This collection comprises singles from Stevie Nick's first four albums and has three new songs on it, of which the first two rank among my favourites. There's also Stevie's commentary on each song, including who it was written for and who was the inspiration for the song. Key=[original studio album]

The first, the radio-friendly Jon Bon Jovi-penned "Sometimes It's A B---h", became a single and the sound brings out the glory days of Bella Donna, as it features Benmont Tench on organ and Waddy Wachtel's signature chicken-scratch guitar. Oh, and Jon Bon Jovi does acoustic guitar. It's a reflection on her life, her big statement, if you will, with many insightful lyrics. "My partner's been pleasure... my partner's been pain," "I cried a river of tears from the pain." "Sometimes it's roses... and sometimes it's weeds." But in the end, she says, "And if I could I'd do it all over again." Such courage!

"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", which wasn't going to be on Tom Petty's album, is described as that duet that completely entranced her and how she loved duets as a result. Heck, I love this one a lot. [Bella Donna]

"Whole Lotta Trouble" wasn't exactly one of my favourite Nicks singles, and I really questioned its inclusion here. And this was written for Tom Petty and Bob Dylan? What did they do to her? [Other Side Of The Mirror]

"Talk To Me", which has rhythmic similarities to John Waite's "Missing You" is another all-time favourite and was written by Chas Sandford, who also co-wrote "Missing You." Hearing the chorus "You can talk to me/you can set your secrets free baby", and "you can sooth your brow, cause you'll find no danger here" did it for me. [Rock A Little]

All singles from The Wild Heart are done back to back. "Stand Back" was inspired by Prince, who did uncredited synthesizer, and that steady drum-machine programming, pulsing bass synth and the chorus makes this another Nicks classic, for the same reason the emotional strings and piano of the tearful "Beauty And The Beat" is. Yes, "timeless is the creature who is wise/and timeless is the prisoner in disguise." And "If Anyone Falls", is a hit thanks to Professor Roy Bittan's synthesizers and Waddy Wachtel's snarling guitar.

The title "Rooms On Fire" came a Dutch castle where they recorded the album and it looked like the rooms were, well,... Rupert Hine's polished sound and Jamie West-Oram's guitar makes this song totally different from her previous work [Other]

Then comes the new power ballad, a duet with Poison's Bret Michael, co-writer and 12-string guitarist on "Love's A Hard game To Play". "The heart's the price you pay" she sings sagely, and Bret revives a line from Poison's "I Won't Forget You"--"it's better to have lost a love than never to have loved at all."

The upbeat rocker "The Edge Of Seventeen" and the sweet "Leather And Lace" from Bella Donna come next. The latter was originally written as a duet for Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter. As they were splitting up, Stevie and Don Henley ended up singing it.

The hard-edged guitar of "I Can't Wait" really drove me wild, as did the keyboards. She writes in the commentary: "To understand this song, you sort of have to let yourself go a little crazy...love is blind, it never works out... but you just have to have it." That is followed by a song that really tugs at me, the haunting piano and strings ballad-"Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You."

Finally, a song chronicling the first war fought since the fall of the Berlin wall. I used to think this was pro-war but carefully reading "Desert Angel" made me think otherwise: "Where is my husband-Where is my son...?... Where has he gone? This war? This can't be happening." There's also that dynamic of supporting the troops and not the war, and she does tell the troops "And you should know how much we love you... Come home." This is one of two commentary songs of the Gulf War, the other being the Rolling Stones' "High Wire". Being Phoenix-born, Stevie is indeed a desert angel to sing this.

A timely compilation highlighted by three new songs, all the vital singles (well, most of them anyway), which serves to put the mystical witch of scarves, dreamscapes, timespaces, and haunted love on the charts and in our minds and hearts.

I reviewed this CD first in December of 1998, when I was still a new and becoming Stevie Nicks fan. I have had years to reflect and list to everything this woman has done. This CD is full of Nicks' solo hits, as well as a couple of new tunes (well they were new when this album was put out in 1991 anyway!)
Stevie Nicks, the quintessential Queen of Rock, released TIMESPACE : THE BEST OF STEVIE NICKS in 1991 (not exactly her prime time in the music business) With her multi-platinum success with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist, juggling both was not always easy for Stevie, but her millions of adoring fans are what helped her make it through (the drug addictions, weight gains, all of it!)
In the booklet of this CD, Stevie explains each song, so that no-one can be confused on the meanings of these songs. This is a great and must have album for any Stevie fan, or anyone at all for that matter. Standout cuts are the poetic and deep "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?" - The rock ballad "Edge of Seventeen," her famous duets of the early 80s such as "Leather and Lace" with Eagles frontman Don Henley, and "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" with rocker Tom Petty. "Beauty and the Beast" is a soft and emotional ode to former lover Mick Fleetwood. "Stand Back," as always, is a great upbeat song, great for driving!
"Talk To Me," one of Stevie's biggest solo hits, is upbeat and an awesome tune. "Rooms on Fire" tells her fans where Stevie stands as the 80's end. "Desert Angel," is a deep song written for the troups in the Persian Gulf War. All in all, every song has a story, and every song on this CD is worth plenty of listens! DO NOT hesitate to buy this Cd.

If you want a collection of the best songs of Stevie Nicks from both solo career and her glory days with Fleetwood Mac, then you will have to put it together yourself (which, of course, is not that much of a problem in these modern times). If you are looking for the best songs of her solo career then you might as well save yourself the effort and just pick up "Timespace: The best of Stevie Nicks." These fourteen tracks provide ample proof that when she is good, Stevie Nicks is very good.

When Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 they made the new and improve group the most popular band on the planet. Hit singles like "Rhiannon" and "Dreams" made Nicks stand out from the rest and in 1981 she recorded her solo debut album, "Bella Donna," which hit #1 on the Billboard album chart or the strength of duets with Tom Petty ("Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" #3) and Don Henley ("Leather and Lace") as well as her hard rocker "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)." Three other solo efforts followed: 1983's "The Wild Heart," 1985's "Rock a Little," and 1989's "The Other Side of the Mirror." Those four albums make up the source material for "Timespace."

Nicks had almost a dozen Top 40 singles from those four albums, all of which feature her distinctive voice (I want to describe it as almost a Janis Joplin type of voice without the hard edge, but that seems so woefully inadequate and I cannot come up with anything better). Not all of her singles are here, with both "After the Glitter Fades" and "Needles and Pins," the other duet with Tom Petty, from her debut album missing. But of course you have her highest charting single, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," and the gorgeous "Beauty and the Beast," with the wonderful piano bridge by Roy Brittan. "Stand Back," "Edge of Seventeen" and "Rooms of Fire," represent her hard rock side while "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" offers another look at the softer side. There is also a "new" track to start off the album with "Sometimes It's a Bitch," co-written by Jon Bon Jovi.

While there is room to debate a few of the songs (I can replace both "Love's A Hard Came to Play" and "Desert Angel" with better tracks), I think there is agreement that the very best of the best of Stevie Nicks is here. If you do not have a Stevie Nicks album in your music collection, then this would definitely be the single CD to pick up to rectify that error.

I just bought this album at Goodwill along with The Beatles 1967-1970 for only 50 cents so it must have been my lucky day! I had never heard any of Stevie Nicks solo songs before purchasing this CD although I have always loved her songs with Fleetwood Mac(Gold Dust Woman, Rhiannon, Dreams, and Landslide are Fleetwood Macs best songs) I have always loved her beautiful voice and her witchy, romantic look and I was not disappointed with Timespace. I would probably give it five stars just for Beauty and the Beast and Edge of Seventeen but the whole album deserves five stars. Leather and Lace, Draggin my Heart Around, Room on Fire ect ect these are all great songs. I recommend this album to anyone who loves great music and I especilly recommend Beauty and the Beast and Edge of Seventeen because those are the two greatest songs I have ever heard.If you only want to listen to two of her songs try those and you will be hooked.

I think I'm in the minority of people who like "Stevie Nicks" just a little more than "Fleetwood Mac". Maybe because I grew up in the 80's. Anyway, this is a great collection, and off the top of my head I can't think of any of her solo songs missing. This includes "Talk To Me", "Rooms On Fire", "If Anyone Falls", and "Edge Of Seventeen". Plus it has "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" with "Tom Petty", and "Leather And Lace" with "Don Henley", two of the best duets I've ever heard. Another moving song is "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You", which makes my wife cry every time. Overall it's 14 wonderful tracks that sound as good as she looked.