The Very Best Of

I came across this and immediately felt nostalgic and bought it. Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter, known professionally as Melanie. She is best known for her 60's/70's hits ‘Brand new Key’, Ruby Tuesday and ‘What Have They done to My Song Ma’Although she emerged from the folk/singer-songwriter boom of the Woodstock generation, Melanie’s hits always had more of a pop edge to them. This collection includes most of her hits and what is seen by some as the cream of her album tracks.For me her interpretation of Mr Tambourine Man is unique and delectable, she never fails to elegantly make the songs of others her own. Her own compositions are also catchy and intelligent like the Nickel Song or poetic and perceptive like the wonderful Beautiful People, one of my favourites.For me Melanie is the original flower child who began releasing music in the late 60's and continues up to the present day. Personally I find the album a mixed bag and I can’t honestly say I like all the songs offered here. But it’s worth buying for her memorable hits.

I have never liked a cover version of any song before, but Melanie's"Ruby Tuesday" blows The Rolling Stone's original out of the water.And after that it get's better and better.This album has twenty one songs and is for people who like music of quality.The songs on this album may be a product of their time - all songs are - but what a time it was!~~~~1. Ruby Tuesday2. Brand New Key3. Nickel Song4. What Have They Done To My Song Ma5. Beautiful People6. Any Guy7. Close To It All8. Mr Tambourine Man9. Baby Day10. I Don't Eat Animals11. Lay Lady Lay12. Pebbles In The Sand13. Save The Night14. Garden In The City15. Christopher Robin16. Good Book17. Carolina On My Mind18. Somebody Loves Me19. Leftover Wine20. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)21. Peace Will Come

What can anyone say about Melanie her voice is unique and to the un initiated may take a few listens to get it but it's a combination of her voice and the feeling she puts into songs that brings out her quality. This album features 2hat are her probably best known tracks Ruby Tuesday, What Have They Done To My Song Ma, Nickel Song, Brand New Key also features some covers of Mr Tambourine Man, Lay Lady Lay, Christopher Robin & Carolina On My Mind. A Few songs I hadn't heard before are really good Beautiful People, Pebbles In The Sand, Good Book & I Don't Eat Animals plus the wonderful song Lay Down (Candles in the Wind) featuring the Edwin Hawkins Singers

We hadn't listened to Melanie for years since our old albums were religated to the attic but after hearing her on an old 'old grey whistle test' decided to look out for a 'best of'. This is it. Excellent sound quality, heart-rending melodies, gentle yet so powerful. She is truly unique and very special. Also our tentative ideas about become veggies in the New Year might just happen after listening to 'I don't eat animals'! Superb.

Unbeatable for a trip down memory lane, I loved these songs first time round, and a tad more discerning now, but they have a wonderful unselfconscisous slightly off-key freshness, singing for the joy of singing, and laden with her own messages of universal kindness which are more needed than ever right now. quality not of the best, but that is part of its naive charm. Go with open heart and open mind and enjoy.

Well her voice is beautiful to me, anyway, and is probably the main attraction of Melanie for me.But her songs are heartfelt, if very much of their time, and all the most well known ones seem to be here -a great value cd for fans of Melanie.

It may simply be that the old style records had a character that is lost with CD, or it may be that I remember it better than it was; it is Ok but I perhaps would not have bought it if I had listened to it beforehand - sorry Melanie.

Love cd