Sylvia

Renaissance's 1997 collection Anthology is easily the most comprehensive collection assembled on early-'80s smooth country-pop singer Sylvia. Weighing in at 24 tracks, this contains all 18 of her charting hits and runs from the start of her career in 1979 to 1989, when she effectively retired from active recording. Although the quality of some of the smaller hits and the non-hit material is a little erratic -- five years later, the RCA Country Legends disc did a far better job of sorting through the non-hits material (even if it was at the expense of some genuine hits) -- this nevertheless showcases Sylvia at her best. After all, she was an artist who targeted the charts and aimed for crossover success, so she makes the most sense when distilled to her singles, and while the packaging might leave a little to be desired, Anthology couldn't present those singles better. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide