Martha Wash - The Collection

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Music reviews of The Collection

Music Review: Brilliant singer, mediocre collection
Rating: 2 Stars

Let's start with the basics. RuPaul is a wonderful personality, but she can not compete with the original singing of Izora Rhodes (later Izora Armstead). Izora ripped into "It's Raining Men" with throaty abandon. RuPaul's vocals are not only totally outmatched by Martha Wash's, but they're annihilated simply by the memory of Izora's.

Another basic rule for a Martha Wash collection, or indeed any collection by such a good singer, is: unless the song is unbelievably brilliant, don't include tracks where the singer is not the focus. For this specific collection, the songs with C+C Music Factory should be dumped.

Another problem: Martha's work with Two Tons is underrepresented, and the work with the Weathergirls is not represented at all. There should have been space here to include a number (or, better yet, much more than one) by the Weathergirls. How about her singing on "Hope" from the 'Success' album, or either "Love's on the Way" or "Why Can't We Show Our Love" from 1987's 'Weathergirls' LP? Also, including "It's True I Do" as one of two songs from her Two Tons days is sacrilege. Where is the classic duet "I Been Down" from 1980's 'Backatcha' or "Just Us" from the original 'Two Tons o' Fun' album?

Another missed opportunity comes when Martha's work with Sylvester is ignored. She's instrumental to the success of songs like "I (Who Have Nothing)," plus perhaps her best singing ever on the live 1979 duet from Sylvester's 'Living Proof' LP, "Could It Be Magic?/A Song for You."

There are only two more complaints: could the rights to her duet with Luther Vandross on "I (Who Have Nothing)" been secured? If so, why weren't they? The two are simply incredible on the song.

Finally, her 1992 album 'Martha Wash' is represented, but with the wrong tracks. Including "Carry On" was a good move, and there's nothing wrong with "Give It To You," but it is not the best song from the album. "Leave a Light On" is a better dance track than "Give It to You." For that matter, so is part two of "Hold On." That album's best song was undeniably "Now That You're Gone," which she wails and growls in a low, throaty register. Why is it not included?

The album does show some spark in its selection of ballads, since "Someone Who Believes in You" and "Taking Away Your Space" are legendary. The latter features Martha hitting a note that an opera star would be proud of. If only two songs could be included from the Two Tons, "Taking Away Your Space" is a great choice.

Ultimately, though, the album is a cheat. If a novice listener plans to buy only this album, he or she will miss brilliant vocal moments. For a committed fan, it's not even a decent overview of her career. So how about the release of a better, more complete collection? If compilers can't resist including her singing backing vocals on club tracks, why not create a boxed set?

Her singing is five stars. The compilation is ridiculously inadequate. A piece of advice: search long and hard to find the original albums from all facets of Martha Wash's career. Those albums are a whole lot better buy than this collection.

Description of The Collection

Dance & DJ CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• R&B