Sonny & Cher - Cher and Sonny & Cher - Greatest Hits (1974)

N Product Description

why we gave these two a spotlight

Cher and Sonny & Cher - Greatest Hits gives us excellent, great hits by both Sonny & Cher as well as hits by Cher performing solo. The sound quality is rather good; and I like the cover artwork a lot!

"All I Ever Need Is You" is a beautiful, charming love song that mixes folk with light rock to make this a hit for Sonny & Cher! Sonny & Cher never miss a beat; and even Sonny's somewhat nasal voice sounds wonderful here. The musical arrangement lacks nothing, either." Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves" is a solo hit from Cher; this features Cher's vocals squarely in the spotlight and she handles the tempo and key changes like a pro! Cher sings "Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves" so well I'm sure you'll like it as much as I do.

"United We Stand" is a cover of a classic `60s hit that Sonny & Cher do a fine job with; they harmonize well and the music tugs at my heartstrings. "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" reminds me of the days when I used to hear this on the radio; the music is awesome and both Sonny and Cher make this a masterpiece in their capable hands. Listen also for "Mama Was A Rock And Roll Singer Papa Used To Write All Her Songs;" this is one song that never sounded better than when Sonny & Cher performed it. "Mama Was A Rock And Roll Singer Papa Used To Write All Her Songs" has a rockin' beat with electric guitar--and at the beginning it sounds like a type of harder rock than Sonny & Cher usually perform.

"Half-Breed" explores the angst a woman feels when she's part Native American and part white. Cher sings this with passion, heart and soul--and you can tell by just listening to it. The album concludes with "I've Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher as they bat this one straight out of the ballpark!

Overall, this is a must have for fans of Sonny & Cher; and Cher fans will enjoy this also. It's also a great starter CD for people just getting into Cher and Sonny & Cher.
February 29, 2008

Sloppy Compilation

In all fairness, whoever put this together - and the names Snuff Garrett and Todd Everett are quoted as producers in the liner notes - called it "Cher and Sonny & Cher Greatest Hits." That nullifies the complaints by some that there are too many solo Cher hits in the package. However, leaving the title like that is misleading in that this is their greatest only while recording for Kapp/MCA, a stretch which ran from 1971 to 1974.

They also included several that were certainly NOT among their greatest hits for those labels. These are: I Hate To Sleep Alone which was the uncharted flipside of Cher's I Saw A Man And He Danced With His Wife [# 3 Adult Contemporary (AC)/# 42 Billboard Hot 100 in 1974; United We Stand which was a cut from the 1972 Kapp LP "All I Ever Need Is You"; The Greatest Show On Earth which came from the 1973 MCA LP; When You Find Out Where You're Goin', Let Me Know which was the uncharted flipside of Cher's Carousel Man which scored only on the AC charts in 1974 [# 41 at that]; the live version of I Got You Babe, recorded in 1973 in Las Vegas; and Crystal Clear/Muddy Waters which was the uncharted B-side to the 1972 S&C Kapp hit When You Say Love [# 32 Hot 100].

At least they provide three of Cher's # 1s - tracks 2, 13, and 14. As for their hits together, all four with Kapp/MCA are here with the two best being All I Ever Need Is You [# 1 AC for 5 weeks/# 2 Hot 100 in 1972] and A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done [# 4 AC/# 8 Hot 100 in 1972]. They also include their last as a duet, 1973's Mama Was A Rock And Roll Singer, Papa Used To Write which peaked at # 77 Hot 100 in April for MCA.

What would have made this compilation infinitely better was the inclusion of the above-mentioned missing A-side and Don't Hide Your Love, which hit # 19 AC/# 46 Hot 100 for Cher on the Kapp label in 1972. The sound quality is good, and the insert has a discography of the contents, a couple of more shots of the duo, and four pages of interesting background notes by Everett. August 8, 2007

OK, if not mediocre compilation

The careers of Sonny and Cher individually and together had more ups and downs then... well, fill in your own analogy. This collection is a snapshot of their first comeback in the early 70s showcasing their recordings for the Kapp, then MCA, labels. Being limited to that era in itself would not make this a "bad" compilation, however, even with this narrow focus, this disc falls short in that it doesn't even include all the charted singles they achieved during this period of their career. It does include their four charted songs as a duo but has only six of Cher's solo Kapp/MCA hits, substituting a few failed singles and an album cut. Though the track listing includes "I Got You Babe", the prospective purchaser should note that this is a live version recorded at the Sands Hotel in L.V., and NOT their original signature Atco hit recording. Not to say there aren't many very enjoyable Sonny and Cher tunes here - Cher's version of Kathy Kirby's "The Way Of Love" is a superb accomplishment for one along with the pop gems "All I Ever Need Is You" and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves". Beyond the repertoire failings, the sound quality is overall fine and the liner notes provide a brief history of their career during this era. (Note: the particular disc reviewed here did not exhibit any of the sound quality problems noted by another reviewer.) Overall, a decent, if limited overview of just one of the high points of their volatile musical history. April 13, 2002

Muddy sound despite digital remastering!

I wanted a CD of Sonny & Cher's greatest hits but was unable to choose between this or the double CD set. Since I was turned off by the many live recordings on disc 2 of the double set, I chose this.
Now I am not sure I made the right choice as the sound on this CD is terrible. It sounds like my old cassette tape played on a cassette deck with dirty tape heads. It is so blur.
Did I get a defective CD?
If you are looking for a CD of Sonny & Cher, please choose the 2 CD set. October 12, 2001

Disappointing

For a "greatest hits", this was a major disappointment... it's more a collection of miscellaneous songs, a few hits and some Cher goodies... Better title would have been "A Couple of Their Greatest Hits and Miscellaneous Stuff" album... June 24, 2001

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