This is a wonderful collection of ballads and love songs which goes beyond Dusty Springfield's hits to include many lesser-known gems. Although many of the songs on this album may be unfamiliar to American audiences, they are a revelation: Springfield's beautiful voice and emotional singing style are shown off to great advantage in the ballads which make up the majority of this album. Standout tracks include the Janis Ian-penned "In The Winter," which was not released until after Springfield's death, the pop standard "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life," and "Let Me Love You Once Before You Go." Also included is a live version of the Karla Bonoff song "Lose Again," which was recorded at Springfield's final concert in the UK in 1979 and has never before been released on CD.

Buyers should note that the version of the hit "I Only Want To Be With You" on this album is not the familiar version, but is an alternate vocal and mix.

I highly recommend this album - buy it and discover the amazing talents of the underappreciated Dusty Springfield.

Yet another Dusty compilation - take your pick, there are so many but this is certainly one worth having. The remastering is generaly good and it's hard not to be reminded of the great sound quality Dusty was able to achieve on her records, especially in the early years when she was so actively involved on the production side of things. I want to pay particular tribute to Dusty's version of the Goffin/KIng song, "Goin' Back". The way that Dusty puts her peformance together is a master class in pop singing. As the orchestration of the song gains momentum, so too does Dusty's singing, but all within a carefully defined framework. No histrionics, this is not American idol type singing where the aim is to overwhelm or even destroy the song - when Dusty sang songs she really loved, she paid the ultimate tribute to the writers, telling the story. It is often said that Dusty was the greatest British female pop singer of all tme. I don't think this can be disputed - her musical inteligence was married with natural talent. She understood pop better than most of her contemporaries - male or female. Was she a better singer than Rod Stewart? Eric Bourdon? Other British male singers of reknown? Obviousy she was not as prolific as Rod Stewart and I don't think she ever would have tackled the great American songbook - her only efforts in that canon were not particularly impressive - but that may have been a production problem and unlike Stewart she recognised her strengths and by default her limitations (more signs of her inteligence). However at her best, her capacity to interpret a song, to turn it into a three minute masterpiece, emotive, restrained and exciting, puts her in a class of her own. Comparisons are futile since there was only ONE Dusty Springfield. Of course there are songs on this compilation which are not Dusty's greatest moments, she after all did cover some fairly ordinary songs, but I am always surprised at how there is something to discover, some little moment of clever singing, in even the least well written or poorly produced songs.

I ordered this set (finally) a few days ago and lemme tell you, I could kick myself for waiting so long. This two disc set of Dusty's finest ballads with an upbeat song or two may throw this set off balance a touch but my God, the mastering!! I really thought Universal hit it's zenith with the gold series and the "Master Hits" single disc but no, this cd set is a master class in cd engineering and I wish the excellent boxed set "Simply Dusty" is as well mastered as this. I vow that I will no longer think twice when it comes to anything involving a recent compilation or cd reissue regarding Dusty.

If you like Dusty or just want to discover her songs, you will be thrill with this compilation. A must own.