Stock Cher

Few celebrities can keep the affection of the American public for 35 years, yet Cher has managed to do it. With countless hits in numerous styles (including folk, disco, rock, and techno-pop), a successful television show, and a best actress Oscar under her chain belt, the 52 year-old diva has managed to repeatedly update her image while staying in the public eye. Ever since her days as a teenager with Sonny Bono, Cher quickly established herself as one of the most prominent female recording artists of this century.

This particular Best of Cher album [the Millennium Collection] is not noticeably different from its predecessors, save its extraordinarily narrow scope—it contains no post-'70s recordings. Her early hits, many of which make loose reference to her somewhat exotic looks and Cherokee heritage, are all here, including the falsely autobiographical "Half Breed" and "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves." The songwriting, while catchy, is sometimes downright embarrassing, as in the excessively orchestrated "The Way of Love" ("When you meet a boy/That you like a lot/And you fall in love/But he loves you not"). "Dark Lady" is an unintentionally comical story about a woman who finds out that her husband is sleeping with her psychic and shoots them both. Yet the collection remains a fun listen despite the campy, contrived nature of Cher's early material (or possibly because of it). The juicy melodrama makes up for mindless lyrics in songs like "Take Me Home," Cher's 1979 disco comeback, which is arguably one of the best pieces of high-class disco ever recorded.

If you don't own a recording of Cher's greatest hits, buy one. However, should you find that you prefer her scantily-clad '80s rock or simply want a wider variety of her numerous styles, this is not the right collection. Hold out for a compilation that does justice to the cultural chameleon who calls herself Cher. (UNI/MCA)

—Chuck Colman

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