Whether you're buying this for yourself, or as a gift, here's something you should know. There's a better CD available (with more tracks) that costs less than this one.
Yep, check out
which has a whopping thirty-eight (38!) tracks at a bargain price. Every song on this CD is there, plus lots more.
Gloria Estefan fans will do well to pass by the "Very Best" and head straight for "The Essential"
Amanda Richards, November 29, 2006
Gloria was born in Cuba and Latin influences are strongly evident in some of her music, although at other times her music is much more in the American mainstream, with little evidence of her Latin roots. Thus, this compilation is a mix of Latin and mainstream pop music. Like many artists who have been successful internationally, Gloria was more successful in some countries than others and the big hits weren't always the same in each country. Anybody looking for the definitive American hits collection should look among Gloria's American compilations. I may do that one day, since some her best songs weren't big hits in Britain, and are therefore omitted from this compilation. Nevertheless, this is a fine compilation that provides a good overview of Gloria's career in the eighties and nineties.
Gloria had plenty of UK hits, though she was much more successful in her homeland. She never made the UK top five but came close a few times. Two hits (Dr Beat, Don't wanna lose you) made number six, one (Can't stay away from you) made number sever and one (1-2-3) made number nine. All of them are included here. She made number eight with Miami hit mix, but as the title suggests, it was actually a medley of earlier hits so its omission from this set is no great loss. Other notable UK hits featured here include Anything for you (a number ten hit), Bad boy, Rhythm is gonna get you, Oye mi canto, Hold me thrill me kiss me, Everlasting love (a nice cover, but I prefer the Love Affair version that made UK number one in the sixties, itself a cover of Robert Knight`s original), Reach (the 1996 Olympics theme), You'll be mine and Heaven's what I feel. All of them made the UK top 20 and are included here. One UK top 20 hit, Go away, lived up to its title by not appearing here. Gloria had several other UK top 30 hits that didn't make the top 20 and some of them are also included in this set. Sadly, Cuts both ways (one of my favorite Gloria Estefan tracks) barely made the UK top 50 so isn't included.
As a sample of Gloria's music, this is excellent, but I expect I'll eventually buy an American compilation of Gloria's music.
