Reissued to coincide with Streisand's movie Meet The Fockers, The Essential Collection should prove a shrewd choice of gift for either St Valentine's Day or Mother's Day or simply for you.

This compilation first reached the number one spot in March 2002 for a very good reason. Indeed, 40 very good reasons. Everything from A Sleepin' Bee and Cry Me A River from Barbra's 1963 debut LP to her collaborations with Celine Dion and Bryan Adams are included. Her best works are the show songs. She is the benchmark from which all other torch singers are measured. Look no further for the definitive versions of Putting It Together, Send In The Clowns and Somewhere from West Side Story.

Updated: 09:13 Thursday, January 27, 2005