The fall season for greatest hits releases is here. First up is Australian actress turned singer Natalie Imbruglia with Glorious: The Singles, the sort of hybrid greatest hits collection that's be in vogue lately, along the lines of what we got from Dannii Minogue and Hilary Duff: not quite substantial a catalog for a proper greatest hits but not enough new material to make a full album.
Glorious features all nine of Imbruglia's previous singles; new release "Glorious," which made a tepid bow at #23 on the UK singles chart last week; and four other new tracks. Included of course is her massive breakout, "Torn," which made her an instant international star. Unfortunately, she never lived up to it, and her third and very likable album, Counting Down the Days, never saw a US release. Here are the highlights:
1. "Torn" (from Left of The Middle). This 1997 single, her debut, became a massive hit in Britain, hitting #2 and spending 11 weeks at #1 on the airplay chart. A few months later it became a massive hit in the US, also spending 11 weeks at the top of the airplay chart. It's since earned a permanent home at adult top 40 radio stations, where the upbeat, easy to sing with track will always have a home.
2. "Shiver" (from Counting Down the Days). Something went terribly wrong with the promotion of her third album. "Shiver" is a glorious pop single, one of my favorites from 2005, and deserved to be an international smash on par with "Torn." It has a cool video too--a spy-themed chase across Europe in the vein of the Bourne films. It became a #1 hit on UK radio, but managed only #8 on the sales chart. Sadly, it was never released in the US, where I swear it would have been a hit. Interest in the album quickly waned as second single "Counting Down the Days" was released rather late and didn't chart well. We never whether "Perfectly," "Sanctuary," or "Starting Today" could have been hits.
3. "Beauty on the Fire" (from White Lilies Island). Imbruglia's second album wasn't nearly as successful as its first, and this, its third single, is the lowest charting of her 10 singles in Britain. Too bad, as the darker track with a mild downbeat influence, was the best single released from White Lilies Island.
4. "Big Mistake" (from Left of the Middle). This was the moody UK follow-up to "Torn," which followed its predecessor to #2. Strangely, it wasn't released in the US, in favor of "Wishing I Was There." Too bad, because it was much better. More of a rock song than poppy "Torn," it was also all over UK radio.
5. "Wrong Impression" (from White Lilies Island). A modest hit in both the UK and the US, this was the best White Lilies Island could offer. Not a classic, but a good song nonetheless.
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