AMG Review of I Will Survive: The Anthology

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Gloria Gaynor was one of the main disco divas, scoring a number of crossover hits, including "I Will Survive" and "Never Can Say Goodbye," in addition to pioneering extended mixes on her 12" singles. Instead of relying on her hit singles, all of which are compiled on Greatest Hits, the double-disc I Will Survive: The Anthology concentrates on her dancefloor classics. In other words, if you're looking for brief, catchy disco-pop, look elsewhere; this has nothing but full-length album tracks and three extended disco medleys, each running around 18 minutes -- the length of one side of a 12" single. For some, this will be tedious listening, but any disco fanatic will find plenty of interesting material here, and for those with hardcore dance tastes, I Will Survive may even be preferable to Greatest Hits.