1986 collection, deleted domestically, 11 tracks showcases her biggest ballads. Atlantic/WEA Int. Album Description
 |  | Relaxing and soothing music |  |
First,I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Amazon for asking me to express my opinion about this CD.I have always enjoyed Roberta Flack's voice,but somehow I never got around to including two of her biggest hits("Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love")in my collection.For many years,I've had the song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and the album that contains it("First Take")as well as her biggest duets with the late Donny Hathaway in my collection and now I have all of these songs on one disc.When I'm feeling in a mellow mood,I've often thought of her songs.There is something truly remarkable about her voice which no other singer possesses.The closest comparison that I can think of is Aretha Franklin,and I'm sure that even the "Queen of Soul" herself must have felt challenged during Ms. Flack's '70s hit-making heyday.Now both stars' moment in the sun has faded and we're left with new performers like Nora Jones.Somehow though,the music of today just doesn't give me the same feeling as that of the past.You know,it's funny:I've often considered myself to be a heavy-metal type of guy,but when I'm in the mood for mellowing out,Ms. Flack's singing really hits the spot.This really is a great overview of her career,but it's not concise.There are several of her lesser known hits missing(which are available on another compilation titled,"The Best of Roberta Flack"),but it's more thorough than any other collection because it contains her most recent recordings(now well over a decade old).While it's unfortunate that her more contemporary recordings aren't of the same caliber as her '70s hits,it is nice to have her biggest recordings all in one place.If you're a fan of her earlier recordings as I am,who knows,you just may be pleasantly surprised by some of her later work.I can certainly appreciate her voice...it's just the arrangements that I'm not too crazy about.All in all,this disc is well worth investigating,especially for fans of the Quiet Storm genre.
July 4, 2007 | | It doesn't get any better than this. | |
You won't find a better selection of Roberta Flack's greatest hits on one disc. They did a wonderful job far as putting together this collaboration. I'm really enjoying them.
May 3, 2007Mmmm. I just love Roberta Flack - her silky smooth voice, and those soft and passionate love songs. This album is indeed some of her best work, and it is a really sensual experience just to listen to it. Every once in a while, we pull out this album, light a fire, and share the couch - watching the flames, listening to the music, and falling in love.
If you want an album of passionate mood music to share with the one you love, then this is definitely the CD to get. We love it, and give it our highest recommendations!
(Review of Softly with These Songs: The Best of Roberta Flack)
September 7, 2006| | | An insistent infectiousness | |
There are certain songs which enter the mind and heart, and then are played over and over within us through our lifetimes. They have a certain kind infectiousness that just stays with us. One of those songs for me is Roberta Flack's 'Killing her softly with his song'.
Flack's voice never had for me the kind of distinctiveness of say a Nina Simone, or a Nancy Wilson but it does have a rich and calming pleasantness. I think of her and her best songs, including Jessie I Celebrate My Love For You,The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, as insistent rhythmic songs . And her voice is for me more a pleasant persistence than sensational Streisand or Garland - like emotional rollercoaster.
June 18, 2006Roberta Flack deserved a far better remastering of her lovely songs than is represented by this inferior product. The equalization is poor overall, but in Killing Me Softly the bass amplification is a crime. I will be more cognizant of Joe Gastwirt's work on future labels.
March 30, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(45 reviews)