Although her 1979 death at 31 still reverberates through pop and R&B, Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection is one of the first sets to successfully celebrate the joy, sensuality and wonder inherent in Minnie Riperton's music. This two-CD set has 34 tracks spanning the years 1966-1979. Unlike other compilations this culls work from all of her styles, including the cutesy but derivative R&B/pop she recorded under the name Andrea Davis. The collection also includes tracks from her stint with the often ho-hum, rock/R&B group Rotary Connection. The challenging and baroque songs from Riperton's first album, Come to My Garden, are much better. The tracks including the title, "Les Fleur," "Completeness," and "Expecting" are a collaborative effort between Riperton's husband Richard Rudolph and the brilliant Chicago writer/producer Charles Stephney. A few years down the line, she appeared to be an even more confident singer. Tracks like "Take a Little Trip," "Perfect Angel," and "Lovin' You," all from 1974, were all produced by Stevie Wonder in a relaxed and spare style. This set demonstrates other producers like Stewart Levine, Freddie Perren, and Jeremy Lubbock were also inspired to excellence by the style defined by Riperton and Rudolph. The evocative and powerful "Adventures in Paradise," "Inside My Love," and disco-ish "Young, Willing and Able" all have Riperton's sweetness and intelligence prominent in the mix. The later tracks, including the gorgeous "Memory Lane," finds the formula reaching perfection. Her five-and-a-half octave range is on full display here, and Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection assembles a plethora of definitive songs...... (Review by Jason Elias)


Tracklist
Disc - 1
01. The Edge Of A Dream
02. You Gave Me Soul
03. Lonely Girl
04. Respect
05. We're Going Wrong
06. I Took A Ride (Caravan)
07. Come To My Garden
08. Completeness
09. Expecting
10. Les Fleur
11. Studio Dialog
12. Seeing You This Way (Demo)
13. Reasons
14. Take A Little Trip
15. Lovin' You
16. Every Time He Comes Around
17. Love And Its Glory
18. Simple Things
19. Lovin' You (Live Reprise)

Disc - 2
01. Perfect Angel
02. Adventures In Paradise
03. Young, Willing And Able
04. Gettin' Ready For Your Love
05. Baby, This Love I Have
06. Can You Feel What I'm Saying?
07. Inside My Love
08. Light My Fire
09. Could It Be I'm In Love
10. Stay In Love
11. Here We Go
12. Memory Lane
13. Woman Of Heart And Mind
14. Return To Forever
15. Lover And Friend
16. Give Me Time