Sarah Mclachlan - CloserThe Best of Sarah McLachlan (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Great collection, loussssssy sssssound

kevin m antonio | rumford, ri United States | 10/10/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, ever since it was announced Sarah McLachlan was putting out a best of, I was impatient for it to get here. The song list had everything I wanted. Bought the disc, tore off the plastic, threw it in the player... and... Holy crap! Someone turned the treble up to 11 (yeah, Bob Ludwig, I'm lookin' at you!!!)!

This is one of the harshest sounding discs I've ever heard. Even when Sarah sings a word with the "f" sound in it, it sounds like an "s". THAT'S harsh. It hurts to listen to this cd. And I think it's 'cause discs are being mastered now with ipod in mind. I really do. There's no excuse for such a slipshod job. I pulled out my copy of 'Surfacing' to compare "Building a Mystery", "Sweet Surrender", Adia", and "Angel", and they beat the best of's versions easily. There's more warmth to the 'Surfacing' versions, and that disc is 11 years old!

Sarah and her fans deserve better. This disc has only been out a few days, and it already cries out to be remastered... by someone who knows what they're doing.

So, content: 5 stars

Sound quality: -3 stars

Total stars: 2"

Wish I'd listened: this one breaks my heart

Nathan Beauchamp | Oak Park, IL USA | 12/29/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Sarah McLachlan is on of my favorite female vocalist, right up there with Loreena McKennitt and Aimee Mann. I bought this CD despite the reviews citing its poor audio quality. It really couldn't be that bad could it, I thought. Well it is that bad. It's unlikeable because of the terrible pitchy highs. Sarah deserved much better than this. Stay away from this one. You're much better off buying her original albums one at a time (if you get them used they are pretty cheap) and assembling your own list of 'best of' tracks by ripping them to your computer (I rip using FLAC file type so there is no loss in quality).

Sarah is awesome. The producers of this CD are terrible. Don't make the same mistake I did. Skip this one."

Whoa...talk about bad re-mixes!

Dawn Willis | Brewster, NY USA | 10/14/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have loved Sarah McLachlan's work since she did a song called "Shelter"

for an In Defense of Animals cd in 1993. I love the songs on this cd, but OUCH what's up with these re-mixes? The songs were lovely as they were. These re-mixes warp the songs towards some kind of quazi disco sort of thing. I gave it a 3 because she is an incredible artist, but I find this cd very disappointing."

This is the only good version of "Closer"...the single disc

Larry Davis | NYC/Long Island, NY | 10/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It really is...too much missing for the true Sarahphile...if that was the only version available, better to download the 2 new tracks. This double is much more like it...the best 3 songs from "Touch" REMASTERED, the best 4 songs from "Solace" REMASTERED...then the most popular 5 songs from FTE, in a good context with the mesmerizing title track as Disc 1's closer, perfect.

Then Disc 2 has the hits from "Surfacing", the live hit of "I Will Remember You" from "Mirrorball", the 4 hits from her "comeback" album "Afterglow", then the 2 new songs "Don't Give Up On Us" & "U Want Me 2"...bringing things up to date, AND then ending the program with 3 worthy radio remixes and the sought-after, soundtrack & rarities-disc exclusive and superior studio version of "I Will Remember You".

Add a nice picture-and-art-filled booklet and simple-but-classy digipack packaging, and this is as good a Sarah anthology/hits collection as you can get, without there being a boxset. Not sure if there will ever BE a boxset, as Sarah had just left her sole, longtime US label Arista for her own label/internet releases, so "Closer" (apt title too) is a perfect label wrapup project...until her next album/next chapter.

Word of advice...if you are just a very basic radio/hits/casual Sarah fan, the single disc will do...HOWEVER, if you want more, are a bigger fan/admirer/friend, or want to look for a really good overview and deeper look than just the radio hits...

ONLY go for the double deluxe, ONLY."

A Sarah McLachlan Primer

Philip R. Heath | DFW | 10/07/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sarah McLachlan has one of the most striking voices that I've heard in the last 20 years, and this "best of" CD gives a good sampling of her music of this time period. Closer starts with three tracks that are from the era before she was an established musician. You can definitely tell that her voice is great on this tracks, but the only one the three that really stands up to repeated listening is "Path of Thorns". The production on "Vox" and "Into the Fire" show that these songs weren't really ready for primetime.

Tracks four through eleven are from the mega-hit period for Sarah. "Possession" is easily the best non-ballad that she has ever recorded with its tale of an obsessed fan set the ultimate instrumental hooks. The other standout in this section is the best ballad that she has recorded, "Angel". The combination of her voice and piano playing is almost beyond description it is so good. I don't think they missed anything from the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing period.

Tracks twelve to fourteen are from Afterglow, and I think this is a fitting description as these feel like fire has gone out for Sarah by this point. If I were to include songs from this CD, these would be the ones. However you will notice a drop from the previous tracks.

The two new tracks are OK. While they are better than the Afterglow tracks, they don't reach back to the high bar that Sarah set in the 90's.

The one track that I would have liked to have seen on here "Ol' 55" from The Freedom Sessions. It is not a very well know track so I understand while they left it off, but it is a much better song than say "Stupid".

Overall, this is a nice introduction to Sarah McLachlan for those who do not already have her original studio releases. However, if you already own Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing, you have the majority of what's worth having from this collection. Save yourself some money, and buy the two new tracks individually.

Download this: U Want Me 2"

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