Customer Reviews

48 Original Tracks

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Why didn't MCA Records put out something like this. 48 of Olivia Newton-John's best early songs. This 2 record set contains all her biggest hits from the period "I Honestly Love You", "Let Me Be There", "If You Love Me", "Please Mr. Please", "If Not For You", "Have You Never Be Mellow", "What Is Life", "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and so many more. It takes a long time to get through each disc but that's alright, it's better to have all the songs, then cut out good ones. Her version of "Angel Of The Morning" is gorgeous, "If" is a beautiful love song, "Country Girl" is fantastic. She turns in breath taking performances on "The Air That I Breathe", "Everything I Own", and basically on every track. "My Old Man's Got A Gun" is clever, "Amoureuse" is intriging, "Hands Across The Sea" is well done. Disc One is sensationally chronicled including all of IF NOT FOR YOU, most of OLIVIA, and a few songs not otherwise available. Disc Two has most of LET ME BE THERE, and a few other songs, but it gets spotty when chronicling LONG LIVE LOVE, and HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MELLOW, even though it has the major and minor hits it misses some good album tracks. 48 ORIGINAL TRACKS is an amazing collection, it's to bad that MCA doesn't put something out like this in local record stores, or better yet her original albums.

This album portrays the talent that the sexy, gorgeous country/pop superstar had in her early years--the early 1970's. There are many songs out there that Olivia had hits with before her pre-Grease and Xanadu days (Although, I feel "Xanadu" is an overlooked gem, despite the fact that movie was FLOP and the soundtrack shot up the charts)!
As I am only 19 years old, I am a fan of Olivia Newton-John. I feel proud to say I am. Many of my friends wonder why I listen to this kind of music (IT is good!) and much to their chagrin, I am not going to change. I grew up listening to her old records--which i had acquired from my mom and other relatives--especially her 1975 realease "Have You Never Been Mellow," "Greatest Hits" "Grease" and "Greatest Hits, VOL. 2"
I first got 48 Original Tracks as a Birthday gift back in 1999. This, at the time, before I had acess to the internet was my only source for finding her early songs such as the following: "Let Me Be There," "Loving Arms," "The Air That I Breathe" and many others as I only had them on vinyl! Although there are many songs on this album that I didnt know, after listening to them, one can not help but to grow fond of them or not like them at all--if you are a die hard Olivia fan like I am, one will enjoy the plethora of music contained on the two discs of this collection.
To hear Olivia sing Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" is awesome because, I believe and feel, that it adds Olivia to that long list of singers who have coverd Kristofferson's songs which is a plus for her. Despite the fact that Roger Miller, Lynn Anderson, Sammi Smith, and many others, Olivia ranks on the top of my list with her versions of "Help Me..." and "Me And...".
From 1974's "If You Love Me" LP, another old favorite of mine is here "You Ain't Got The Right." Although Dr. Hook--yes, Dr. Hook--wrote and performed the song, Olivia breaks another barrier by covering songs from another great 70's/80's band that had a totally different image than what she had.
Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," Bread's "If" and "Everything I Own," George Harrison's "What Is Life," Juice Newton's (The origianl artist's name escapes me at the moment, I know it is Mary_____) "Angel Of the Morning," John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Dr. Hooks "You Aint Got The Right," The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe," "Loving Arms," and Gerry Rafferty's "Mary Skeffington" have added to my collections of home made Greatest Hits of Olivia. These songs add Olivia's own interpretations and her country, yet soft pop sound to these songs. IT is a pleasure to put these tracks from the cd into my cd player and just listen for hours! Recently, I was asked by a aunt to put together a Olivia Newton-John greatest hits collection, so many of the songs that I have listed above, in addition to all those that appeared on her US release, "Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits" all appear on what I call my "pre-Grease Olivia!"
If you are still reading this, thank you! Excuse my grammar/convention errors as I am just spilling how I feel about one of the greatest female singers to have hit the charts!

Olivia's 48 Country Masters is best for a fan of very mellow, easy listening pop. If you're not a fan of these ganras, this collection is not for you. This is a great collection to just lay back, close your eyes and listen to great lyrics with a very soothing voice. The collection opens with "Love Song" which I foud to be beautiful and haunting. Alot of the songs on this collection are that way. She does wonderful renditions of "If You Could Read My Mind," "If," "Everything I Own," "If Not For You" and "The Air That I Breath." Her Classic recordings of "I Honestly Love You," "Let Me There," "Please Mr. Please," "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" and "Have You Never Been Mellow" are here as well. It really is a great collection! It might very well be one of the greatest collections ever assembled, because virtually every song is great. My favorites are "Love Song," "If You Could Read My Mind," "If I Gotta Leave," "If," "What Is Life," "Changes," "Everything I Own," "If We Only ave Love," "Amoureuse" and all her classics. If you get this collection, it will not dissapoint!

I've been an Olivia fan for over 20 years, have seen her in concert twice (shook her hand and met her!) and all I can say is all of these years later she is still as GORGEOUS, musically gifted and overall lovely as ever! I have every album she's ever made along with a closetful of scrap- books, clippings, and concert memoribilia. All I can say is ALL her work is worthy of 10 stars! She is a unique talent never to be outdone!

This collection includes three rarities - Would you follow me, Maybe then I'll think of you and It's so hard to say goodbye, which didn't appear on any album. The remaining tracks are from her first five original Australian albums - every song from her debut, If not for you, nearly every song from her next two, Olivia and Let me be there, and some tracks from Long live love and Have you never been mellow. All those albums were released in Britain, but America discovered her later so releases there were different.

Among the best known songs here are If not for you (a Bob Dylan composition that gave Olivia her first hit), Banks of the Ohio, What is life, Take me home country roads (a hit for John Denver in America but it was Olivia who had the UK hit), I honestly love you, Let me be there, Please Mr please, If you love me let me know and Have you never been mellow. All those songs were hits either in Britain or America.

Olivia could also write songs and is represented here by two songs, Changes and Rosewater, but there are also many other great original songs.

You also get Olivia's excellent covers of Me and Bobby McGee, Help me make it through the night (both Kris Kristofferson), If you could read my mind (Gordon Lightfoot), No regrets (which later became a British hit for the Walker brothers), If (Bread), Winterwood (Don McLean), Everything I own (Bread), Angel of the morning (which has been a hit for several singers), Mary Skeffington (Gerry Rafferty), Amoreuse (Kiki Dee), If we try (Don McLean), Air that I breathe (Hollies) and Loving arms (Elvis Presley).

Committed fans may wish to consider that all the original albums have been re-mastered in Australia with even better sound quality, but there's nothing wrong with the sound quality here, and there are those three tracks that aren't available elsewhere.

This is an outstanding compilation of Olivia's early years.

This collection covers the period 1971 to 1975, when Olivia Newton-John was a hot property in the United Kingdom and beginning to establish herself as a force to be reckonned with in the cross-over country/rock field in the United States. The most recognizable material covers 1971's "If Not For You," 1973's breakout smash "Let Me Be There," 1974's "I Honestly Love You" and ""If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" through 1975's "Please Mr Please" and "Have You Never Been Mellow?"

As with any collection of this size, there are some hits, some misses and a number of blanks. Unless you followed Ms Newton-John's early career closely, many of these songs will be unfamiliar. She does a truly wonderful job of covering David Gates' classic ballads "If" and "Everything I Own", as well as John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" and the BeeGees "The Air That I Breathe." However, her covers of Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" are weak, and her producers did her a gross misservice by allowing Olivia to cover Janis Joplin's "Me & Bobby McGee."

The are a number of lesser known cuts that are absolutely beautiful, such as "Where Are You Going To My Love?" She does well with the mid-grade sound of "You Ain't Got the Right" and "Feeling Best", and the lively "Country Girl" is excellent. There are also a couple of attempts at hard-hitting, uptempo country-rock, a style for which her pure, airy voice is not particularly well suited.

For the serious ONJ fan or collector, this set is a must have. However, for the casual fan or occasional listener, the price is a bit steep for what the compilation delivers. If you're completely undecided, jump off the fence on the side of buying. You'll likely be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Aside from dozens of other early olivia from some of her albums--as well as rareties that were not, you get every track from the "Let Me Be There" CD, which is Out of Print:

let me be there | me & bobby mcgee | banks of the ohio | lovesong | if not for you | take me home country roads | angel of the morning | if I could read your mind | help me make it through the night | just a little too much

This great two cd-set,contains all of Olivia's early hits and songs.It also contains two bonus songs that were very hard to find. The arrangement is very well done,as it has some logic to it following Olivia's career by the Hits. I love this cd because it's easy to listen too,there is country,ballads and upbeat music!

Olivia was the first real sensation from the land down under to make it big in the United States. While her early stuff (as featured here beautiful remastered on this two-disc set) didn't garner the kind of attention her pop turn would several years later, these songs are the tunes of legend: simply performed, simply vocalized with an artistry unmatch in her career, Olivia puts a stamp on country with equal parts homespun innocence and blossoming sex appeal. It's incredible to hear how clear her voice was back in her early days, and it's arguably remarkable that she still commands a stage with her voice so many years later.

While the production qualities in this remastering are top notch, this collection is purely intended for Olivia's die hard fans. Her versions of classics written by John Denver, Bob Dylan, and Gordon Lightfoot are exceptional interpretations, but their impact may be lost on the casual listener.

Note that this rare collection covers only the earliest of Olivia Newton-John's career - from 1971 through 1975. There is no "Come On Over" or "Xanadu" which are great, but portray her later, more polished years.

This set contains the early uninfluenced voice that was still searching for a home in the pop world. The magic is in the cover songs Olivia sings like, "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Me & Bobby McGee" and "If You Could Read My Mind". These songs seem to set the course for greater, if more commercial works. Every song is a keeper.

Like her first amazing cover hit, "If Not For You", Olivia strolls through song after song, each with her own unique interpretation. This makes a great collection and takes advantage of her earlier 'hungry' years when you can truly hear her striving for that perfect sound; that perfect intonation.

Most people will go for her "Magic..." and "Greatest Hits Vol. 2" collections, but for the pure at heart, you cannot beat this early set. It has been said that Olivia Newton-John filled the void left by Karen Carpenter. That's too sensitive an area to go, but if even if she didn't, Olivia made a huge impact on the world and this double CD proves how great pop music can be.