Beth Orton is a hell of a songwriter with a unique voice. Why she isn't Sarah McLachlan level as far as popularity is anybody's guess. "Pass In Time" is a collection for casual fans and Beth Orton collectors. (CD#1) The best songs from "Trailer Park", "Central Reservation" and EP "Best Bit". The only thing missing is the touching original version of "Central Reservation". The faster "The Then Again" version is on this set. The new pop song for this album "Same Day" is quite good. "Daybreaker" her 3rd CD gets the short end of the stick. There's only two songs - "Concrete Sky" and "Thinking About Tomorrow". "Paris Train", "Mount Washington" and "Ted's Waltz" - all outstanding numbers belong somewhere in this collection- 4 STARS. (CD#2) Remixes, "B" sides and rarities. More for established fans. The standouts are the Folk songs "Safety" and "Dolphins" - 3 STARS. (THE BOOKLET) Cool photos, extensive liner notes and musicians credits. Beth herself gives thoughts on each song. She's big on Jimi Hendrix and Rickie Lee Jones which makes her all right in my book. 5 STARS. This is a good collection, but not complete from her first three CD's. Beth later released "Comfort Of Strangers" which has a stripped down Americana flavor. For completists "The Other Side Of Daybreak" is a dance remix CD heavy on "Trip-Hop". Beth Orton is something special. This is good place to start for a newcomer.

From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...This only thing stopping this collection from a solid 5 star rating is the fact that it includes remixes and some b-sides. Therefore, it ends up being a must have for fans missing some great tracks and too much for someone wanting an overview of Beth Orton's great music.

As another reviewer says, this is a fine place to start lovin' Beth. If you don't know her, you should. Once you do, you will at the very least like her. She - IMHO - is one of the best artists to come along in recent memory. So do yourself a favor, and check her out if you haven't already.

If you're like i was a year ago, and you are not sure where to put your money when it comes to Beth Orton, you'll buy this CD. This collection contains some of her best songs, with a few missing exceptions ("Carmella," "Paris Train," and her rendition of Cat Steven's "Wild World" come to mind), and is a great introduction to her work. It makes for a great gift to someone who seriously needs to be introduced to Beth Orton (one of the best female musicians of our time).

Additionally the second CD features some jewels that any Beth Orton fan will appreciate. For example "Safety" is a sweet and candid B-side. I would have liked more Superpinkymandy material (a rare album she made with William Orbit in 1993), but what it has still makes it a jewel to own.

The only problem with this edition is that it is not an album of hers. To many this will not be an issue, but i am the type of person that prefers to own entire albums. It is essentially a "greatest hits" album. So, it is great if you're money-conscious, or not a huge fan, or buying it for someone else, but because of this i cannot endorse it with five stars (whereas the music itself certainly deserves such a rating).

I first heard Beth Orton several years ago when I got her first her album Trailer Park. Though I was blown away by several of the songs, some of them did not impress me overly. This year a friend told me about the collection and how great it was. Boy, were they right! There's not a bad song on here. Her voice is so beautiful and so emotive it's hard to not get lost in it. Songs such as Thinking About Tomorrow, Dolphins and Concrete Sky are some of my favorites, followed closely by Stars all seem to weep, She cries your name and Stolen Car. This cd is the best purchase I've made recently and will be playing for quite some time.