I can understand the publics frustration being a retired recording musician. Singers who are in the business for years, re-record the same songs 15 or 20 years later. Their voice is older and instrumental sounds are different with another band. Each musician and studio will have a new sound. Normally, if a singer stops recording within 10 years, you will get only the originals. Watch how it is advertised. Look for "song hits by the original artist and the original band". You may have to buy boxed sets to get the 1'st recordings if they are very old. But, sometimes, with luck, you will get the original recordings you remember hearing on the radio or juke box.

Connie still had what it took when she went into the studio for this compilation: although her voice is clearly more mature, it still possesses that unique "sob" and considerable energy, and she aquits herself well in revisiting the songs that made her one of the brightest singing stars of her generation. She also does surprisingly well with a number of new songs, most particularly "Misty Blue."

Even so, there is a spark missing here. The arrangements, for one thing, seem more akin to what you would you find in a Las Vegas act than they do to the crackling originals--they have a softer, less aggressive tone. As for Connie's voice, which was always a delicate instrument, it is clearly more mature here--and although she gives such tunes as "Vacation" and "Stupid Cupid" plenty of energy, the result is more nostalgia than reinterpretation. But when Connie Francis is good, she is still very, very good. "Where the Boys Are" sounds as fresh as ever, and such torch songs as "Hurt" have a power that only a mature voice can convey--and convey it she does. WHERE THE HITS ARE will never take the place of the original recordings, but it is an enjoyable trip down memory lane for fans.

Guilty pleasure: Where The Boys Are. Bought the CD just for that song. What happened? I'm hooked on the whole darn album. Misty Blue and Torn Between Two Lovers blows away the original artist's hits. Connie adds an urgency and poignancy to every song. Right now, it's the CD I play most. I can do without Stupid Cupid and Vacation, but everything else is great.

Oh my, this cd package is awful. It consists of re-records so awful as to sound like parodies. Miss Francis' performances are as stiff as a board and she sings as though under hypnosis. Truthfully, we all have better things to do than listen to Connie croak out old ditties like Stupid Cupid. Get the original Greatest Hits instead.

Don't be fooled by this one.... this cd is original in the fact that these recordings are from a recent visit to the studio. The Francis voice and charm is still there, and as strong and poignant as ever. Be sure to pay close attention to her versions of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," "Hurt," "Torn Between Two Lovers," "Cry," and "Misty Blue." Miss Francis' versatility shines in this cd as you'll hear her perform ballads, country, and a little country/rock ("Ol' Time Rock & Roll"), too. This cd is meant for any Connie Francis collection.