I'm Back for More: The Very Best of Her Nineties Recordings (Lulu)

I'm Back for More: The Very Best of Her Nineties Recordings is a two-disc, twenty-four-track compilation that supplies a good overview of Lulu's career in the 1990s. The set is named for her big hit duet with soulster Bobby Womack. Overall, I'd have to say that this set proves that Lulu still had it going on in the '90s. The tracks are generally strong and play to the soulfulness of her vocal delivery. My favourite of the bunch is "Let Me Wake Up in Your Arms," which features writing credits and vocal contributions from Bee Gees. Stylistically, this period is not particularly varied; thankfully, the style was a good fit for Lulu, so the results are generally very pleasing. The second disc concludes with five remixes of tracks from this set, my favourite of which is Nick and Stone's Elite mix of "Goodbye Baby and Amen." While I would not recommend this set as an entry point to Lulu's career, which began in the 1960s and has continued into the 21st century, I would certainly recommend it to those either looking for an overview of her work in this decade or simply looking to supplement their collections.

Tracks:
1. Independence
2. There Has Got to Be a Way
3. Restless Moods
4. I'm Back for More (with Bobby Womack)
5. Let Me Wake Up in Your Arms
6. How 'Bout Us
7. Until I Get Over You
8. You Left Me Lonely
9. Rhythm of Romance
10. I'm Walking Away
11. A Place to Fall
12. Take a Piece of My Heart

Disc 2
13. Goodbye Baby and Amen
14. This Time Baby
15. I Don't Wanna Fight
16. Don't Break My Heart
17. Every Woman Knows
18. Some People
19. Save Your Soul
20. Independence (CJ Mackintosh remix)
21. There Has Got to Be a Way (Drizabone remix)
22. Goodbye Baby and Amen (Nick and Stone's elite mix)
23. How 'Bout Us (Lovers remix)
24. Let Me Wake Up in Your Arms (Frankie Knuckles classic song mix)

From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu

From Crayons to Perfume is a Lulu compilation assembled for the U.S. market. It selects twenty tracks which represent the span of time from about 1964-1981. Obviously, with an artist as prolific as Lulu, this isn't enough to give one the complete Lulu, even in this time period, but it certainly is a good overview and a nice starting place. This CD is long overdue for my collection. For a long time, many Lulu songs have been amongst those that I love, and some (including "Me, The Peaceful Heart" and "Best of Both Worlds," plus radio favorite "To Sir With Love") I've been loving long enough that they can truly be called personal classics. It's unfortunate that compilation albums tend to be so much more expensive than normal ones, especially good ones for older artists, because I can't think why else I would have delayed starting a Lulu collection for so long.

Anyway, this album does a very good job of selecting Lulu's American hits during this time. This is in fact the only collection to date to include minor hit single "After the Feeling Is Gone," a soulful track recorded with The Dixie Flyers. Her other U.S. chart hits are also basically represented, although one notable and regrettable exception is "If I Were You," her awesome rendition of the song originally performed by Toby Beau. This, however, is a minor complaint, as the music that did make the cut is great.

Hopefully it won't take me quite as many years to continue growing my Lulu collection.

Tracks:
1. Shout (with The Luvvers) (1964 version)
2. Leave a Little Love
3. To Sir With Love
4. The Boat That I Row
5. Dreary Days and Nights
6. Best of Both Worlds
7. Me, The Peaceful Heart
8. Boy
9. Sad Memories
10. Morning Dew
11. Without Him
12. Oh Me, Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)
13. Hum a Song (From Your Heart) (with The Dixie Flyers)
14. After the Feeling Is Gone (with The Dixie Flyers)
15. Everybody's Got to Clap
16. Watch That Man
17. The Man Who Sold the World
18. The Man With the Golden Gun
19. Don't Take Love for Granted
20. I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)