I'd like to get in on the thought process of Kelly, Michelle and Beyoncé -- the ladies of Destiny's Child (DC) -- when they decided to not only release a compilation CD, but to name it #1's.

Though, in their defense -- sort of -- I don't think the girls really thought about it; the situation smells eerily of a label/greedy artist/manager-motivated ploy to cash in on the band's supposed breakup.

Bone to pick with DC No. 1: Who do you think you are, releasing an album with the same title as a Mariah Carey album?

An album, I might add, that came after about a 10-year string of hit songs, not a mere five or six.

And while Mariah's album was a compilation of 17 tracks, 17 of which were Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, DC's release -- which includes basically all the singles -- is only about half-true No. 1s. The CD should be called, Best of not #1's because, quite frankly, they aren't.

Take, for example, the song "Cater 2 U," which was released maybe a maximum of three months ago.

It was barely even played on the radio. And it was a bad, bad, bad song.

#1's does have three new tracks, including the current Beyoncé single "Check On It" featuring Slim Thug -- your guess is as good as mine as to why the first single from the group's compilation CD is a solo song.

Then again, splitting roles evenly was never DC's strong point. The other two "non-No. 1ers" are "Stand Up For Love" and "Feel The Same Way I Do."

And I am so willing to bet that in what will probably be less than half a year, DC will release a Greatest Hits or Essential CD, which will basically be a repeat of the same and a few non-single/"previously unreleased" tracks.

If you are a die-hard DC fan, though, here's what I would do: Listen to your old Destiny's Child CDs for now, wait for the Essential mix, and if you really want those three tracks, find another legal -- wink -- means to get them.

-- Reviewed by Eszter Gordon