25 Years of 1 Hits Arista Records 25th Anniversary Celebration. Disc review
Nov 25th, 2008 Posted in music | Comments Off
There’s something mildly poetic about “25 Years Of No. 1 Hits: Arista Records’ 25th Anniversary Celebration.” For the basic civilian in search of voyeuristic footage of superstars like Whitney Houston, Puff Daddy, Aretha Franklin, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Carlos Santana, the package works quite well on DVD Video. We get a spree of fine performances, supplemented here by backstage chatter and previously unaired celebrity arrivals. You could eat the glitter, glitz, and “candid” goodies with a spoon.
For the industry insider, though, the package has a bittersweet undertow. While the show’s overt parameters were to encapsulate the remarkable output of Arista, it also serves as a visual coda to the reign of the label’s recently departed maestro, Clive Davis. The show was a fitting tribute to the enduring industry figure, yet it might have been doubly festive if Davis were not leaving the company under such contentious circumstances. So a subtle thread of sadness runs through the proceedings, as they offer a hint of where Davis might have directed the label toward its next 25-year phase.
That noted, “25 Years Of No. 1 Hits” is a smorgasbord of fine music. Patti Smith nearly steals the show in her duet with Sarah McLachlan on “Because The Night,” while Annie Lennox performs her classic “Why” with an intoxicating emotional honesty.
