Sheena Easton - The World Of Sheena Easton: The Singles (1993)

Sheena Easton never achieved red-hot status, but she remained consistent for nearly a decade -- a much more difficult feat -- and this generous collection showcases a long (in terms of pop stardom) career of adult contemporary ballads, R&B-flavored dance tunes, and straight-up pop. What's nice about this collection is that it includes monster hits like the fluff of "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" and "Morning Train (Nine to Five)," as well as smaller hits like the beautifully written but sadly over-synthesized "When He Shines" and the plucky "Modern Girl," while also including cuts like the proud but humbled "I Wouldn't Beg for Water" and the Motown throwback "Jimmy Mack" that didn't get much action on the U.S. charts. Easton wraps her pipes around each song, turning vamp ("Strut") then drama queen ("Almost Over You") then country chanteuse ("We've Got Tonight") without ever missing a beat. Her strong point is good material, though it oftentimes gets overshadowed by less than worthy production. As extensive as this collection is, however, it's unfortunate her singles with Prince and "The Lover in Me" are missing. Otherwise, this is an almost-perfect greatest-hits compilation.