Customer Reviews

The Collection

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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Kim Richey is a talented singer-songwriter who has a clear, powerful voice and the songwriter's gift. Unfortunately she has not been treated well by the machinery of the recording industry. Her music doesn't fit into one neat little category, so they never knew how to market her. And her record producers have never been able to fully capture Kim's talent in the studio. Bill Bottrell just butchered her sound on "Rise". When that record didn't generate big sales, Lost Highway dumped her, then put out this collection to fulfill her contract obligation.

Anyway, this CD collects some of the highlights from her four previous albums, and leaves plenty of good tracks yet to explore. I bought this CD for the live track "electric green", but was disappointed to find that Kim is singing harmony to Pete Droge, her voice is never really heard! I'm still hoping she will put out a live solo acoustic album.

The liner notes indicate that Kim Richey picked her favorite songs from each of her four albums. It is a balanced set with about four songs from each album. There is one new song, "Break You Down", and a live acoustic version of "Electric Green". It would have been nice to have live versions of other songs because I love her as a performer, but this is a very good collection for new listeners and an enjoyable one for long time fans as well. This collection highlights her incredible songwriting, and I recommend it highly.

kim richey is one of the most underated, gifted singer/songwriters around, and while others have seen their careers floorish in this genre (a.k.a...sarah mclaughlin, melissa etheridge, mary chapin carpenter, etc.), there are others who have fallen by the wayside (gretchen peters, just to name one off the top of my head...)...and then there are those that, have gotten 'slight' recognition, but have also been 'slighted' big time by the industry (roseanne cash, your table is waiting...)...and sadly, it is that final category that ms. richey slips into all-too well...and, i remember first seeing her many years ago at a 'Mercury' showcase (that also included Terri Clark), and this was before either one had their first record out, but i was struck by Kim immediately...and, when her debut disc finally arrived into my awaiting hands, i played that thing like nobody's business, using the song 'just like the moon' as my theme song for my radio show 'moonlight standard time'...well, several albums later, not too many sales in-between, well, we all know that story all-too well, but, i did get a chance to catch up with kimba several times afterwards, and, the last time was down in nashville, performing with the nashville symphony orchestra...she was magnificent...and her acappella version of 'my funny valentine' was a moment in time truly worth capturing...and, hopefully, one day, just like Bonnie Raitt, Kim's time will come again...until then, we'll just have to settle for these 'moments in time' and be thankful...

Well, this can be said of any "Best of" album, if you are new to an artist. But in Kim Richey's case, this is particularly true, because with Rise (2002) she departed quite dramatically from the sound of her previous albums. As a proof of what I'm saying, just scroll down the lowest rating reviews of Rise and see how many fans felt betrayed by the change. Conversely, some of those who discovered Richey thanks to Rise were disappointed by her previous efforts.
Richey's first three albums can be loosely catalogued as "country-pop", even though the production becomes "glossier" as she moves from "Kim Richey" (1995) to "Glitter" (1999). I suspect her record company of yore, Mercury Nashville, was behind this gradual but steady shift. However, since sales didn't materialize, they dumped her.
Free from fetters, Kim looked for a new sound to describe her situation and to convey her emotions. "Rise" was born. Understandably, the lyrics are bleak and biographical (when she sings "I never liked a foreman standing over me" in "Girl In A Car" I don't think she's simply talking clichés; do you agree with me, guys at Mercury Nashville?) but the music is also different. She and producer Bill Bottrell must have been tinkering in a shop with all sorts of instruments when recording Rise: melodica, birdie, vibraslap, mini-moog, bozouki, washtub bass, farfisa, wurlitzer are present, among others. The result is a singer-songwriter album with Irish and Middle-Eastern influences. How some people can find it bland, I don't know.
As you have surely understood, I'm fond of Rise, but I also enjoy some songs from her previous albums, especially her debut. For instance, "Just My Luck" and "I Know" are terrific songs, very catchy, but often the other songs in these three albums are just unmemorable.
As for the new songs in this collection, "Electric Green" is a stripped-down live version of the same title song in Rise and "Break You Down" occupies the same turf. It may be an indication that Richey will stay the course started with Rise.

To summarize: buy "The Collection", see where you stand and pick from her precedent discography accordingly.

I think it was the playwright Tom Stoppard who once said, and I paraphrase,'Words are easy, putting them in the right order is the hard part.' Well, I think she has figured out the 'hard part'.
I heard Brooks & Dunn do "Every River" and enjoyed the lyric..then disovered it was written by Kim Richey. I had heard the name before but never gave her much attention. Now I'm hooked. The way she expresses innermost feelings in her crystal clear voice,with the most appealing twang, is very listenable,in many songs very poignant,and almost universal.

Never has a greatest hits album been more superb than that of Kim Richey's.

From the very first track you get a feeling for Richey's bittersweet lyrics, full of life and emotion. These songs are down to earth real country. Some even covered by Nashville's brighest stars such as:

"Those Words We Said" Trisha Yearwood, "Every River" Brooks & Dunn

Also included is her top 40 hit, Just My Luck.

If you want song writing at its best look no further, and if you want a voice to fall in love with, check out this undiscovered Gem.

I first heard Kim Richey's music back in the early 90's and
even though it was a bit on the country side, I knew that big
voice was going to be making some great recordings along the
way and she sure has. Kim has run into some major road blocks
trying to get her music on the radio as previouly stated, just like
exceptional artists such as Darden Smith & Patti Griffin(to name
a few) their music doens't fit into the tight radio formats out
there but if you look and listen hard enough you will find
great stuff like this collection, many of Kim's best recordings
on one cd. Haunting, pure vocals and what they might call alternative country, (think Austin, Texas) rock/pop/
country leanings spice up many of the tracks but Kim just oozes
pure vocal talent and she needs to make her big statement, and
I do believe, like Darden, she will just create a gem one day soon and
it will break her out, she has been one of my favorite voices, like
Bonnie Raitt's, just gets better with the years.

I have bittersweet feelings about Kim Richey. Don't get me wrong, she is an amazing singer/songwriter, absolutely one of my favorites. The sad part is that like a handful of other somewhat obscure artists I have loved over the years, she will likely go through her career without the world finding out what a HUGE talent she is. The best example I can think of is Maria McKee in the eighties, another artist who never quite fit into that mold you need to fit to get your music on the radio.

Having said that, every Kim Richey album is worth adding to your collection. Prefering her a bit twangy, I'm partial to the first two. This, of course, gives you a taste of them all. And like the others said--she is amazing live.

Don't feel sorry for Kim though. She's an excellent songwriter and will likely be recorded a long time to come, regardless of how long the industry supports her own performing. Do yourself a favor--buy this, and then go pick up the other four. Probably 90% of all of those songs could be on this record.

I "discovered" Kim Richey last year on the Jon Randall cd Willin' where she duets with him on "Blew Me Away." A totally fantastic song and I wanted to hear more from her. I bought this cd never having heard any of the songs and I absolutely love it. The songs grow on you with each listen. Although it's really hard to pick a favorite song as of today "Hello old friend" is my first choice closely followed by "Those Words we Said." Kim writes and sings beatifully. It's a wonder she isn't a bigger star.

as you read" how i got the hip dj blues" by john ryland you will understand the reasons why kim and her astonishing writing and amazing singing voice rarely was put in front of the listener...radio has robbed all of us of another great singer/songwriter...all of her cd's are just wonderful remember rosanne cash....i can only hope that trisha yearwood and other radio friendly consultant artists will ,listen to her cd's and pick up some of these wonderful songs. i rarely write letters but this is my chance to let all of you know what a great artist kim is and will continue to be. Maybe if we are lucky she will take the road of amiee mann and start her own site and sell her music there as she is one artist that should continue with or without the sad shape radio is in and the lack of airplay of her music. WE ARE ALL LOSING...