Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992 is the third greatest hits album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 9 June 1992 by Geffen Records. It is the first compilation to contain both her country and pop hits. The album contained four new tracks: lead single "I Need Love" (produced by Giorgio Moroder), US Adult Contemporary top-20 single "Deeper Than a River", "Not Gonna Be the One" and a cover version of Brenda Lee's 1960 US number one "I Want to Be Wanted". A tour was planned to promote the album, but had to be cancelled when Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The album was released with different track listings in different territories in order to feature her biggest hits in each region.
Although the album did not chart highly in the US, it was a long-term big seller and eventually certified Gold.[2] The album was a bigger success in the UK and Australia.
AllMusic rated the album four and a half stars, stating that "an artist well-defined by her hit singles, Olivia Newton-John has had a stylistically varied career, as is illustrated on Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992, a set that ranges from her teary ballad "I Honestly Love You" to that bouncy paean to getting horizontal, "Physical." Fans may quibble that such hits as "Let Me Be There" and "Make a Move on Me" are not included, but Newton-John's two greatest-hits albums are out of print, and this is the only collection to combine both her good-girl and bad-girl personae." [3]
In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "it's hard to believe that Livvy has been cranking out guilty pop pleasures for more than 20 years now. Though she has frequently taken a hefty critical slagging, there's no denying that tunes like "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)," "A Little More
Love," and "I Honestly Love You" have worn well over time. On this set, which has numerous cuts previously unavailable on CD, ONJ keeps from drowning in nostalgia by offering four strong new songs. "I Need
Love," an AIDS-conscious pop/dance cut, is the best radio bet, while "Not Gonna Be The One" proves exactly how much Wilson Phillips really does owe her." [4]
Spin commented that Newton-John's music was "the soundtrack to a million adolescent infatuations, consummations and separations," noting that "the four new-for-'92 tracks included on this collection harken back to the Olivia of old. Call this a comeback." [5]
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