Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Anita Baker

Tchaikovsky: June (Played on the Harp)

Tchaikovsky: May

Johann Sebastian Bach

Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 (Played on the Harp)

Nocturnes, Op. 15 - No. 1, Andante cantabile

J. S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007: No. 1, Prélude

Claude Debussy

Debussy: Gardens In The Rain

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky: December (Played on The Harp)

Arthur Rubinstein

Rubinstein: Barcarolle in F Minor, Op. 30 (Arranged For Harp)

Mozart

Mozart: Romance in A-flat major, K. Anh. 205 (Arranged For Harp)

Franz Liszt

Liszt: 2 Legends, S. 175  No. 1, St. Francis of Assisi: Preaching to the Birds

Fryderyk Chopin

Chopin; Berceuse, Op. 57

Erik Satie

Gnossienne No.1

From The Piano To The Harp

Clair de Lune

Gymnopedie No.1

Mozart: Piano Sonata No.12 in F, K.332: No.2 Adagio (Played On The Harp)

Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op.37b: No.01 January-At The Hearth

Adolphe Adam

O Holy Night

William Hayman Cummings

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Chopin: Aeolian Harp from Etudes Op. 25, No.1

Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata

Love Fly Free (Live)

Sing It Forever (Live 1988)

The Songstress

Same Ole Love [365 Days A Year] / Same Ole Love [365 Days A Year] [Live Version] [Digital 45]

The Best of Anita Baker

Rhythm Of Love

Giving You the Best That I Got

Rapture

Baker's deservedly obscure 1983 debut was reissued in 1991, long after her 1986 Rapture CD had garnered a Grammy and established her as a sophisticated, sensuous balladeer. Baker's smoky alto is recognizable enough, but it lacks the emotional immediacy and dramatic phrasing of her later work. The best track here is obviously "Angel," which sounds like a less polished version of Baker's breakthrough hit, "Sweet Love." Otherwise, Baker fans will wince at the turgid arrangement of "Feel the Need," and chuckle over the kitsch horror of Baker trying to negotiate her way through the swirling clutter of the postdisco dance track "Squeeze Me." For completists only. 


《The Best of Anita Baker》是美國 R&B/Soul歌手 Anita Baker 的一張精選輯，於 2002 年 6 月 18 日在美國由 Rhino Records 發行。

In 1988, the pressure was on Anita Baker to release an album worthy of succeeding "Rapture," her crossover, breakout smash that set a new standard in R&B and sold five million copies. With "Giving You the Best That I Got," Baker dethroned U2's "Rattle and Hum" from Billboard's top-selling album slot and proved that "Rapture" was no fluke.
The title track made it all the way to #2 on the pop singles chart; a cool, laid-back but soulful affair, the song cemented the path that "Rapture" had begun to lay for the jazzy, "Quiet Storm" artists of the late 80's to recieve airplay and crossover acceptance. The pop-flavored "Just Because" was the follow-up, and the jazzy "Rules" enjoyed airplay on adult contemporary and jazz stations nationwide.

The hidden treasures on the album, however, are just as enjoyable (if not more) for their diversity: "Good Enough" is a sultry slice of Bossa Nova that boasts a delicious scat; "Good Love" utitlizes Baker's lower register in its seductive chorus; and "You Belong to Me," a definite missed opportunity for a single, finds Baker in a more upbeat setting with glorious results. (Not to be confused with Baker's rendition of Carly Simon's "You Belong to Me," a ballad on her "Rhythm of Love" release.)

Some critics unfairly complained that the songs weren't as rich or compelling as those included on "Rapture." But did Carole King ever top "Tapestry"? Did Fleetwood Mac ever make a better album than "Rumours"? After all, an artist's classic release doesn't invalidate their other work, and "Giving You the Best That I Got" is just as strong and worthy as anything else in the Baker cache. 




Soul has been through a lot of changes of late, and if there seems to be an oversupply of young divas-in-waiting today, you can probably thank Anita Baker for it. Baker was one of the few singers that bridged the old school to the new, and this 1986 album was--and is--a true soul classic. An inspiration for everyone from Whitney Houston to Toni Braxton, Baker carved the way with soaring vocals and an effortless style on tracks like "Sweet Love" and "You Bring Me Joy." "Caught Up in the Rapture" was the anthem for many a lovestruck couple, and Baker sums it up best herself in the same song: "Nothing else can compare."


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