Lionel Richie Definitive Collection CD

The first pressings of THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION included a bonus disc featuring rare tracks.

This fine British compilation brings together nearly all of the best material by both the Commodores and Lionel Richie as a solo artist. In both settings Richie shines: whether on the funky dancefloor workouts ("Brick House") or soulful ballads ("Easy") of his 1970s band, or the more commerically oriented '80s material ("Hello;" "Running With the Night").

THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION, though not as thorough as the excellent two-disc set GOLD (released a year prior), is a handy overview of the Commodores' career, beginning with 1974's "Machine Gun" and concluding with 1985's "Nightshift." The only Top Ten R&B hits not included here are "Sail On," and a couple of later '80s cuts, so all the big funk jams ("Too Hot ta Trot," "Brick House," "Lady [You Bring Me Up],") and ballads ("Zoom," "Easy," "Three Times a Lady") are indeed included. This set also scores a little extra by including one of the band's best album cuts, 1976's "Girl, I Think the World About You," which has been left off at least 90-percent of all Commodores comps.

Although Lionel Richie was AWOL for most of the '90s, he's still a pop culture force to be reckoned with, and THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION ably supports this assertion. Between his work as a frontman for The Commodores, songwriter for other artists, and as a solo act, Richie became the only songwriter to score nine chart-toppers in nine consecutive years. Aside from Kenny Rogers' "Lady" and USA For Africa's "We Are The World," (co-written with Michael Jackson), all the other #1's are here: "Endless Love" (with Diana Ross), "Truly," "Hello," "All Night Long (All Night)," "Say You, Say Me," "Still" and "Three Times A Lady." That's not even counting the man's other Top 10 hits including further Commodores manna like "Easy" (later a hit remake for Faith No More). Throw in solo sides like the infectious "Dancing On the Ceiling" and the urgent "Running With The Night" and its easy to hear how Richie nonchalantly dominating the charts throughout the '80s. He brings things up-to-date with two new songs: the slow rolling Enrique Iglesias duet "To Love a Woman" and the piano ballad "Goodbye."

Deluxe three disc set (two CDs and one NTSC/Region 0 DVD), part of Universal's outstanding Sound & Vision series, with each disc packaged in it's own individual cardboard sleeve and all three tucked inside a cardboard slipcase. The two CDs feature all 39 tracks from the Definitive Collection, both solo and with The Commodores, and includes the hits 'All Night Long', 'Hello', 'Easy, 'Say You Say Me', 'Dancing On The Ceiling', 'Brick House', 'Three Times A Lady' and more. The DVD features 16 performances by the one and only 'Father of Nicole'!

Includes liner notes by Steven Ivory.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Personnel includes: Lionel Richie (vocals); Diana Ross, Enrique Igelesias (vocals); Russ DeSalvo (guitar, synthesizer); Adam Philips, Cheili Minucci (guitar); Shane Keister (piano); Eric Kupper (keyboards); John Reade (bass); Patrick Carroll (electric bass, programming); Richie Jones (programming); Commodores.

Producers include: Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael, Commodores, Mark Taylor, Ric Wake, Stewart Levine.

Compilation producers: Harry Weinger, Jeff Moskow.