Glorious: The Singles 97-07

What was impressive about the Natalie Imbruglia album Glorious: The Singles 1997-2007 was that Imbruglia had a writing or co-writing credit on 13 of the 14 tracks, the only one not penned by her being the one that started it all, the classic "Torn." Starting at the most unlikely source as an actress on the daytime TV soap opera Neighbours (although it had produced singing stars a decade earlier with Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan), Imbruglia had carved out a singing career with a series of pop/rock singles with superb melodies, although never managing to top the exquisiteness of the single "Torn." So after three successful albums, Left of the Middle, White Lilies Island, and the number one Counting Down the Days, her record company, BMG, released this greatest-hits compilation to sum up her career to date and also move into the future with a smattering of new tracks not previously on the three albums. All nine of her singles were included -- which had already been featured on the three studio albums -- as well as "Glorious," the first single released from this collection. No doubt to give an impression that this was a new album as well as a greatest-hits compilation, "Glorious" kicked off the proceedings as the opening track, followed by those nine earlier singles. The track order was a compromise reached between the artist and her record company, with the four new tracks all bringing up the rear. Of these four, "Amelia" was an ethereal, haunting ballad and "Be with You," "Against the Wall," and "Stuck on the Moon" were midtempo AOR songs. She may search another lifetime and never find another song like "Torn." ~ Sharon Mawer