AMG Review of Best of Toni Basil: Mickey & Other Love Songs

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Razor & Tie's The Best of Toni Basil: Mickey & Other Love Songs is a fine 12-track collection that compiles nearly all of her best material. Since Basil wasn't able to deliver a hit follow-up to "Mickey" -- her two subsequent charting singles, "Shoppin' from A to Z" and "Over My Head," didn't break the Top 75 -- most of this material will be unknown to everyone outside of hardcore fans. It's also unlikely that anyone outside of New Wave fetishists and dedicated fans will find much of interest outside of "Mickey" on this collection. Basil and her producers lacked musical imagination, offering only variations on "Mickey," and quirky, Blondie-esque New Wave pop. While that can be quite entertaining to those with special interests, the average fan of her one hit will be better off with a various-artists collection. Nevertheless, fans who want to dig a little deeper will probably not be too disappointed with this collection, even if it doesn't contain "Shoppin' from A to Z." It has just enough hidden minor gems, such as a cover of the ubiquitous "Be Stiff," to make it an enjoyable New Wave artifact.