Search - Minnie Riperton :: The Best of Minnie Riperton

A solid representation of Minnie's work

Mogue | Miami, FL United States | 02/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Minnie Riperton sings with a sweetness and innocence of an excited child, yet can also turn a phrase in such a way that the listener understands her depth and her maturity. Since I have not been able to locate all of Minnie's releases on CD format, this compilation provides a wonderful portrait of the artist. "Can You Feel What I'm Saying" and "Stay in Love" are two of the most romantic songs I have ever heard, and Minnie's interpretation of "Light My Fire" (with Jose Feliciano) burns with heat. Of course, I wish every song by Minnie were on this CD, (I long to hear "Edge of a Dream" and "Never Existed Before") but I realize that this is not possible. This CD is a wonderful trip down "Memory Lane," and reminds me that the perfect angel's music lives on. I hear Minnie sing, and once again I believe in heaven..."

Minnie Lives.......

Patrice J. Jackson | San Antonio, TX United States | 05/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1979, Heaven took back a gift that was loaned to us for only a short time. That gift was Minnie Riperton. Although she is gone, in the physical sense at least, the voice of this 'Perfect Angel' and her legacy live on. This CD is filled with playful songs, seductive songs, sing-a-long songs, and love songs. The sexiest joint on this CD is "Can You Feel What I'm Saying", which is also a song that makes me feel a lot better after a bad day. Minnie's voice has a way of making you want to smile, sing, cry- all at the same time. The child-like innocence in her voice is what makes her sound playful, yet the intensity and depth in it, makes her sound like a seductive siren."Here We Go", "Memory Lane", "Inside My Love" and "Perfect Angel" are all gems, along with other tracks, but there is something about "Simple Things" that is almost angelic. The jazzy/latin sounding rhythm makes you want to sway from side to side. And in the song, "Take My Breath Away", (which sounds like Donny Hathaway singing in the background) she sings of things that are all around us like, "a tree/ a rock, a cloud/ a sky blue day", which we take for granted, but in them, she saw them as things that 'took her breath away'.May God bless the soul of Minnie Riperton, the same way she blessed our ears with wonderful music, and our hearts with her very presence."

Gone much too soon, Minnie Riperton is not forgotten...

Diamond | 06/29/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I listened to this CD again just before writing this, and I recommend the same to anyone making any music reviews in general. On the way to refreshing my memory banks, I got thrown back to my high school and college days in spirit. This music reflects an atittude, a period of time that is hard to sense if you did not live it first hand, similar to that of people coming of age in the 60's. In understanding that Minnie's music was 70's era music, the atmospheric sounds are in keeping with this artist's continuous theme of paradise, with dreams of perfect unity and love. Minnie was one of the unique artists of our time. She was just starting to flower on her own, after earning her stripes as a valued part of Stevie Wonder's musical universe. I have this collection, but it only makes me want the albums in their entirety. Everyone older than 25 seems to recognize "Loving you" and "Perfect Angel", even if they can't recall the artist. There is a giddy, almost child like glee that gushes forward on both of those signature tracks. She was so expressive with her vocals. I am disappointed that "Edge of a Dream" and "Every Time He Comes Around" is not included, but as "best of" collections go, this is as complete as possible. If a comparison must be made, then yes Mariah Carey has the kind of range that Minnie Riperton had, but Carey also had the benefit of Riperton's legacy to take into the 90's. I still enjoy, even with a touch of sadness, the warm sincerity of this artist's music."