Kim Carnes Album: “The Best of Kim Carnes (EMI)”

This is a fairly decent collection of her hits, but i'm only giving this collection 4 stars because they didn't include one of her best dance hits, which was the song called Invitation To Dance. It was a huge club hit for her back in the 80s, and in my opinion is one of her best songs ever. But i guess that song wasn't on the EMI label, so it was left off. Actually, with that song missing from the disc, the main reason i bought this was for the duet with Kenny Rogers, "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", which is one of her most well-known and successful duets she ever did. If you listen closely to that song you'll see how really difficult the harmony range is for both singers, and it must be a challenging song to sing and hit all the notes right. They do an amazing job together. It's one of my 50 alltime favorite songs ever. It was worth the price of the disc alone.Even though this collection of hits is far from complete, as she had many more hits after her EMI days, this is still worth owning.

This is a good collection of Kim Carnes's songs. "Bette Davis Eyes" is on here of course, but my favorite is "More Love". This does have most of her biggest hits like "Crazy In The Night(Barking At Airplanes)" and "Voyeur". If you are looking for a little collection of her songs, then get this because it is to the point, short and sweet.

Another quality compilation from EMI that refuses to let Kim Carnes fade into memory, and until Carnes releases a totally new cd, these suffice very well. All the tracks on this cd are from her EMI years, which were great, but do not include her later recordings in the late 80's/early 90's. There is a great extended dance mix of "Invisible Hands" and "Voyeur" makes an appearance on this very audio friendly cd. Sure to please any Kim Carnes fan, or eighties music aficionado. And a great price!

Compilation from her EMI albums "St. Vincent's Court" (1979), "Romance Dance" (1980), "Mistaken Identity" (1981), "Voyeur" (1982) and "Barking At Airplanes" (1985). Also includes 1 track from "Gideon" album (Kenny Rogers) and 1 remix (12") - "Invisible Hands" (1983).

Lyric sheet / booklet is no enclosed.

All tracks charted on Billboard Magazine.

About the Grammy Awards:

February, 1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes" won "Record Of The Year" and "Song Of The Year" at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards. Other nominations included "Mistaken Identity" for "Album Of The Year", "Bette Davis Eyes" for "Best Vocal Pop Performance (Female) and Val Garay for "Producer Of The Year (Non-classical).

February 1983 - Kim Carnes was nominated for a Best Pop Vocal Performance (female) Grammy Awards , for "Voyeur."

February 1984 - Kim Carnes was nominated for a Best Pop Rock Performance (female) Grammy Awards , for "Invisible Hands."

First of all, there seems to be a debate about whether this CD is the "Best Of..." or "Greatest Hits Of..." or what. I don't know; I just know that the 10 tracks include everything of Kim's that I am familiar with except her duet with Barbra Streisand, "Make No Mistake, He's Mine". (That's a shame, but...) Most of the tracks are successfully realized, with a couple that are just sort of strange.

The CD opens with the mother of all Kim Carnes hits, "Bette Davis Eyes". If possible, it sounds even better with today's technology than it did in 1981. However, in all honesty the real draw for me is "More Love". From the synth intro, through the Thelma Houston-style lead-in, the lyrics, the vocal and the hot sax - talk about your blue-eyed soul! This is it! "Draw of the Cards" is not one of the best - in fact, it's pretty odd - but the synths, bass and guitar give it a bluesy rock vibe. Also in the rock area we find "Cry Like a Baby", a cover of the BoxTops 60's hit that's pretty rousing, with a dash of gospel replacing the psychedelic feel. "Invisible Hands" is very danceable early 80's pop-rock. "Voyeur" is another moody, synth-based 80's pop-rock track with interesting sensual lyrics. "Crazy in the Night" - I can't begin to imagine what inspired this. To me, it is just strange.

Then there are the ballads. Of course, "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer", the duet with Kenny Rogers, is very powerful, a soft-rock classic inclined toward country music. The other two, "Does It Make You Remember" and "It Hurt So Bad", are solid ballads which also lean toward country.

The variety of material on such a short (39 minute) CD can be disconcerting, but overall the tracks are well done, so it is definitely worth your while. I feel Kim is at her most authentic in the country ballads. If she were an American Idol contestant and I were a judge, I'd tell her to define herself in that direction. BUT - her biggest hits were a soul cover ("More Love") and a new wave contrivance ("Bette Davis Eyes"). So what do I know?