Greatest Hits [Capitol] (CD - 2001)

Compilation producers: Nigel Reeve, Paul Atkinson.

Digitally remastered by Ron Hill & Peter Mew (Abbey Road Studios, London, England) & Bob Norberg (Capitol Mastering, Los Angeles, California).

These 16 songs spanning the 1960s to the 1990s (most from the 1960s and 1970s) aren't the ideal way to survey the career of the proudly melodramatic singer, who has recorded prolifically since the 1950s, and who has had more than a couple dozen chart British singles. It does include the numbers that the fan who only wants one Shirley Bassey album will likely want: "Goldfinger," "What Now My Love," "Diamonds Are Forever," "Moonraker," "Big Spender," "As Long As He Needs Me," "I (Who Have Nothing)," "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story," and "Something," the last of which was actually a British Top Five hit just half a year after the Beatles put it out as a single. There's also her 1997 British hit collaboration with Propellerheads, "History Repeating." Perhaps its success spurred the inclusion of the three remixes that conclude the album: "Goldfinger" (by the Propellerheads), "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" (by AwayTeam), and "Big Spender" (by Wild Oscar). Fuddy-duds will find this unfortunate, as it's not typical of Bassey's work and will quickly date this anthology as a partial attempt to cash in on "History Repeating." ~ Richie Unterberger minimize