Of the three simultaneous SAW single artist re-releases (Princess, Mandy Smith, Lonnie Gordon), this is way, way ahead of the other 2, although they in themselves are pretty good. The 'Euphoric' review tells you all you need to know, but I'd just like to add my own 5-star rating. A massive diva voice blasts out of the tracks, with some of the best SAW tunes from that period (or ever). I get the impression from the detailed sleeve notes that Lonnie and SAW had artistic differences - I can't imagine her being bossed around, shall we say, and you'd probably need earplugs if you had a row with her - and went their separate ways, but this is a fantastic meisterwork of its poppy, fizzy, unpretentious, tuneful and catchy kind. I'll probably never tire of it.
UPDATE Sept 2009 - I never tired of it. I must have played this in my car about 50 times recently. I have to skip the non-SAW tracks, though - they are awful. All the extended SAW remixes are pretty good, too. They don't mess around with the tunes TOO much. The 'Latino' (?) mix of HAOAgain that I still have on - wait for it - cassette is missing, but it's not very good anyway. A couple of the less familiar / unreleased SAW tracks on this CD are FANTASTIC, keeping to the the 'unlucky in love' theme of the singles. Pence per listen, probably the best value CD I have ever bought. Recommended for SAW / disco diva / 3-minute pop song fans.
I have played the Mandy Smith CD, bought at the same time, 3 times, and skipped most tracks. (And I mislaid the Princess CD so can't yet comment on how good / bad it is.)
BACK TO THE OLD REVIEW...
Two re-issue omissions still worth tracking down for any converts:
1. The SAW Sonia album (not any of the others, unfortunately) ...UPDATE SEPT 2010 - SONIA ABOUT TO BE RERELEASED PLUS EXTENDED MIXES... has some great tunes.
2. The Sybil album with a few SAW tracks on it, inc. Good And Ready, and Harold Melvin's The Love I Lost, but with an SAW-arranged twist. Plus the slow SAW ballad Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, also on the Lonnie album in a very similar version.
Also, the rare BOY KRAZY is up for rerelease in Sept 2010, but I can't get to hear it, so son't know how good / bad it is.
Also again, Donna Summer's 'Another Place and Time' would make a reallt, really fantastic rerelease if they stuck extra tracks on the end, but there my be legal / label problems, as I don't think it was on SAW's own label. One of their most 'even' albums - nearly every track's good or better.