AMG Review of Ultimate Collection

Andrew Hamilton
All Music Guide

Toni Childs spits out lyrics on up-tempo tunes like rounds blasting from an AK-47. Unfortunately, she doesn't do many ups. She's easier on ballads and mid-tempo songs, but still register red-zone readings. The singer/songwriter has been labeled everything from alternative rock to pop/rock -- everything but the soul singer she is. Aretha Franklin singing an album of folksy tunes doesn't make her a folk singer. Childs' recordings reflect the material she writes, which is not necessarily the direction that's best for her; with the right producer, she could be Tina Turner. This collection features not only her compositions (the ferocious "Don't Walk Away," the heady "I Just Want Affection," and the Janis Ian-ish "I Met a Man"), but a couple she didn't scribe, such as Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross."