Kylie Minogue – The Best Of Kylie Minogue

This compilation is weird, but it does condense Kylie's hits into one CD. It's a shame that it doesn't include Timebomb because it makes sense to put the new single into a compilation like I Believe In You.

Whether you love her or loathe her, no one can deny Aussie superstar Kylie Minogue has the midas touch. For over twenty-five years she has continued to be adept at adapting to the times and, like Madonna, has shrewdly re-invented herself to stay relevant and vital. One of the most admirable things about Kylie is that no matter how raunchy she can be in some of her stage shows and promotional videos, it's always in such an inoffensive way, doing it all with a touch of class, immense style and grace. True, some of her music over the years may be seen as disposable pop, but there's no denying she has earned her place in music history and is now a living legend. It's just sad that, bar a few major hits, she's never quite managed to crack America, though certainly has garnered a large and loyal following there, many of her singles being huge hits on the independent charts.

Through the years she has also been tagged with so many labels by the press, some complimentary, others not quite so flattering: "Bonsai sex goddess"; "Sex siren"; "Pop puppet"; "Pop goddess"; "Pop tart"; "Pocket Venus"; "Pint-sized pop princess"; "Perennial pop child"; "Midget gem"; "Mini-sparkler", "Bottle-top beauty"; "Little stick of dynamite"; "Little sparrow"; "Show pony"; "Singing Budgie"; "Diminutive diva"; "Disco diva"; "Disco bunny"; "Disco doll"; "Living doll"; "Pop's true chameleon"; "Pop pixie"; "Pop madam"; "Gay forces' sweetheart"; "Gold-plated gay icon"; "Impossible Princess"; "Indie kid"; "Clever girl"; "Award-winner"; "Hot pants hottie"; "Aussie hot-bot"; "World's most wanted arse"; "Aussie bombshell"; "Australian Shirley Temple"; "Soap queen"; "Queen of reinvention"; and that lengthy list is just the tip of the iceberg! One thing I must say is that Kylie Minogue has a lot, lot more to offer than just her behind, which the media seems to have an obsession with!

Any compilation that bears the title of 'The Best of...' is usually subjective. While what might seem one of the artist's best in one persons eyes inevitably is not by others. Still, 'The Best of Kylie Minogue' is certainly a disc worth having if you want a relatively short overview of her career, as opposed to collecting all her albums. While it is an entertaining overview, there are some questionable choices left out, and some rather odd inclusions. It also doesn't run in chronological order so you can't truly appreciate the progression she made from churning sugary pop confections with Stock, Aiken & Waterman, to the more credible dance music she has long been acclaimed for. This is, however, a minor quibble. So, let's get to the track listing...

1. CAN'T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD
What a start to the compilation. Kylie's biggest-ever hit singles to date (and possibly still her best - certainly remains one of my own personal favourites), 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' went down a storm, topping the charts in several countries, including the UK. She really was at the top of her game with this single, marking the beginning of her most successful commercial periods in her career.
'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', written and produced by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, is instantly infectious, awash with contemporary, electro sounds, all brimming with sharp, punchy robotic beats and snappy percussion. The simplistic lyrics which speak of obsession are entwined liberally with a catchy 'la la la la' hook. The somewhat sweet melody is deliriously balanced by a hard-edged chorus, the tension sizzling through. Simple, repetitive, yet one of the greatest pop classics of this century.

2. SPINNING AROUND
In the late 1990s following the commercial failure of her album 'Impossible Princess', which saw her drastically change both her image and musical style, she was dropped from her record label, DeConstruction and it seemed her career was over. However, you can't keep a good woman down: In 1999 she signed a lucrative deal with the Parlophone label and decided to go back to what her public wanted: Kylie the dancefloor goddess. The first single under her new contract was 'Spinning Around', written by Ira Shickman, Osborne Bingham, Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul and produced by Mick Spencer. The song is allegedly about Paula Abdul's divorce from her second husband, and a rather powerful feminist tirade about moving on from a broken relationship, akin to Gloria Gaynor's 1979 eternal disco classic 'I Will Survive'. This is an effervescent disco number that's smoothly produced with a contemporary twist and extremely catchy, like all of Kylie's best classics. Lashings of sexual energy, Kylie sings with such unrestrained glee, fully hitting her stride. Hitting the top ten in many countries, it also became her sixth British chart-topper and fifth in Australia.

3. I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY
After two of Kylie's more credible releases, the compilation rewinds back to the dawn of her music career in 1988. And what can I say about this that hasn't already been said before? It's one of those songs EVERYBODY knows and love it or hate it, it somehow is so irritatingly catchy. At this point she was still most famous for her role as tomboy Charlene Mitchell in Aussie's top-rated soap 'Neighbours'. Marking her first collaboration with the critically-derided Stock, Aitken & Waterman, Matt Aitken once claimed he wrote the song in just forty minutes! Considering the sad subject matter of the lyrics, the song is joyously infectious. Bearing a hard, twangy bassline, stuttering vocals and annoyingly repetitive lyrics, 'I Should Be So Lucky' simultaenously became one of the most loved and loathed singles of 1988. Her first international single saw her quickly top the British Singles Chart for five weeks and become one of the decade's biggest-selling records. Pure cheese and pop music at its most disposable, yet was still a cut above the rest of the fodder Stock, Aitken & Waterman was regularly pumping out, mainly down to Kylie who had a likeable, warm personality and a charisma which can't be said for any of the other pop stars on the PWL label at the time.

4. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Following 'I Should Be So Lucky', which will no doubt have many running for cover, this collection jumps forward all the way to 2001 for another of her most acclaimed and beloved classics: 'Love At First Sight'. Featured on her still-biggest-selling studio album 'Fever', the song had been co-written by Kylie herself along with Richard 'Biff' Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Ash Howes and Martin Harrington. The song fades in and erupts with unrestrained ecstacy and it has to be said is one of the most joyous, summery tracks she has ever recorded. The lyric documents Kylie's encounter with a man in a nightclub, this time being an archetypal superstar DJ. Quite from being 'love at first sight', it's more 'love at first listen' for Kylie as the 'stars come out and fill the sky'. The effectively simple playground rhyme of the contagious chorus with the uplifting feel-good sentiment is euphoric. The shrewdly fluctuating muffled quality of the middle section enhances its invigorating feel, while Kylie's lilting vocal is carried off with aplomb. Not surprisingly, this became a radio favourite at the time which helped it to race to #2 in the UK and #3 in Australia.

5. IN YOUR EYES
The second single extracted from the excellent 'Fever' album and another of her very, very best, hence its inclusion on this compilation. Kylie was more hip and cool than ever, though following up a hit as colossal as 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' was never going to be easy. Even so 'In Your Eyes' certainly ranks up there with her finest output. Once again written by Kylie with Biff Stannard, Julian Gallagher and Ash Howes, the tracks boasts a deep house groove incorporated with some subtle, highly effective Latino elements in its mesmerising chorus, topped with powerful, sexy beats during the verses. The lyrics depict an encounter between Kylie and a mysterious man on a packed dancefloor who has caught her eye: "In this crowded place there is only you. Was gonna leave, now I have to stay. You have taken my breath away." She even references her 2000 comeback hit 'Spinning Around' during the bridge. This club classic bounced to #3 in the UK while flying all the way to the top in Australia.

6. KIDS (with Robbie Williams)
This duet with cheeky chappie Robbie Williams ROCKS! And they looked great together in the accompanying promotional video! Penned by Williams with Guy Chambers, he told the Daily Mirror newspaper at the time, "I basically fancy her. I always have and it's a kick for me. She's such a fantastic singer. I was like, "Kylie I fancy you, can you sing on my record, please?" I was really nervous when we got together to sing it. I couldn't even speak to her." Likewise, Kylie had long since been an admirer of Robbie Williams, dating back to his Take That days. On 'Kids' I would say this is the best vocal chemistry above all her previous duets. A thrashing musical arrangement is complemented by Robbie's tantalising performance and Kylie's alluring vocal. The choppy percussion and buzzy electric guitar packs a wallop and the quirky lyrical exchange between the two singers is impeccable. Missing the top spot by just one notch in the UK, it was (surprisingly) received less favourably in her home country where it peaked at #14. This has stood the test of time incredibly well, still sounding as fresh and vibrant now as it did back in 2000.

7. BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
We then go back ten years to 1990, and another landmark in her career, 'Better The Devil You Know', heralding the start of a new, more mature and certainly more credible Kylie. Yes, she was still with Stock, Aikten & Waterman, but she was now exerting more control over her work, much to their chargrin. The squeaky-clean, innocent, girl-next-door image they had moulded for her, was replaced with a more womanly, sexually aware image and musical style. This was quite a dramatic change for all concerned. From the cheesy, bubblegum pop just twelve months earlier, 'Better The Devil You Know' shifts gear to a clubbier, more polished, contemporary dance sound. Here she became a fully fledged dance diva. Opening with a spiky electro keyboard, this makes way for a slamming, chunky bassline, intoxicating vocal hooks and a nifty, killer chorus. While there's a throwback to the stuttering vocal tricks of the past, the unrelenting thumping beat is, quite simply, a stroke of genius. Kylie would say in 2002, "...there wasn't really a part in the Hit Factory's machinery or ethos for this. Out of the studio and confines of PWL, I started to experiment where I could with image. I wanted to develop, to experience things and express myself beyond primary colours and a shallow set of TV answers." Much of this raunchier image she displayed in the accompanying promotional video, along with her subsequent videos, was a lot down to her affair with the late Michael Hutchence of Inxs, who encouraged Kylie to expand her horizons and not be moulded by Stock, Aikten & Waterman.

8. ALL THE LOVERS
Shuttling twenty years forward to 2010 for the next recording, 'All The Lovers' was one of the most beautifully chilled-out dance tunes in her career. Infused with relaxed electronic beats, the song professes her desire for her new boyfriend and discounting 'all the lovers that had come before'. The lush production courtesy of Jim Eliot and Stuart Price, this captures one of her most spine-tingling performances, her intimate, semi-whispered vocals effortlessly drifting up and down across the prominent beats. A perfect slice of electro-pop, the elastic twang in the background further compliments this hedonistic song. Some critics declared this to be one of her best, although it wasn't, unfortunately, one of her biggest hits, landing at #3 in the UK and #13 in Australia.

9. GIVE ME JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME
A pop star covering an acclaimed soul classic is always going to be risky, so, therefore, it's a pleasant surprise that Kylie does such an excellent job here. Penned by Holland-Dozier-Holland and made a hit by Chairman of The Board, Kylie doesn't tamper with the earthy American sound of the original, sticking faithfully to the spontaneous feel. She even throws in the distinctive tongue-rolling, lip-vibrating 'brrr' hook. While the lyrics amount to nothing more than a begging plea to a lover, Kylie still injects a cheeky, almost irascible tone to her performance. Lifted from her fourth and final PWL album 'Let's Get To It' (1991), her 'Give Me Just A Little More Time' whipped up the British chart to #2 and landed at #9 in Australia.

10. CELEBRATION
A somewhat curious addition to this compilation as this was neither one of her biggest or best hit singles. Yes, it's another cover version, this one originally by Kool & The Gang, but, I guess this is also something of a landmark in Kylie's career in that it officially marked the end of her association with Pete Waterman, leaving for pastures new after this release. It is quite a poignant farewell to the first era of Kylie's musical career, although it does pale in comparison to the well-loved original version. There's not much to differentiate from the superior original, although its infectious energy can't be denied.

11. SLOW
We move on from the innocent pop sounds of her early career to her more adult-oriented material here: 'Slow', written by Kylie with Dan Carey and Emiliana, is a sophisticated slice of sparse electro-pop, flowing with minimalist beats and breathless vocals. Notably spikier than many of her previous releases, Kylie's sexually-charged delivery bubbles with crystal clarity. The angular sound is heightened further by the the song's intricate lyrics that includes lines such as 'Skip a beat and move with my body...Slow!'. The lyrics also reference the title of the album with which this single was the first extract, 'Body Language' (2003). This lush, sultry number simultaneously topped the chart in the UK and Australia.

12. RED BLOODED WOMAN
Produced by Johnny Douglas, who also co-wrote the song with Karen Poole, 'Red Blooded Woman' was the follow-up to 'Slow', released in the spring of 2004. Here, Kylie moves to nifty urban R&B sound, and she sounds sassier than ever. Sharp, shuffling beats set to a winding arrangement, coated with Kylie's delicious vocals, lead to an instantly memorable chorus which includes the quirky line 'Let me keep freaking around". As a nod to her biggest hit 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', there is even the "la la la la" hook injected into the mix, while she also name-checks the Stock, Aikten & Waterman-produced 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record), a worldwide smash hit in 1985 for Dead Or Alive. Incidentally, some critics compared 'Red Blooded Woman' to Christine Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' but I can't really see the comparison, this being far more swift in tempo.

13. I BELIEVE IN YOU
Released to tie-in with the release of her greatest hits compilation 'Ultimate Kylie' (2004), 'I Believe In You' was another to be co-written by Kylie, this time with Scissor Sisters' members Jake Shears and Babydaddy (aka Scott Hoffman), both of whom also produced. A slickly produced Euro electric-disco number, featuring a demure soaring chorus, a pumping, pulsating bassline and a hard-kicking drumbeat. Released at the end of 2004 in time for the Christmas market, it fell just one notch short of the top spot in the UK.

14. ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS
Back to 2000 here, 'On A Night Like This' being the second single from her major comeback album 'Light Years' (her first on the Parlophone label), which she had first performed at the London Mardi Gras in July 2000 and met with unanimous approval from the predominantly gay crowd. The polished production is dreamy, Kylie's vocals gliding effortlessly across the thumping disco beat, tranquilising keyboards and plucky strings. The lyrics also capture at her most libidinous: 'You touch me, I want you. Feels like I've always known you.' Written by Steve Torch, Graham Stack, Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling, 'On A Night Like This' speedily topped the Australian chart and reached #2 in the UK.

15. CONFIDE IN ME
Now, Kylie hasn't always been revered for her singing and it's true she has a limited range, but, what she does possess is her own sound and style and a distinctive voice. However, on the right track, she has proven herself a highly adept vocalist and evidence of this is never more apparent on 'Confide In Me', another of her very, very best recordings of all time. Marking her debut on the dance/indie label DeConstruction, this was also the beginning of a more credible Kylie, 'Confide In Me' being miles apart from any of her previous output. This is a haunting, ethereal slow-burner, awash with stimulating swirling strings, vastly melancholic beats and a sweeping vocal from Kylie, here revealing a darker, more eerie side to her persona. The innovative production is truly epic and easily is still her most dramatic to date. Almost creepy, this is moody, magnificent and absolutely unapologetic. It also came as a complete surprise to her public, who lapped it up, taking the song to the top of the Australian chart and #2 in the UK. Her voice is enhanced to startling effect on the atmospheric chorus and the arrangement landing somewhere between indie, dance and pop.

16. GET OUTTA MY WAY
One of the snappiest cuts from her brilliant 2010 album 'Aphrodite', Kylie serving up another slice of perfectly produced electro-pop. Both saucy and sassy, Kylie is having a temper tantrum here, telling her dull, boring boyfriend to take a hike ('You're gettin' boring, you're, oh, so boring', she mocks scathingly), this is a true pop volcano of a track. It sizzles with razor-sharp synths, and confrontational, cantering beats, it is also saturated with delicate sprinklings of late-80s Italio-house piano. Yet, bizzarely, this was denied a top ten position, anchoring at #12 in the UK, while was a true failure in Australia, struggling to #69. Written by Lucas Secon, Damon Sharpe, Peter Wallevik, Daniel Davidsen and Mich Hansen, its place on this 'best of' compilation is justified, despite its disappointing commercial success.

17. THE LOCOMOTION
From 2010 we then rewind all the way back to 1987, the very first song Kylie recorded. While it doesn't exactly hold a candle to Little Eva's original soul classic from the early 60s, Kylie, at least, introduced this song to a whole new generation and even in spite of its cringeworthy cheesiness, there's no denying this is as catchy as hell and had all kids under 12 doing the dance moves to 'The Locomotion' (sadly including yours truly - I was 8 years old at the time). Bearing a typical late 80s commercial pop arrangement, this was one of her biggest-selling hit singles, topping the Autralian chart for seven weeks and becoming one of the country's best-sellers of the decade. There are certainly far better Kylie classics that could have been included here, but it's easy to see why it was deemed neccessary to be featured, Kylie's version even managing to become (one of her very few) a major hit in America.

18. TEARS ON MY PILLOW
Yet another cover version here, a late 50s doo-wop hit for Little Anthony And The Imperials. She was still in her Stock, Aikten & Waterman squeaky-clean era here, but she does a credible job. Recorded for her silver screen debut 'The Delinquents', this version mirrors the original, incorporating with smooth saxophone licks and a doo-wop sound injected into the mix. While it became her fourth number one hit in Britain, Australian audiences were less impressed where it barely dented the top twenty. Yes, it is cheesy, but Kylie carries off a dignified performance which elevates it above and beyond Stock, Aikten & Waterman's usual fodder.

19. WOW
We then jump forward to this early 2008 release from her 'X' album, yet interestingly this is something of a homage to her early pop days as the girl-next-door, but far quirkier. 'Wow' also signals a glittering return to disco and has an air of a Daft Punk-like sound. Commencing with a beautifully deranged piano interlude, it suddenly explodes into life and heads straight to the dancefloor. Hardly one of her most challenging songs (a repeated chorus line of 'Wow, wow, wow'), it's still totally infectious and did respectable business on the charts, entering the UK top five and Australian top twenty.

20. IN MY ARMS
The third single from 'X' is superior to 'Wow' (in my eyes), written by Kylie with Paul Harris, Julian Peake, Biff Stannard (who also produced along with Calvin Harris) and Adam Wiles. A sparkly, synth-driven pop knee-trembler, 'In Your Arms' holds contagious hooks and a laid-back, come-hither vocal from Ms. Minogue. It scored Kylie yet another British top ten hit, while yet again Australian audiences were less-enthusiastic, stalling at #35.

21. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
And the 21-track compilation draws to a close following this throw-back from the late 80s, taken from her second album 'Enjoy Yourself'. Despite being under the banner of Stock, Aikten & Waterman, this is one of her better songs from that era, its enduring catchiness actually standing the test of time pretty well. Here, Kylie is desperately trying to salvage a broken relationship with a man who's clearly been deceiving her. While her performance is convincing in its plea, it is set to a gleeful arrangement which is heavy on the bassline. Nevertheless, 'It's Never Too Late' is a joyous pop classic and, thankfully, the last of her traditional Stock, Aitken & Waterman pop singles.

It's interesting there's nothing included from her 'Impossible Princess' album , which had seen Kylie collaborating with the likes of Manic Street Preachers, or her morbid duet with Nick Cave in 1995 on 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', which would have given this compilation a more well-rounded overview of her career, as well as showing some of Kylie's more versatile styles. Evidently, it plays it safe by throwing in all the tried-and-tested tracks that bare the familiar, catchy Kylie sound. Still, all in all, it's a worthwhile compilation for the casual fan. Not too keen on the cover sleeve, though, which looks a bit tacky - surely they could have picked a better picture than this. Just a small quibble. Otherwise there's much to recommend here.

Ian Phillips

Aww and naturally no vinyl edition never mind.

Oh dear no Your Disco Needs You OR Step Back In Time