Up To Now: The Best of Carleen Anderson

Blessed with a voice as refined as Anita Baker's, as soulful as Tracy Chapman's, and as melancholic as Sade's, Texan-born Carleen Anderson should by rights be universally recognized as one of the greatest soul singers of her generation. However, the unofficial frontwoman of the early-'90s burgeoning acid-house scene has always struggled to repeat the success of the genre's break-out stars Jamiroquai and Brand New Heavies, despite public championing from the likes of Paul Weller and Bryan Ferry, a string of high-profile collaborations, and a series of critically acclaimed solo albums. Released in 2004, her first compilation, Up to Now: The Best of Carleen Anderson, is the ideal chance for those yet to be converted to hear her sultry, spiritual, and powerful vocals at their best. Fans of her early work with short-lived outfit Young Disciples will be disappointed that only one of the tracks from their sole album, Road to Freedom, is included, and even though the anti-war message of "Apparently Nothin'" remains as relevant as ever, it's a shame it's surrounded by the watered down "Circa Remix" rather than the glorious soul-funk of the original. It's a less than promising start, but luckily, the other 15 tracks, bar a few radio edits, remain untampered with. Four songs appear from her 1994 debut, True Spirit, including her biggest solo hit, the rousing "Let It Last," the New Jack Swing of "Mama Said," and the socially conscious jazz of "Nervous Breakdown." 1998 sophomore album Blessed Burden is represented by her Southern soul take on Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," the gospel ballad "Leopards in the Temple," the psychedelic rock of "Fortune's Drive," and quiet storm of "Woman in Me," while just two cuts make it from her 2002 effort, Alberta's Granddaughter, the uncharacteristically overblown "Dance in the Rain" and a live version of "Don't Look Back in Anger," which turns Oasis' Brit-pop anthem into a beautifully understated torch song. Alongside "Mr Businessman," a song specifically recorded for the 1996 compilation Signed, Sealed, Delivered 2, there are two of the tracks she produced during her brief, late-'90s stint with Brand New Heavies (the retro disco-funk of "Saturday Nite" and its B-side, "Swinging Big Tom"), her teaming up with Courtney Pine and Guru on the latter's first Jazzmatazz project ("Sights in the City"), and her appearance on R&B production duo Full Flava's 2000 single "Stories," all of which are inspired collaborations which reveal why she's become such an in-demand guest vocalist. Some new material would have been a nice touch, as would a few more contributions from Young Disciples, but overall, Up to Now is an essential acid-jazz compilation which makes Anderson's lack of success even more of a mystery. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi