There are so many Cher Greatest Hits sets out there that it is almost hard to keep up with them. As far as MCA standards for Cher's hits albums have gone, this is a great one.

The great #1 story songs ("Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves", "Half Breed" and "Dark Lady") are here and sound just as good as ever.

Cher's experimentation with different types of music is shown here well. The disco hit "Take Me Home" is in an extended version here. "Living In A House Divided" starts to sound like a Motown classic with background singers chanting "tumbling down". A superb torch song "I Saw A Man and He Danced with His Wife" is just like heaven with Cher's vocals and her way of telling the story. Also a highlight is the last big duet with Sonny "All I Ever Need Is You". It sounds so convincing and to me is more romantic over "I Got You Babe" anytime.

The set has no faults at all. A great set of seventies tracks by the timeless diva.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Cher is the first CD in a two CD set within the 20th Century Masters CD series. Even with two CDs, it's not everything that was truly Cher's "best;" but with two albums it does a relatively good job anyhow. The artwork is par for this CD series; but the sound quality couldn't be better! We get some excellent hits by Cher on this album, too.

"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" starts the CD with an awesome Cher hit. The percussion and guitar work wonders for this arrangement; and Cher belts this out with all her heart! Although Cher is not always considered a "belter;" if you listen to tracks like this one you can easily see that she was and still remains a true "belter." Great! "The Way Of Love" tugs at my heartstrings whenever I hear it; Cher gives advice to younger women about falling in love and protecting your feelings. Cher sings this with passion and yet a great sensitivity that truly amazes me. I have always love Cher singing "The Way Of Love."

"Dark Lady" has an excellent melody; and Cher sings this with all her heart and soul; the melody is very pretty for this dramatic number. "Half-Breed" is easily a major highlight of this album; Cher sings this as if she herself were truly a "half-breed" and her voice was made to sing ballads like this! The percussion adds a lot to the melody, too.

"Living In A House Divided" is a number with which I am less familiar but Cher sings this great and it all holds its own very well. The brass enhances Cher's performance and "Living In A House Divided" is a type of torch song that I think you're going to enjoy.

"I Saw A Man And He Danced With His Wife" is a tune I remember from way back when; and it still sounds fresh and new to me all these ages later! "I Saw A Man And He Danced With His Wife" is a beautiful and touching song about an unrequited love that showcases Cher's excellent vocal talents.

The album even ends strong with Cher performing "All I Ever Need Is You" with Sonny Bono. "All I Ever Need Is Love" has a gorgeous melody with a country twist to it that makes this number very, very special. Sonny and Cher have excellent diction and their remarkable sense of timing makes this tune a great ending for this album.

In short, Cher fans will want this for their collections unless they already have these numbers on other albums. This CD is also the perfect place to start for casual fans just discovering the artistry of Cher.

Ok, It took them a long while, but this compilation is not only impeccably remastered but it includes the disco anthem Take Me Home in it's full disco version, and it sounds great with Snuff Garrett's high level pop productions.It has left out "Melody", a maudlin no charter from the previous MCA Greatest Hits, and the pictures and liner notes are fitting to the production. A great and notable inclusion is Cher's number 7 single with Sonny "All I Ever Need is YOU". Cher's distinctive contralto is a wonderful signature in the world of pop. Understatement isn't everything!Cher is very convincing as an actress telling stories of a blue collar gal with the world nipping at her heels in the number 1 Gypsies Tramps and Thieves, Half Breed( also a number1) and Carousel Man, a real entertaining saga of a carnival worker!Only Cher could make these fly out of the country genre!

Cher's griity vocals and sassy attitude mark the new Century on this memory evoking disc. All digitally re-mastered, these tracks take us back in time when music was *soda pop giggles* and *mimosa smiles*.

From the tambourine storytelling chimes of "Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves" to the emotional coupling of "All I Ever Need Is You"--a duet with Sonny Bono, this is a sexy, soulful, fun compilation.

Cher is always reinventing herself--the longevity chameleon of the music industry. A recommended addition for "best of" collections.

Thanks for your interest & comment votes--CDS

No matter how many times every comedian in America has tried to imitate her, it's true that no one before her or since ever sang quite like Cher, with her absurdly sultry and dark voice and her powerful way of phrasing. These classic songs from the start of Cher's solo career were some of the finest musical moments of the Seventies. You not only get her most famous ballads, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Dark Lady," and "Half-Breed" (dig those groovy war chants in the background during the chorus!), but you also get some of her best unknown songs: the lovely torch number "I Saw a Man" and my own very, very favorite, "Train of Thought" (why wasn't it a hit?).