The year 2000 was a busy year for Cher, as she geared up for her third album release of the year 2000. This album is another compilation and it is entitled, THE WAY OF LOVE-THE CHER COLLECTION, which features all of Cher's greatest hits from the 60s and 70s, as well as four songs by Sonny & Cher, two studio recorded & two live. This album is not quite as excellent, but it is proficient.

Disc One

THE WAY OF LOVE
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). Not bad.

ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO
From the album ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO (1965). Just plain ole great. Nothing more, than just pure great.

BANG BANG (MY BABY SHOT ME DOWN)
From the album THE SONNY SIDE OF CHER (1966). Another pure classic Cher hit. But remember that her 1987 remake blows this original version out of the water and into the beyond.

YOU BETTER SIT DOWN KIDS
From the album WITH LOVE, CHER (1968). Not bad.

GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). I just love Cher's first #1 hit single. This classic Cher hit will never die.

ALL I EVER NEED IS YOU (Performed by Sonny & Cher)
From Sonny & Cher's album ALL I EVER NEED IS YOU (1972). Not bad.

HE'LL NEVER KNOW
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). Not bad.

WHEN YOU FIND OUT WHERE YOU'RE GOIN', LET ME KNOW
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). Not a bad song, but too long of a title.

I HATE TO SLEEP ALONE
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). I think We All Hate To Sleep Alone. Well, all of us men hate sleeping alone, if you all catch my drift.

TOUCH AND GO
From the album GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES (1971). Not bad.

LIVING IN A HOUSE DIVIDED
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

IT MIGHT AS WELL STAY MONDAY (FROM NOW ON)
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad and I agree with what is said in this song title.

A SONG FOR YOU
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

WHEN YOU SAY LOVE (Performed by Sonny & Cher)
From Sonny & Cher's album ALL I EVER NEED IS YOU (1972). Not bad.

DON'T EVER TRY TO CLOSE A ROSE
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

DON'T HIDE YOUR LOVE
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

TWO PEOPLE CLINGING TO A THREAD
Previously unreleased. Not bad.

DON'T PUT IT ON ME
Previously unreleased. Not bad.

CLASSIFIED 1a
Previously unreleased. Not bad.

Disc Two

HALF-BREED
From the album HALF-BREED (1973). Cher's second #1 hit and her second best story song, as well as a song that has Cher tracing her Native American roots.

A COWBOY'S WORK IS NEVER DONE (Performed by Sonny & Cher)
From Sonny & Cher's album ALL I EVER NEED IS YOU (1972). Not bad.

NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN
From the album FOXY LADY (1972). Not bad.

MY LOVE
Previously unreleased. Not bad.

THE GREATEST SONG I EVER HEARD
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

CAROUSEL MAN
From the album HALF-BREED (1973). Not bad.

DAVID'S SONG
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

CHASTITY'S SUN (aka RUBY JEAN AND BILLIE LEED)
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

MAKE THE MAN LOVE ME
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

DIXIE GIRL
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

I GOT IT BAD (AND THAT AIN'T GOOD)
From the album BITTERSWEET WHITE LIGHT (1974). Not bad.

AM I BLUE
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

WHAT'LL I DO
From the album DARK LADY (1974). Not bad.

THE BEAT GOES ON (Live) (Performed by Sonny & Cher)
Original version from Sonny & Cher's album IN CASE YOU'RE IN LOVE (1968). Great song.

I GOT YOU BABE (Live) (Performed by Sonny & Cher)
Original version from Sonny & Cher's album LOOK AT US (1965). Awesome undestroyable classic.

TAKE ME HOME
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Awesome.

This album, like I said, isn't excellent, but proficient. So, get out your money and buy a copy for yourselves before amazon.com runs out.

"The Way of Love" has a great cover photo and works fine as an introduction to Cher's early '70's recordings(it pretty much repackages the albums "Cher", "Half Breed" and "Dark Lady", with some stray Sonny & Cher tracks mixed in for good measure). My problem is that several excellent tracks from the "Dark Lady" sessions were omitted("Miss Subway", "Apples Don't Fall Far From the Tree")and do we really need another collection with "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" on it? Give us Cher fanatics something unusual! B-

This is an excellent collection of Cher's best early work.

These two discs incorporate Cher's first solo work (slightly before up until 7 years after her break up with sonny). To sell records, ofcourse, the songs are mostly singles from albums that had hit songs, along with Take me Home which is far out of place (her disco single from 79 that went top ten), and some live performance stuff with Sonny. Left out are her seemingly un-known albums only known to die-hards such as "Stars", "Cherished", "Allman and Woman", and "I'd Rather Believe in You". The leaving out these albums is what makes "Take Me Home" so out of place, because most of the content in it is separated from Take Me Home bye these "unknown" albums. (The record companies excuse is that these albums were all with Warners..whatever). The fact of the matter is...its a great collection of early Cher music. Much of this cannot be found ANYWHERE else. My opinion is...buy it if you're a casual Cher fan wanting to reminisce the early 70's in your car stereo or just joining the rankings of the SUPER CHER FANS!!! Once you learn about some of the other stuff you may be dissapointed, however. All the music on this disc is great, but it receives a "4" because its not a complete collection.

This collection might be easier to appreciate if so many of its tracks weren't available elsewhere. Even so, taken on its own, it's the most comprehensive collection of Cher's 1971-1974 output you're likely to find. Only the inclusion of her 1979 hit, "Take Me Home" seems out of place here, since you're skipping five years from '74 to '79. Now if Warner Bros. would just re-issue the '75-'78 material.