Hello Sarah Brightman fans. Today I recieved my copy of 'the very best of 1990/2000 Sarah Brightman'. It really is nice, but definitely not the absolute best. There are a few songs that have got standing ovations when performed live, but did not make it to this collection. The track list is indeed beautiful, but I wish there were tracks like 'LA LUNA', 'WINTER IN JULY' and most inportantly, the Puccini aria 'NESSUN DORMA'.

The track list is as goes: 1) A QUESTION OF HONOR part 2 (radio edit) 2)HEAVEN IS HERE 3)WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER 4)TIME TO SAY GOODBYE (with Andrea Bocelli) 5)TU QUIERES VOLVER 6)JUST SHOW ME HOW TO LOVE YOU (with Jose Cura) 7)EDEN 8)NELLA FANTASIA 9)DELIVER ME 10)ONLY AN OCEAN AWAY 11)SCARBOROUGH FAIR 12)A WHITER SHADE OF PALE 13)FIRST OF MAY (studio version) 14)CAPTAIN NEMO (live) 15)LA MER (live) 16)THE LAST WORDS YOU SAID (with Richard Marx)

Tracks 14 and 15 are taken from the "One night in Eden" concert. The full length album versions are both found on the 1993 'DIVE' Cd. Both songs would be better in studio version, but are still okay on this collection. TRACK 1, 'A QUESTION OF HONOR part 2' is the shortened version that is found as track #6 on the new remixes CD of 'AWSOP/AQOH. 'Heaven is here' is found on 1995/96's 'FLY' and is a great song that needs lots of airplay.

Inside, the booklet shows 2 nice full-page photos from 'Eden' and 'La LUNA' + a fab collage of many faces of Sarah from her different albums. There are a couple of shots of her from The Phantom Of the Opera, but there are no songs from that CD because the collection has been compiled only from 1990 on. Also found inside are the total time for each track and the official web-site for anyone whom still does not have it.

The cover is navy blue with shiny silver graphics and writing. The back side of the booklet is a photo of Sarah from the back cover from the 'LA LUNA' disc.

The CD is housed in a standard jewel-case with the 'W' insignia from Warner records on the front. This Cd is not an Angel Records release, but an eastwest records release. Maybe someday soon, Angel records will release a similar version with different songs. Until then, this CD makes a nice addition to anyone's Sarah Brightman collection.

I hope my review has helped SB customers.

Sarah Brightman crossed over from showtunes to ethereal pop over the years, changing her image with nearly every album. From the velvety grandeur of "Eden" to the sparkling "La Luna" to the surreal "Fly." Several of the best songs from the 1990-2000 period are included here, and except for a few omissions, it's a top-rate collection of singles.

It kicks off with two songs from her early pop period, the epic "Question of Honour" and organ-dominated "Heaven is Here." There's also a cover of the Bee Gees' "First of May." Then she dips into the melancholy "Who Wants to Live Forever," the rich "Tu Quiere Volver," the rich "Just Show Me How to Love You" and the pretty duet with Andrea Bocelli, "Time to Say Goodbye."

Then it's time for a look at Brightman's more recent creations. These songs tend to be more textured and symphonic, and less spacey. There's the hymnlike, vaguely sexy "Eden," ethereal "Nella Fantasia," the soaringly earthy "Deliver Me," and the aching "Only an Ocean Away." Taking on a more ethereal sound is the soft "Scarborough Fair," and richly psychedelic "Whiter Shade of Pale," followed by live versions of of "Captain Nemo" and "Mer." It wraps up on a sweet note with the silky, murmuring "The Last Words You Said."

Brightman has a good enough track record -- and a long enough career -- that it's hard not to wish for a two-disc set of her best songs from that era. With this release, Brightman has a chance to smooth over some of her odder past songs (like that Tom Jones duet) and focus just on the best she did in every album during that ten-year period. Some of her songs seem to have gotten lost in the shuffle. For example, where is the beautiful "Desert Rose"?

However, the musical arrangements are impeccable -- there's some electronica, orchestral pieces, and "Tu Quiere Volver" is lorded over by an acoustic guitar. Brightman also gets to show the full range of her vocals -- she sings sweetly or richly, and launches into operatic solos in songs like "Question of Honour."

And unlike a lot of "best of" albums, this is also a good place for newbies to start checking out Brightman's work. Die-hard Brightman fans will have everything but the live tracks, yet this is still a good collection.

If anyone asks "Who Is Sarah Brightman?", and what a stupid person it would be asking this question in 2003, tell them to buy this wonderful compilation featuring many of Ms. Brightman's outstanding performances of the past decade. Ms. Brightman has developed over the past few years as one of the finest female recording artists and, along with Mylene Farmer and Madonna, a woman who completely understands the recording studio and the various ways it can enhance a voice and talent, unlike the array of garbage producing records today, such as J-LO, Brittny, Christina, and all those other, cloned-interchangeable-generic-no-talent-hip-hop-babes.

This compilation wets one's appitite for the complete feasts that awaits with the albums DIVE, FLY, TIMELESS, EDEN, LA LUNA, and, most successful of all, HAREM. Pay particualr attention to the title track from EDEN, a most perfect example of chilled-out-trip-hop. Enjoy!

One of the best Albums I've ever Bought at Age 59 and I'm a Led zeppellin fan and a pink floyd fan too!!

I purchased this CD for my sister, and she simply adores it! She is a devoted Sarah Brightman fan, and finds the music on this CD to be extraordinarily calming and relaxing.