Customer Reviews

The Best Of Collin Raye: Direct Hits [ECD]

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not the biggest country music fan, but I've always appreciated the vocal talents of Collin Raye. He has the most honest, yearning, tenor voice that is suited for ballad singing, and yet he can cut loose with the best of them on up-tempo numbers like "That's My Story" and "Little Red Rodeo".

The ballads, particularly "Little Rock", "Love, Me", "In This Life", "Not That Different", and "One Boy, One Girl", are where Mr. Raye shines. It's also fun to hear his version of the pop hit, "Open Arms".

This album will appeal to anyone who appreciates genuine vocal talent, meaningful lyrics,and soaring melodies.

I have this CD and have listened to it several times. I like all of the songs on it. Looking forward to Collin's new CD being released. Keep up the good work, Collin!

There are several compilations of Collin's music to choose from but I believe this was the first. It contains ten tracks drawn from his first four albums together with four bonus tracks recorded specially for inclusion in the set. Collin had over twenty top ten country hits during his time recording for Epic. I don't think there is any compilation yet available that includes them all but this one provides a wonderful introduction to his music.

Only one track (Love, me) is taken from Collin's debut album (All I can be) while just two (In this life, That was a river) are from the follow-up (In this life). Four tracks (That's my story, My kind of girl, Little Rock, If I were you) come from Collin's third album (Extremes) and three tracks (I think about you, Not that different, One boy one girl) are taken from the fourth and most recent album represented here (I think about you). It is worth noting that Collin recorded two completely different songs titled If I were you - the other one can be found on his debut album.

The outstanding song here is I think about you - not a love song as the title might suggest, but an ode to Collin's eight-year-old daughter in which he wonders how her life might develop. Collin ponders various situations from celebrity status to being a victim of domestic violence and sings that whenever he sees a woman, he thinks of his daughter. It is a very touching, thought-provoking song. The set opens with Little Rock, a song about attempting to recover from alcoholism. Collin gets a bit rowdy on a couple of songs (That's my story, My kind of girl) but mainly sticks to the ballads that suit him best. Elsewhere, the album is filled with romantic love songs, which Collin excels at.

Collin mainly recorded original material but his first four albums included covers of Big river, Dreaming my dreams with you and Let it be me. None of those made it to this compilation but one of the four bonus tracks is a cover of Open arms. Originally recorded by Journey, Collin makes a fine job of it but I still prefer the version by the Burch sisters, a country trio who recorded one album (which I've reviewed) before returning to the obscurity from whence they came.

This is a great compilation of music by one of the leading country music stars of the early nineties.

Why isn't this man a super super-star? Not country looking enough? Whatever it is, this guy shines above the rest. Most of his hits are on this album and unlike some singers who span many years before a greatest hits package is released, the quality is good throughout.

Whether it is values, love, or heartache that Collin Raye is singing of he always shares a message. With a variety of styles from the upbeat to the soft and romantic, Collin can touch your heart or liven your day. This collection has a little of everything. Even my husband enjoyed it!

I play wedding dances and everytime I play Not That Different or One Boy, One Girl I have people come up and ask who that artist was and where to find the CD. I have never seen such response to a song than these two.

The choices and sequence of the selections could not have been organized better. The breadth of the lyric's stories and underlying innocence; the pureness of Collin's voice; how the melodies compliment the artist's talents makes the collection hard to stop listening to over and over and over again. If you're stressed from a hard day, just turn this one on and you will be placed in a mood you couldn't have reached otherwise!

Collin Raye is a great performer. I myself have few of his CD's, but after listening to this album, I think that will change soon. I still can't get over the song, "Love, Me" Everytime I listen to it, it brings the same emotion over me that it did the very first time. It is a great song, along with all of the other songs on this album. I would give it more than five stars if it was allowed. Very nice work, Mr. Raye.

This album is great! The whole thing starts with "Little Rock." That's great, but it keeps going from there to "I Think About You." Other great songs on it are "Not That Different," "In This Life," "That's My Story," and "Little Red Rodeo." But that ain't it, yet. Then there is "The Gift," one of the best songs I have ever heard. The lyrics about your significant other's love being such a great gift that one should be eternally greatful for having it ring so true. It is a very beautiful love song. Keep it coming, Collin!!!!!

My husband to be came to me and requested to pick out the song for our first dance. He played The Gift to me and I strongly agreed!! It is beautiful.