Olivia Newton-john MAGIC: THE VERY BEST

Personnel includes: Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, Cliff Richard (vocals); Electric Light Orchestra. Producers: John Farrar, Jeff Lynne, Stephen Kipner. Compilation producer: Mike Ragogna. Recorded between 1973 and 1983. Includes liner notes by Robyn Flans. Digitally remastered by Garvin Lurssen (The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, California). Liner Note Author: Robyn Flans. Photographers: Herb Ritts; Claude Mougin; Charles Bush. All those nostalgia mavens and time-travelers who revel in '70s pop culture will find the ante upped a notch upon the release of MAGIC. You can listen to Carpenters tribute albums and sing Abba songs till your face turns blue, but if you really want to plunge back into the '70s experience, the greatest hits of Australian siren Olivia Newton-John are the only way to travel. Her dulcet tones float gently over some of the most carefully constructed ballads and seamlessly crafted arrangements of the decade. And even a cursory listen to "Please Mr. Please" or "Let Me Be There" will serve to remind that Olivia achieved a fair amount of country crossover back in the day as well. Sure, tracks like "Physical" bring things into the more prurient '80s realm, but by and large this compilation is just the thing to satisfy your '70s pop jones.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop