In all honesty, I haven't been a constant follower of Beverley Knight's career, but was very fond of some of the songs she released as singles, so when her greatest hits collection "Voice" came out, I rushed myself to buy a copy.  Recently I had the chance to listen to it thoroughly, and here's what I think ….

"Shoulda Would Coulda" is easily one of my all time favorite songs, and the guitar playing in the beginning of the song makes it a winner all the way. Her cover of Robyn's "Keep This Fire Burning" is another stand-out, and dare I say, it's better than the original. Fans of Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins will also like the song because it sounds insanely similar to Brandy's "What About Us".  Knight explores her rock-chick side on "Come As You Are", and surprisingly, that sound fits her like a glove. If you're into piano driven ballads, then check out the heartfelt "Who's Gonna Save Your Soul" and "Gold". The reggae influenced "Get Up" is not only catchy but has a strong message which asks us to stay true to ourselves no matter what! The anthem-like "Sista Sista" is my favorite song from the set with its haunting sound and deeply emotional content.

However, this album also suffers from a very bad track list: forgettable covers such as Chaka Khan's "Sweet Thing", Robbie Williams' "Angels", and 2 versions of "Made It Back". If Knight's label and management teams were wise enough, they could have replaced those tracks with joints such as the Michelle Escoffery penned "Till I See You" and the Soulshock & Karlin produced "Spin".

All in all, I'd ask you to download the songs mentioned from ITunes rather than buying a hard copy from the album. Don't get me wrong, Beverley has one of the strongest and best voices I've ever heard, and she could have easily been Britain's answer to Whitney Houston, but she needs someone to guide and help her when it comes to choosing the right material. Below is the tracklist that I would have made if I was in charge of this collection, lol!

Beverley Knight – The Voice (Monica Mania Tracklist):

1. Sista Sista: produced by Hawk Wolinski & Rod Gammons.
2. Shoulda Woulda Coulda: produced by Mike Spencer & Tony Briscoe.
3. Keep This Fire Burning: produced by GHOST.
4. Come As You Are: produced by Guy Chambers.
5. Piece of My Heart: produced by Jimmy Hogarth.
6. Gold: produced by Mike Spencer.
7. Spin: co-written by Lindy Robbins / produced by Soulshock & Karlin.
8. Get Up: produced by Derrick Joshua & Derrick Martin.
9. Till I See You: co-written by Michelle Escoffery / produced by Peter John Vettese.
10. Not Too Late For Love: produced by Chris Braide.
11. Greatest Day: produced by Mike Spencer.
12. Who's Gonna Save Your Soul: produced by Chris Braide.

Monica'z Rating (Original version tracklist) = = Average.

Monica'z Rating (Monica Mania Tracklist) =  = Good.

[Listen] Beverley Knight - Sista Sista

[Purchase] Beverley Knight - Voice (Parlophone Records)