It was inevitable that
Whitney Houston
would be subjected to a greatest-hits album after her untimely spring 2012 death, and
I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston
is the first of these, an 18-track collection containing two new songs -- a duet version of "I Look to You" with
R. Kelly
vocals, and the unreleased,
Jermaine Dupri
-written "Never Give Up," which isn't bad -- but concentrates on her big hits, emphasizing the oversized show-stopping ballads just slightly. Which isn't to say the fun stuff is missing -- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "So Emotional," "I'm Your Baby Tonight," and "How Will I Know" are all here -- but this downplays such confections in favor of seduction and drama. As
Houston
had more hits in this vein, this is certainly representative, but for fans looking for her effervescent early singles, they'd be better off with other collections. But for those who love the diva,
I Will Always Love You
captures her in all her glory. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine