The latest releases reviewed.

MARY J BLIGE Reflections (A Retrospective) Geffen ***

To you and me, this is simply another Best Of collection, a timely reminder of Mary J Blige's monster voice and a chance for the label to make more dough on the back of last year's The Breakthrough album. But to Ron Fair, big cheese at Geffen, this release is where "Blige has reached the defining moment of her life - as a vocalist, as a songwriter and as a human being." And you wonder just why Blige is considered one of soul music's most divatastic prima-donnas? Still, while there is some filler (the four "new" hits fit that category), there are also plenty of gems from Blige's back-catalogue. Her most spellbinding moment to date remains that I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By duet with Method Man, but it's the collaborations with U2 and George Michael that everyone will concentrate on - sadly. It's a pity Blige is heading that way because, with the right producer and right set of songs, she could yet produce a masterpiece. www.mjblige.com Jim Carroll