Personnel includes: Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli (vocals); Michael Landau (acoustic & electric guitars); Walter Afanasieff (acoustic guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, bass, programming); Ramon Stagnaro (acoustic guitar); Philip Palmer, Michael Thompson, Robbie Macintosh (guitar); Rick Kahn (strings); David Boruff (saxophone); Carole King (piano); Richard Cottle (Fender Rhodes piano); Wix (keyboards, bass); Dan Shea (keyboards, programming); David Foster (keyboards); Nathan East, Trevor Barry, Jay Anderson, Paul Bushnell (bass); Andy Duncan (drums, percussion); Vinnie Colaiuta, Mike Baird, Ian Thomas, Steve Ferrone (drums); Sheila E., Paulinho DaCosta, Luis Conte (percussion); Christopher Neil (background vocals).
Producers include: David Foster, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Christopher Neil, Humberto Gatica, Billy Pace.
Engineers include: Simon Hurrell, Chris Brooke, Dana Jon Chappelle.
Let's make one thing clear from the outset. No, the ubiquitous theme from TITANIC is not on this disc. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, its more important to note that the selections contained on this compilation number among the Canadian songbird's finest performances. Not only are these some of the golden moments from one of pop music's most celebrated vocalists, but there's a wealth of songwriting firepower at work here as well, as the likes of Carole King, Babyface, David Foster, and teen pop maestro Max Martin are among the composers whose work is interpeted by the incomparable Celine Dion. Ultimately, THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES VOL. 1 works equally well as thumbnail career summary and as an effective case for Ms. Dion's iconhood.