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Air Supply - Greatest Hits
Air Supply - The Definitive Collection
Album Comparisons: Air Supply's Greatest Hits
Air Supply had a string of hits during the first half of the 1980s with a series of soft rock and power ballads which became staples on mainstream oriented radio. Their first greatest hits album, released in 1983, peaked at #7 on the U.S. charts and remains the definitive survey of the most successful portion of their career. The later 1999 Definitive Collection contains all of the songs from the earlier Greatest Hits compilation, along with eight additional singles and an alternate version of "Lost In Love" from their 1979 Australian release Life Support. In this review, I am only comparing the nine songs which are common to both collections.

Lost In Love

Greatest Hits (1984)

Lost in Love

Definitive Collection (1999)

Lost in Love

Even the Nights Are Better

Greatest Hits (1984)

Even the Nights Are BEtter

Definitive Collection (1999)

Even the Nights Are BEtter

The One That You Love

Greatest Hits (1984)

The One That You Love

Definitive Collection (1999)

The One That You Love

Every Woman In the World

Greatest Hits (1984)

Every Woman in the World

Definitive Collection (1999)

Every Woman in the World

Chances

Greatest Hits (1984)

Chances

Definitive Collection (1999)

Chances

Making Love Out of Nothing At All

Greatest Hits (1984)

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

Definitive Collection (1999)

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

All Out of Love

Greatest Hits (1984)

All Out of Love

Definitive Collection (1999)

All Out of Love

Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)

Greatest Hits (1984)

Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)

Definitive Collection (1999)

Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)

Sweet Dreams

Greatest Hits (1984)

Sweet Dreams

Definitive Collection (1999)

Sweet Dreams
And the winner is: The Definitive Collection, with reservations. Levels and dynamics are excellent for a late 90s remaster. There is nevertheless some obvious compression employed on the later disc, particularly during the climax of songs such as "Chances" and "Making Love Out of Nothing At All." Despite this, the sound of the remaster is excellent, cleaner and richer than the earlier disc, which came out early in the CD era. The remaster benefits from better digital to analog conversion technology and the use of the original master tapes, and so comes out overall ahead.
Air Supply concert ticket, February 2, 2008