For so many artists, yet they have to keep being reintroduced with Greatest Hits collections that really don't seem to stand on their own two feet. That has been the case with so many Soul Artists including Roberta Flack, and Anita Baker. Sadly, that also goes within the case of Vanessa Williams. Yet, she has made herself into a elegant torch vocalist, but there is a case wheer the hit collections don't seem to really add up.

As Part of the Universal series 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection, this 2003 Greatest Hits collection, is more drawn to budget record going buyers. The songs that Vanessa Williams performed is ranged quite nicely, with songs that are just truly as amazing as you could see and hear from her. The songs basically reflect from her four studio records with Mercury, The Right Stuff, The Comfort Zone, The Sweetest Days, and Next. There are just so many good songs here on this collection including Save The Best For Last, Dreamin', The Right Stuff, and Oh How The Years Go By.

Still, it is just a mixed bag on this collection, because there are some songs that weren't featured on Vanessa's 1998 Greatest Hits record: The First Ten Years like Happiness, and Work To Do. But that also goes the same in the opposite direction. There are just so many good songs that also were overlooked here, including Love Is, her duet with Brian McKnight, Colors Of The Wind, which won an Academy Award in 1996, and Where Do We Go From Here from her 1996 film, Eraser.

Still, there are so many people that are still drawn in to Vanessa Williams music. If they never heard some of these songs, I suggest they buy this collection, and her other Greatest Hits record, The First Ten Years. Hopefully, that will bring so many smiles alone on so many faces. Still, I would love to see her sometime come back with a new album soon.

I think that this is just as good as the other compilation album by Vanessa Williams, which was "The First 10 years". They concentrated on her 4 Wing/ Mercury albums. I still crank up "The Right Stuff" a lot! Those beats on that song kicked hard back in '88! It shocked me when it came out because it showed a very radical and different Vanessa, and she pulled it off nicely! She has really blossomed as an artist, moving into more mature songs as of late. Dreamin', I still love and the songs Happiness, Save The Best For Last, and Running Back to You are still favorites to this day. One minor glitch was when they printed the CD on the back. The person must have thought that there were 11 songs instead of 10. Funny error when you see it. Might have had a deadline to turn the art work and album cover in to the record company. But this is a smartly thought out album of Vanessa's hits within a 9-year period.

These days, when it comes to great R&B singers, we unfortunately don't seem to hear the sensual torch singers that;ve really made us feel love in our hearts. That nevertheless is very sad. For acts like Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton and others, it has been a difficult era. For Vanessa Williams though, she had to find another way to break through. Her recent comeback on Ugly Betty still shows that Vanessa has the staying power as a force, but does a remarkable job of reintroducing the former Miss America to a whole new generation. But, for those who're still interested in her music, they can always find a way with seeking a good hits record.

The 2003 Best Of Vanessa Williams 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection is part of Universal highly successful budget collection series that highlights Vanessa through her highs and lows from her era with Mercury Records. the single disc record contains 10 of big songs. The songs could've been remastered a bit better, but nevertheless shows well for beginners. the album does include her big hits like Dreamin', the overlooked Happiness from her album Next, The Right Stuff, and her #1 smash Save The Best For Last. While the album sounds good for new fans, there are though a whole lot of great songs that've been overshadowed including Colors Of The Wind, her 1996 Oscar-winning song from the Disney film Pocahontas, her sensual collaboration with Brian McKnight Love Is, and other great songs.

All in all, The Best Of Vanessa Williams 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection could've shown a better job at Vanessa's musical voice, that her 1998 hits album Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years shined much better on. It is great for new fans, but others are just going to have find something else Vanessa sings with those Sweetest Days to go on for.

Album Cover: B

Songs: C 1/2+

Price: C

Remastering: C+

Overall: C 1/2+

Vanessa Williams got better with time as a Artist.I like Her stuff with Brian Mcknight.these Songs featured Here are alright.some work&some I can do without hearing for a while.She understood the Concept of Being a Stylist&it worked well in Her favor.