42 Ultimate Hits

Kenny Rogers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 1, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0001XAQH8
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,262 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Country > Cowboy

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)

2. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town

3. Reuben James

4. Something's Burning

5. Tell It All Brother

6. Love Lifted Me

7. Lucille

8. Daytime Friends (with Dottie West)

9. Sweet Music Man

10. Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. What Are We Doin' In Love (with Dottie West)

2. I Don't Need You

3. Share Your Love With Me

4. Blaze Of Glory

5. Through The Years

6. Love Will Turn You Around

7. A Love Song

8. We've Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton)

9. Scarlet Fever

10. Islands In The Stream (with Dolly Parton)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

From First Edition to his '70s and '80s pop and country smashes to his recent #1 Buy Me a Rose (with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean), here are 40 of Kenny's classics plus two new songs: his pop Top 10s Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In); Lucille; Coward of the County; Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes); Lady; I Don't Need You; Islands in the Stream (with Dolly Parton); We've Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton), and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage goods at a bargain price, August 7, 2004

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 42 Ultimate Hits (Audio CD)

You don't have to be a Kenny Rogers fan to enjoy this collection. I mean, it's got 42 great songs, including two new ones - two cds for the price of one!

I knew all the favorites of course, lustily and badly singing along to "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Reuben James", "Lucille", "The Gambler", "She Believes In Me", "You Decorated My Life", "Coward Of The County", "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", "Lady", "Through The Years", "We've Got Tonight", "Buried Treasure", "Buy Me A Rose" and of course "Islands In The Stream".

This is karaoke heaven, especially if you have a singing partner who sounds and looks like Dolly Parton.

Like him or not, Kenny Rogers is an integral part of country music, and this album nicely summarises all his best work in one compact package.

Highly recommended for every collection (even if you don't play it everyday)

Amanda Richards August 8, 2004

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kenny Rogers Hit's Collection, November 19, 2005

By 

The Phantom "!!" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 42 Ultimate Hits (Audio CD)

Their are many compilation albums on Kenny Rogers. For the best over-view of the hit's this is likely the best one, though (even with 40 plus songs) this is not comprehensive and misses a fair amount of great songs off (like other reviews state it is impossible to fit all of Rogers hits on a 2 cd collection).

Rogers began recording in the 1950's, he toured with pop and jazz bands in the early days, as well as having a solo career in between groups. He didn't record any country back then but it was the music he was raised on. After a stint with a folk outfit (The New Christy Minstrels) Rogers found The First Edition and it is with this group he would begin recording country music with, though with a rock-pop edge.

The first edition first hit the big time in 1968 with "Just Dropped In (Too See What Condition My Condition Was In)", which made the top 5. It is this country-rocker that opens the album (Mickey Newbury wrote this song which has a phallic feel). Rogers became the lead singer of the group (as it was his songs that were the hits) and the group name was changed in 1969 to "Kenny Rogers and The 1st Edition". Two hits from that year, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" and "Reuben James" follow, today both are regarded as classics among music fans.

In 1970, the groups success was still going strong and they had several more hit's (of which "Tell It All Brother", "Something's Burning" and 1971's "Someone Who Cares") are included here. Between the years of 1972 and 1976, however, the groups popularity steadily declined, although they had their own TV show by now and charted some more hit's (such as "Take My Hand" and "Today I Started Loving You Again") no music from their final years is included here.

In 1976 Rogers signed to United Artists Records and had a solo top 40 with "Love Lifted Me" (included here). It was the following year, however, with "Lucille" (also included) that he topped the charts in no less than 12 countries and became a world-wide solo star. Between 1977 and 1980 he had a noteworthy run of number 1 singles such as "The Gambler", "Coward Of The County", "Lady", "She Believes In Me", etc, etc. It was during this period some of his greatest ever works were made, under the production of the now legendry, Larry Butler.

In 1980 Rogers and Butler's partnership came to an end (on a amicable basis) and Kenny recruited Soul singer, Lionel Richie to produce some of his records. More classics were made, such as "I Don't Need You" , "Blaze Of Glory" and "Through The Years" (all hit's in 1981). Rogers switched producers again in 1982, working with David Foster, and scored another huge number 1 hit with "Love Will Turn You Around".

In 1983, Rogers changed producers again. He also changed record labels, singing a mega bucks deal with RCA for an Elvis-like amount. While some have claimed Rogers time at RCA wasn't successful, it was. His first album "Eyes That See In The Dark", produced by the bee gees, sold extremely well. The album featured several hit singles too, "This Woman", "Buried Treasure" and "Islands In The Stream".

Rogers next two projects were also successful, "What About Me?" was an album that charted for 9 months in 1984 and scored two number 1 hits the title cut (a performance with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) and "Crazy", although only the latter cut is included here.

In 1985, Rogers teamed up with Beatles producer, George Martin, for the album "The Heart Of The Matter", which produced a trio of hit singles and great album cuts, however, only one track "Morning Desire" is included (not that I don't like this track, but if only one of the albums singles was to be included, if it was up to me, I would have gone "Tomb Of The Unknown Love", as it would give a better reflection of Rogers time as RCA among the other cuts).
The sweet thoughtful "Twenty Years Ago" and top 3 hit from 1986's great "They Don't Make Them Like They Used To" album is also here. Another 1980's hit, "The Vows Go Unbroken" (top 10 in 1989) is also in the lineup here.

This album doesn't contain many 1990's cuts. Rogers number 1 hit from the start of the decade, "Crazy In Love" is missing off this collection, as is another early-1990's top 40 success "If You Want To Find Love". By the time 1993 rolled around, both pop and country radio were ignoring Rogers new material (although they were content to play his old hits) and some say Rogers disappeared in this period. It's not true. Rogers was still recording and was still having success. In the mid-1990's he did the TV special "Vote For Love" where he performed requests for the greatest love songs ever (and several of his own hits were included). The soundtrack to this album was a top seller. Rogers was soon back in the singles charts too with "The Greatest" (a great song about life from a kids point of view).

Rogers has also recorded some great duets over the years. This album features a sample. The most recent being the 2004 duet with Whitney Duncan, "My World is over". Ronnie Milsap guest stars on 1987's chart topper "She's Mine", Dolly Parton sings with Kenny on 1983's "Islands In The Stream", another 1983 duet with Sheena Easton is "We've Got Tonight", Kim Carnes turns up twice, once with James Ingram on 1984's "What About Me?" and again on 1980's "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" and of course, Dottie West is here too. West was Rogers regular singing partner in the late 1970s and early 1980s and 6 of the 20 plus duets they recorded together are on this set.

The album ends with some recent hit's, such as "It's A Beautiful Life" and the number 1 single "Buy Me A Rose".

Whilst not a complete look at the best of Rogers works, this is a good collection and at the moment (besides his box set, which features cuts from 1955 to 1998) is the best compilation of his music.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are thinking about buying this disc, ignore the negative reviews on here!, July 30, 2008

By 

Cool Cat In The Top Hat "Denny" (Manteno, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 42 Ultimate Hits (Audio CD)

I wanted a good collection of Kenny Rogers music to use for my DJ service. The only disc that I had was full of lousy re-recordings. In my mind, if they are not the original recordings that actually became hits, then they are worthless to me. I read all of the mixed reviews here on Amazon regarding this collection, but decided to take a risk and purchase it. I have listened to the full collection 3 times in full. Many reviewers are saying that this collection is full of re-recordings, but that is not true. These ARE the original hit recordings. This is a great, quality collection. Yes, the first 5 tracks are Kenny Rogers & The First Edition- but the package states that they are. Besides, he made those particular songs hits when he WAS with The First Edition. Those ARE the originals. You won't find a better Kenny Rogers collection out there; believe me- I've searched. The only things that could have made this collection better, are if they would have given us Kenny's solo version of Ruben James ALSO, along with the First Edition version. They also could have left off the last song on the 2nd CD. It's a new one called "We Are The Same", and it's a real stinker. The last thing that could have made this collection even better, is if it could have also included the beautiful song "I Can't Un-Love You"....but it didn't even exist at the time that this collection was released, so that wouldn't have been possible.