 1981.3. "The Matador" 1981.4. "Heart on the mend" 1981.5. "Nobody" 1982 -- a crossover that was a top 20 pop hit.6. "Like nothing ever happened" 1982.7. "Snapshot" 1983.8. "I never quite got back (from loving you)" 1983.9. "Fallin' in love" 1985.10. "Cry just a little bit" 1985.11. "I love you by heart" 1985 -- a duet with Michael Johnson.The one song not included here is "The wayward wind" #57 in 1983,Sylvia's duet with James Galway.Included in the liner notes are the thoughts behind the five songsthat are here that are not hits.For example, "Knockin' around",was going to be the title track for Sylvia's sixth R.C.A. album.The album was never released.This compilation is by "Renaissance records" Franklin, Tenn.and "B.M.G. special products" 1997, and has excellent sound.An eight page booklet contains several pictures of Sylvia,and shows some of her albums.An interesting aspect is Sylvia's personel,reflective comments on each of these songs.One last comment from Sylvia is about her new c.d.that had just been released at that time, titled "The real story".If you ever wanted a GREAT collection of Sylvia's hits,you don't need to 'drift' any futher then this anthology.

Arrived in perfect condition and ahead of schedule

After all these years, I still love listening to Sylvia’s songs. Even after not hearing them for quite a few years, they always bring me back to when I used to listen to them in the ‘80’sThe only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because a few of my favorites are missing from this collection.

Excellent pop country from someone who disappeared much too soon

Un excellent CD d'une artiste un peu oubliée. De très beaux souvenirs. De très bonnes chansons.

Sylvia is a little known country artist from the 80's and it's time that people discover her music. Now if only her records were available on cd I'd be a happy camper.