TINA TURNER says her days of large-scale tours are over, but the 65-year-old rock legend and actor is not retreating from the spotlight. Her new CD collection, “All the Best,” is slated for release on Feb. 1.

Turner, a Buddhist for more than 25 years, recently made headlines in Britain for accepting the starring role of Shakti, a supernatural figure in ancient India, in the upcoming Merchant Ivory film “The Goddess.”

The film is slated for release in March.

Gay producer Ismail Merchant, who met his partner James Ivory in 1961, writes on his company’s Web site that a small contingent of “rightwing Hindus” are angry that Turner’s “reputation as a ‘sex icon’ disqualifies her for the part.”

But Merchant describes Turner’s role as a universal feminine energy manifested “in Kali, Durga, Mother Mary, Wicca, and each and every woman on the planet.”

In the film, in which Shakti and a painter, portrayed by Matthew Modine, have a relationship, Turner is to sing in English, Sanskrit and Latin.

REGARDLESS OF THE film’s outcome, a majority of Turner’s music fans would probably argue that she at least qualifies as a rock goddess.

Before “The Goddess” opens, fans can look forward to “All The Best,” a new two-disc set of 33 songs that primarily features Turner’s best-known solo work.

The most notable standouts are the stream of hits that marked Turner’s comeback on “Private Dancer” in 1984. Huge power ballads like “Let’s Stay Together,” “Better Be Good To Me,” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It” display Turner’s best on this album, which propelled her from appearances on Hollywood Squares back to winning Grammy awards.

In 1972, she and her former husband, manager and stage partner Ike Turner won a joint Grammy for Best R&B Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental for “Proud Mary.”

Turner followed up her “Private Dancer” success with safe bets like “Typical Male” and “Simply the Best.” Though her hits waned in the ’90s, by then she had enough levity to gain airplay with “I Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Goldeneye.”

Other gems on “All the Best” include slower but sultry songs like “I Don’t Wanna Lose You,” and “Two People.” Also a lot of fun is a live version of the late Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.”

Three groovy tunes from Turner’s earlier days — “Nutbush City Limits,” “Proud Mary” and “River Deep Mountain High,” — also are featured on the new CD collection. The last is an original recording, which adds a sense of raw antiquity that keeps “All the Best” interesting.

Despite her stormy marriage, Turner had a handful of notable hits with her former husband, including “Fool in Love” and “Shake a Tailfeather.” But her wealth of hits need not go that far back.

In the liner for “All the Best,” Turner thanks the songwriters, producers and musicians who performed with her over the years. She credits such creative types as Roger Davies for her fabled success, a classy move given her spotty track record when it comes to making the right career choices.

Turner turned down songs like “Physical,” which became a hit for Olivia-Newton John. And she supposedly only recorded “What’s Love Got to Do With It” to appease her record label.

She also rejected a role in “Thelma & Louise,” a 1991 Hollywood hit, as well as the role of Shug Avery in “The Color Purple,” a film directed by Steven Spielberg that was based on Alice Walker’s award-winning novel.

Oh well, nobody is perfect. But Turner proves she has staying power with no end in sight with her upcoming 2005 projects.