Leo Sayer – The Very Best of Leo Sayer (Blue Vinyl)

Leo Sayer's The Very Best Of Leo Sayer gathers the run of songs that made him a major British pop presence across the 1970s and early 1980s, while also showing how strong he was as a writer before some of those hits were identified primarily with his own voice. Early on, Sayer wrote "Giving It All Away" and "One Man Band" for Roger Daltrey, and "The Show Must Go On" was first a hit for Three Dog Night before Sayer turned it into part of his own story. That background gives this set more shape than a routine greatest-hits package.

The selection follows Sayer from the theatrical pop of "Long Tall Glasses" into the smoother, radio-ready run that brought his widest fame. His partnership with producer Richard Perry helped deliver "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," which earned Sayer a Grammy, and the collection also includes "When I Need You," one of the defining ballads of his catalogue. By the time "Living in a Fantasy" and "More Than I Can Say" arrive, you can hear how comfortably he moved into a sleeker early-80s sound without losing the melodic directness that made the earlier records connect.

This edition is especially appealing because it marks the compilation's first appearance on vinyl, turning a concise career overview into something more tangible for the shelf. For anyone who knows the big singles but not the full arc, it works as a clear reminder that Sayer's career joined songwriting craft, chart instincts, and a surprising range of styles more effectively than his soft-rock reputation sometimes suggests.

Features

• Blue Vinyl, limited edition
• First time on vinyl
• Mastered by Joe Reagoso from the original Rhino recordings
• First-time LP-sized album graphics with discography and liner notes

Reviews

• for most casual fans, that makes it preferable. - AllMusic.com