This is one of the best collections ever made by Joan in my opinion. I loved her recordings from this era. In fact, perhaps the only other I would put up against this one is the rare "To the Limit", which it seems that I love and not too many others appreciate. There is no other artist like Joan Armatrading. I collected her albums on vinyl when I was in high school and college and listened to them over and over. On "Back to the Night" you have the awesome voice, lyrics, and guitar of Joan Armatrading. There are enough interesting rhythm / percussion details to keep things interesting too. This album is one of those that to me showcases her at the apex of her talent, and would be a great addition to the collection of a fan who is mostly familiar with her newer material. I look through the track list and I can't pick a song I don't like. I am very picky and I can't think of more than one other album that I would say that about. I guess my favorite on this collection was always "Travel So Far". I also loved "Cool Blue Stole My Heart". This is very moving music to me. To this day, Joan Armatrading songs can improve any bad day that I may have. I still play Joan cd's to lift my spirits sometimes. If you listen to the lyrics, no matter how down Joan may get she's never broken, and always on the upswing. This is an essential collection of music and I would love to see it rereleased, along with "To the Limit", which I may even say is my absolute favorite because of "Let it Last Forever". Incidentally, the only cd that I really like from her newer stuff (and it's not too new really) is "Hearts and Flowers". Still, it can't touch the quality of these earlier efforts, including "Whatever's for Us" and the self-titled album.

It's a shame that this album is so hard to find on CD; in my opinion this is one of her best albums ever.
She is a great artist with a wonderful voice!