Patti LaBelle - Anthology [2CD] (2004)

There have been scads of Patti LaBelle compilations throughout the years. If you take a glance at the lower left-hand corner of Anthology's cover, you can get some idea of where it stands in relation to all the others. The Philadelphia International logo, located in that spot, indicates that the set will be reliant upon LaBelle's few years spent at that label, which weren't - astonishingly enough - all that successful from a commercial standpoint. It can't be denied that Anthology covers a lot of ground (despite all the late-'70s/early-'80s material for PI, it begins with 1977's "Joy to Have Your Love" and concludes with 1986's "On My Own," her number one hit duet with Michael McDonald) and differs from most of the other career overviews, but the ugly truth is that few people will want to shell out for a two-disc set that leaves no room for "Lady Marmalade," "New Attitude," and "Stir It Up."