Customer Reviews

Connie Smith - Greatest Hits on Monument

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

 

 

Lady Smith made 2 Lps for Monument before retiring. Both are gems. Here is a composite of some of these pearls. Some of the songs on this CD have too much echo added to it and several really good songs have been left out, particularly her version of YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE. By far the best version of this song I have ever heard. The original was sappy, Connie makes this an almost spiritual experience. But then, anything Connie Smith sings is an event. Let's hope to hear much more from her.

This is a fantastic collection, as any Connie Smith album would be, but there are some classics from that era missing. My only guestion to Sony Nashville is why didn't they include the great Connie Smith classics "You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me", "I Got A Lot Of Hurtin' Done Today", Til I Kissed Ya'",and "I Never Knew What That Song Meant Before" ? Wait a minute: I have a great idea... Let's have a "Volume II"! I'm always ready for another "Connie" collection!

By the time Connie arrived at Monument in the late '70s, her Billboard days were coming to a close. This CD contains her final 2 (of 39) chart hits, I "Want to Be Your Everything" and "Loving You Baby". High marks also go to " Coming Around", "Smooth Sailin'" and especially "Don't Make Me Dream". That one is another example of Connie giving some solid, unsolicited female to male advice. The rest of this release does not match the quality of her "Essential" album. Just as some Ann Rule books are for everyone and some for her fans, this release is for Connie lovers. The recommendation here is to try "Essentials" first. If that makes one a Connie lover, then proceed. "Lovers" can add a fourth star.

Connie Smith is here in every way we've come to expect her. The uncomplicated, strong, warm voice that wraps around every lyric and arrangement handed to her. Most of this material hasn't aged well because it draws into soft rock and light disco while often resembling country in name only. However, this is the uber-professional Ms. Smith and she occasionally puts some great cuts down, even here.

"Coming Around" has a nice beat that only lightly discofies the drumming amid a loping bass and harmonica rhythm. It's probably the most country of the material here. It also has a touch of the steel guitar that made her heyday recordings so punchy. Also, the lyrics of overcoming lost love fit her to a tee. Easily, it's the best tune here. And you can drive to it.

She succeeds on her hit cover of Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" as well. It's great to hear the steel guitar where the synthesizer normally occurs. She brings it into country territory successfully. It's less a sellout than a revelation. The Bee Gees, like them or not, were durable songwriters.

"Smooth Sailin'" is really the only soft rock/pop track that works. It's memorable in the way some of the smaller ABBA singles were. Catchy, but not insidious.

"Loving You Has Sure Been Good To Me" and "Ten Thousand And One" are the only other tracks of note here. Good, but not great.

For most, this set is a museum piece. A lot of it is atrocious, not through Connie's fault. "The Wayward Wind", in particular, could have been so much better, and "Lovin' You Baby" is about as bad as it gets in the pop/disco mold. But, guess what? If you love to hear this lady sing (and I do), that's the only reason to get this.

More than anything, this speaks to the need for stronger material and arrangers. It's sad to see a pro like Ms. Smith without her crack musicians and all of those great Bill Anderson and Dallas Frazier songs to work with.

Did I mention what a pro and fine singer she is? (About five times, probably). She's also very easy on the eyes.

Most of Connie's big hits were for RCA, after which she had a few more big hits with Columbia before joining Monument, where she had only limited success. Nevertheless, these were the last significant recordings by Connie for many years so they marked the end of an era.

The stand track here is Smooth sailing. It should have been a major country hit for Connie but was only a very minor hit. T G Sheppard eventually covered the song and took it into the country top ten. I love T G's music , especially his version of Smooth sailing, but it isn't any better than Connie's original.

This set also includes Connie's excellent covers of I just want to be your everything (Andy Gibb) and The wayward wind (a chart-topping hit for Gogi Grant in America in the fifties and again for Frank Ifield in Britain in the sixties). Elsewhere, there are many fine songs though they are not as strong as the best of her RCA music. My favorites among them are There'll never be another for me, Don't say love, Lovin' you baby and Lovin' you .lovin' me, but I enjoy all the songs here.

While this is not the place to begin a collection of Connie's music (Essential Connie Smith is the best starter), this is a welcome addition to the collection for all fans of Connie's music.

The only reason you might need this is for collection purposes for the sake of owning Connie Smith's Monument singles. At the time she was trying to crossover. The music definately suffered. At one time this was the only Connie CD on the market. Now that the Essential has came on the market, this is rather obsolete. Maybe look for a used copy or something.