Try to think of an enduring, widely respected, artistically progressive female songwriting duo. Now, try to think of one besides the Indigo Girls. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been pounding the folk-rock pavement since the early 1980s, filling the ears of eager listeners with their ethereal harmonies, lush arrangements, and evocative lyrics. Retrospective traces their progression from budding singer-songwriters to stunning musicians, arrangers, activists, and artists. Progressing chronologically, the album allows the listener to appreciate the depth and breadth of the pair's musical growth--from the reedy, passionate plea of "Strange Fire" to the blithe bounce of "Least Complicated" to the dark electricity of "Go." As time passes, more instruments are added, more sensitive political topics are addressed, and more experimental techniques are incorporated. The two new cuts--Ray's uptempo but slightly turbulent "Devotion" and Saliers's heartfelt road ballad "Leaving"--are reminiscent of the Girls' younger days but also reflect their artistic growth through subtle lyrical turns and deft melodic variations. --Sally Weinbach

I usually hate it when bands add new songs to "greatest hits" albums, but the last two tracks on Retrospective are great. (I know it's not technically a greatest hits album, but these are undoubtedly some of their better known songs.) If anyone's on the fence about buying this album because of the new songs, I would highly recommend it... they are right up there with the classics.

Though I like the Indigo Girls this was the first piece of their music I actually purchased. I LOVE IT!

This collection is such a nice compilation. There is a fine mixture of music - what is standard throughout is their perfect harmony....and those sometimes haunting, sometimes poignant lyrics.

A great purchase that I will make good use of!

Buy it - you won't be sorry!

I am not a huge fan of the Indigo Girls but I certainly do like a lot of their songs. I remember listening to their songs in the car whenever I was with my brother as a teenager. He would often throw in the duo's first album Indigo Girls. I always loved listening to their song "Closer to Fine" and I still do to this very day. OTher favorite songs includes songs from their album Rites of Passage. That was a main staple of mine during my freshman year in college. Since I am more of a casual fan, "Retrospective" is perfect for me. The album consists of all of my personal favorite Indigo Girls songs. It is good road music to listen to during the summer.

"Retrospective" is a compilation disc from the Indigo Girls that cover their 7 studio albums up through the year 2000. It features 16 tracks with two previously unreleased. The album is a really nice representation of what the Girls are all about and contains some great songs. The tracks are presented in chronological order as the band expands over time with forays into harder rock at times while never abandoning their folk rock roots. The fact that the Indigo Girls career has continued at such a high level with virtually no airplay or publicity is a testament to the talent that they posses. There are lots of great songs here including "Galileo", "Three Hits", "Get Out The Map" "Least Complicated", "Strange Fire", "Closer To Fine" and "Kid Fears". Really every song is good and the two new songs fit right in as well. If you like well done folk rock with great vocal harmonies you can't do much better than the Indigo Girls. This retrospective would serve as a fine introduction to what they do.

Folk Vanguards. GLBT Icons. Voices for social change. All of these describe the Indigo Girls and their over two decades of music making. They also have another big plus...they make great music.

I first encountered Amy Ray and Emily Sailers at a radio broadcasting convention in San Fransisco. I felt awful for them. I'd already been enthralled by the magic of "Closer To Fine" from "Indigo Girls" and was lured into the album as an REM fan. When I heard they were playing in a CBS suite, I raced to get there. As they played songs from the album, biz-whackers and scavengers stood around slogging free drinks and talking loudly to each other.

Too bad for them, because I got to see a great new duo from just feet away. Album after album, they kept getting better. Those acoustic gems kept coming...from the questioning of authority with "Galileo" to the statement of purpose embodied by "The Power Of Two." In my humble opinion, they peaked with 1994's "Swamp Ophelia," blending and highlighting Amy's darker to Emily's lighter.

That is not to say that albums after were slouchers. They were willing to experiment with harder rock (like the protest/history lesson of "Go"), but the forte was still the campfire type of folk best done on songs like "Get Out The Map." There are two previously unreleased songs here; of the two I prefer the more uptempo "Devotion." While I will say that I have alternate song choices (like "Hammer and Nail" from "Nomads Indians Saints") and the occasional strident case of over-reaching occurs ("Shame On You"), this is still a great introduction to one of the most influential female and folk acts of the last twenty years.