Many compilations are titled best of or very best of, but this one really is. Most of the collection is made up of Peggy’s recordings for Capitol, but EMI (who own Capitol) got permission from other companies to include Black coffee, He’s a tramp and Siamese cat song – the most important recordings of those she didn’t record for Capitol.The rest of the collection includes all the essentials including Fever, the novelty song Manana and The folks who live on the hill. I find Peggy’s version of Big spender much more appealing than Shirley Bassey’s more aggressive version of the song.
This collection demonstrates Peggy’s versatility –upbeat swinging songs, slow, sexy songs, Disney songs, Latin-flavored songs and so much more. Of course, it is not possible to do full justice to Peggy’s vast legacy in a single CD, but for anybody new to Peggy’s music, this is the best one to buy – it’s easily the strongest compilation I’ve come across. Actually, I already had a lot of Peggy’s music when I bought this, but it’s nice to be able to have so many great songs together, especially as I didn’t have the two Disney tracks.
So, whether you are new to her music or (like me) a committed fan, this is sure to provide you with plenty of entertainment.
