Who is Selena

There are 55 minutes of the actual Selena here, filmed live at Houston's Astrodome in 1995. The 23-year-old Tejano singer performs her light, catchy tunes all in Spanish, save for a '70s disco medley (which includes, poignantly, "I Will Survive"); polished and charismatic, if not extraordinarily talented, Selena was clearly on the way up before her death at 23 at the hands of an employee.

That she was later portrayed onscreen by Jennifer Lopez, who has eclipsed Selena's stardom by far, no doubt partly explains the inclusion on the DVD of a 45-minute documentary (truthfully, more like a lengthy puff piece for Entertainment Tonight) about the Selena biopic. If you want to know how the filmmakers made those tough decisions about hair, clothes, and lip-syncing, you will not be disappointed. But the real thing's better. -- Sam Graham

Released three months after her murder in 1995, Dreaming of You introduced the Tejano queen to the mainstream pop audience. Four new tunes recorded with producers Keith Thomas and Guy Roche envisioned Selena as a dance-pop diva similar to Janet Jackson or Mariah Carey, but with a Latin twist. Far more arresting are the two classic mariachi numbers and a bilingual duet with David Byrne recorded for the movie Don Juan DeMarco, in which Selena had a bit part. The contrast between her passionate invitation to "come dance with me" and Byrne's nerdy white-guy delivery indicated her wide-open creative potential. The rest of the album consists of remixes of Selena's Latin-pop hits, including a masterful version of "Techno Cumbia" that bring out the hip-hop and reggae flavors in the groove. The tragedy was that such a promising introduction also served as a sad farewell. -- Rick Mitchell

I know that Selena fans will complain that her Cumbia hits are left off this collection, and being a hardcore Selena fan myself I would like to have seen "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "Amor Prohibido" "Si Una Vez" and "Como La Flor" as well as some live hits from The Last Concert of her peforming these hits, but there is only so many songs a studio can fit on to a single 80 minute Compact Disc. I personally would have included these tracks instead of "A Million To One", "Wherever You Are", "Captive Heart" or "God's Child".
However there are some very strong Selena hits presented here. I know they are ALL in English and none in spanish so the album does seem a little un-fair, but so many classic Selena songs are on here. Basically All of the songs she was planning to put on her English Debuet recorded with EMI records. You could think of this as the Finished "Dreaming Of You".
Her Two massive U.S. Radio Hits "I Could Fall In Love" and "Dreaming Of You" are included in this collection. They are her two best songs. The Radio Hits are certainlly not the only enjoyable songs on here. "My Love" is a Great R'n'B Pop song and really shows the Fly Girl side Selena opittimized so well.
This track even though short was extremely catchy, and could have been a single. "Missing My Baby" is another sparkling R'n'B tune that is kind of Lovey - Dovey and Cute. Good Song.
"I'm Getting Used To You" is another smooth track the album has to offer. Not as good as the previous two, but certainlly not a bad song.
The Flamenco Tinged "Always Mine" is a fun track that will no boubt get you up and dancing. It has some Spanish language pieces in it, and sounds great. Other song to get you up and dancing are the Club Like "Is It The Beat" which is one of the albums highlights. Two other good Selena ballads are showcased here. The rarely heard R'n'B ballad "Only Love" and early love song attempt "Where Did The Feeling Go" were previously unreleased on a Selena album, and make this compilation a real keeper. Selena's tribute to the "West Side Story" Soundtrack "A Boy Like That" which is a smooth Groove Ballad is also included here, so overall though this album Offers none of her Cumbia hits it has plenty of Tejano, and Mainstream Hits. I reccommend buying this over "Dreaming Of You" anyday, because this gives you a lot more for your money, and is definetly worth it. If You want some of Selena's Cumbia Rhythms I suggest purchasing "Selena - Live" or "Unforgettable - The Live Album" because Selena's Cumbia Songs are always heard best when she sings live, because the intensity and Rhythm is captured and these albums show Selena's true talent as a performer. This is one of Selena's best Compilations and has plenty to offer for any Selena fan. It is a Must Own. -- Chazzyb, London, GB

This third compilation of Selena's material is hyped by EMI officials as being a complete collection of her biggest hits. It is no exaggeration. All 16 tracks are hits, and the disc includes her biggest numbers, such as "Amor Prohibido," "Como la Flor," and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom." The CD features her English-language hits as well: "I Could Fall in Love," "Dreaming of You," and "Missing My Baby." There's also "Disco Medley Pt. II (Last Dance/The Hustle/On the Radio)," recorded live at the Houston Rodeo. Selena and the band sound sharp and on the money. "On the Radio" impacts in particular, through its lyrics about love conducted in secret--a situation that applied to Selena and her guitarist Chris Perez before they were married in 1992. -- Ramiro Burr

Released in March 1994 exactly a year before Selena would be shot and killed by her ex-fan club president, this CD demonstrates a band at the peak of its creative force. The hits were obvious--the eloquent "Amor Prohibido," on love conducted in secret, and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," a magical pop tune that could work in any dance club. "Cobarde" and "El Chico" were easy cumbias to like; "Fotos y Recuerdos" was an ironic message on having only photographs and memories left. But highly underrated was the lovely and stoic "No Me Queda Mas," on facing the end, yet keeping a sense of dignity and self-worth. -- Ramiro Burr