Customer Reviews

Definitive Collection

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Currently experiencing a career resurgence thanks to her Grammy-winning album Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn established herself as one of country music's greatest artists during her twenty-plus years on Decca/MCA. Lynn's early records at Decca like "Wine, Women, And Song" and "Blue Kentucky Girl" were very much in the traditional female country vein and had a subservient theme. 1965's "You Ain't Woman Enough" and 1966's "Don't Come Home A Drinkin'" drastically altered that doormat persona and were also the first hits Lynn wrote at Decca. From then on, Lynn would become a voice and role model for women everywhere.

From 1967 - 1971, Lynn was at her commercial and artistic peak. She wrote most of her hits during this period and no subject appears to have been off-limits. "Fist City" finds Lynn willing to get physical to keep her man while "Rated X" discusses the stigma placed on divorced on women. "One's On The Way" humorously poked at the drudgeries of being a housewife with a lot of kids. Country pride also played a prominent role in Lynn's music during this era with "You're Looking At Country" and"Coal Miner's Daughter," which would become Lynn's signature song.

By 1972, Lynn stopped writing her own material (due to a bad publishing deal with the Wilburn Brothers). Her musical stylings had expanded, with "Trouble In Paradise" finding Lynn experimenting with rock (and sounding extremely ill at ease). Pop-flavored ballads like "When The Tingle Becomes A Chill" and "Somebody Somewhere" also became more common as Lynn's distinctive sound became watered down during the mid-to-late 1970s (when her recording career began to wind down), yet all retain at least a modicum of charm.

For this Definitive volume, Universal Music merely added three recordings to Lynn's twenty-two track All-Time Greatest Hits (2002) cd: ""Blue Kentucky Girl," "You're Looking At Country," and "The Pill." It leaves off such truly definitive recordings as Lynn's first hit "Honky Tonk Girl" (1960, for the Zero label), her first Decca hit "Success" (1962) and her last top-ten hit, "I Lie," as well as such fan favorites as "To Make A Man (Feel Like A Man), "Home," and "Red, White, and Blue" which aren't currently available on cd. Instead, we get five duet chart-toppers with Conway Twitty that were already included on their Definitive set in April. While this is the best single disc Lynn set available, you really need to purchase her box set Honky Tonk Girl (1994) to get a true feel for her greatness.

1. Wine Women & Song
2. Happy Birthday
3. Blue Kentucky Girl
4. You Ain't Woman Enough
5. Don't Come Home A Drinkin'
6. Fist City
7. You've Just Stepped In
8. Woman Of The World
9. Coal Miner's Daughter
10. After The Fire Is Gone (with Conway Twitty)
11. You're Looking At Country
12. Lead Me On (with Conway Twitty)
13. One's On The Way
14. Rated X
15. The Pill
16. Love Is The Foundation
17. Louisiana Woman, Mississipi Man (with Conway Twitty)
18. As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone (with Conway Twitty)
19. Trouble In Paradise
20. When The Tingle Becomes A Chill
21. Feelins' (with Conway Twitty)
22. Out Of My Head And Back In My Bed
23. Somebody Somewhere
24. She's Got You
25. I Can't Feel You Anymore

Note - this compilation is a re-issue and re-packaging of an earlier compilation (All-time greatest hits) with three additional tracks - Blue Kentucky girl, You're looking at country and The pill. This compilation has a higher price so if you're choosing between the two, your decision will be based on the value you place on those three tracks.

At the start of the sixties, female singers had a really hard tine getting noticed, except Patsy Cline. Loretta (along with Dolly and Tammy) helped to change this forever, by recording songs that appealed to women as well as men. While men (including myself) can sometimes be satisfied with women singing love songs, Loretta recorded some hard-hitting songs about life and its struggles.

Examples of her diverse themes include her heritage (Coal miners' daughter), fending off other women (You ain't woman enough, Woman of the world, Fist city), everyday life (One's on the way) and the evil of drinking too much (Don't come home a-drinking). All these songs can be found on this collection. Of course, she sings love songs too and plenty of those are included on this set, although these are not what Loretta is best remembered for. Among the love songs here is a cover of She's got you, a Patsy Cline song that Loretta also had a huge country hit with.

Her duets with Conway Twitty were an important feature of her career. Five are included here - After the fire is gone, Lead me on, As soon as I hang up the phone, Louisiana woman Mississippi man and Feelins'.

Notwithstanding Van Lear Rose, her incredible comeback album in 2004, Loretta's reputation ultimately rests on the music that she recorded in the sixties and seventies. 25 tracks are nowhere near comprehensive (notable omissions include Your squaw is on the warpath, Hey Loretta and They don't make 'em like my daddy anymore) but this single CD will be enough for most people, particularly those of you whose introduction to Loretta's music was via that comeback album.

If you only want a single CD of Loretta's sixties and seventies music, make it this one or All-time greatest hits. Committed fans may prefer the boxed set (Honky tonk girl).

The most celebrated collaboration of two established artists in country music history (honors including a Grammy and four CMA Awards), Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn had an uninterrupted string of duet hits from 1971 through 1981. This 24-track Definitive Collection improves greatly on their previous retrospectives - the 12-track Millennium Collection and the 14-track Very Best Of - which contain the hits but little else.

Twitty and Lynn's duet singles - while great records - tended to feature overly polished productions that staidly dealt with unstable relationships (a major exception being the riproaring "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"). It's the enclosed b-sides and album tracks like "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry," "Spiders And Snakes," and my own parent's theme song "You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" whose humorous, candid banter reveal the true magic of this strictly professional pairing. About the only significant recording omitted here from their twelve album catalog (all of which are represented here by at least one track) is their rendition of the Bobby Bare hit "God Bless America Again," a longtime fan favorite. For lovers of `70s country, this Definitive Collection is an essential purchase.

A fine, 25-song best-of that overlaps with other Loretta collections (including a few duets with Conway Twitty...) "Definitive" is definitely a relative term, here, especially considering how thorough and gratifying the old, 4-CD "Honky Tonk Girl" box set has proven over the years. Still, this is a great introduction to her work, and dips into some of her later work from 1975-onwards, stuff that doesn't readily come to mind when you're thinking of Loretta's glory years, but that still holds up nicely today. They seem to have omitted her novelty hit, "Your Squaw Is On The Warpath" (presumably because of modern-day PC concerns...) but the rest of the songs on here are of at least equal calibre to that old chestnut. Other Loretta best-ofs may serve you equally well, but this disc is unquestionably first-class.

Music is a taste of heaven. When it comes to country soul, Conway and Loretta are second to none. Here are 24 superb selections to show why they are the most respected and decorated
country duet team in Country Music History. Plus, their music touches the heart and soul of the country fan. There is a blending of voice harmonies that remains unmatched to date. These two artists were superstars alone and formed a 3rd superstar act together while maintaining indivuality. If you are looking for a selection of great country with cross-over power, but still true to country tradition, then look no further. When you purchase, always buy the best. You will never be disappointeed. Such is true with this set of 24 powerful songs by two of music's greatest acheivers! Go for it! Enjoy!!

I have just finished listening to this collection, and it's a very enjoyable compilation, particularly if you put some of the songs in the context of when they were recorded. I have never been a die-hard Loretta Lynn fan, and only became aware of her when the film "Coal Miner's Daughter" was released back in 1980. But this offering is gorgeously packaged, with nice liner notes and chart positions for every track. My personal favorites are "Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone)," "One's On The Way," "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)," and the Conway Twitty duets "As Soon As I Hang Up the Phone" and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man." 25 tracks in all. Now if MCA would just re-release her 80's album, "Just A Woman" on CD!

I've been a fan on Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn since I was a child in the 1970s, and I mourned for days when Conway died. I've got several of his albums, as well as Loretta's autograph and her complete hits package...but until I bought this album my collection wasn't complete. These 24 songs pretty much sum up the years they were together and the way country music was in those days. To hear them sing together is pure magic - unadulterated by the alterations the studios do with recording artists these days. Nobody will fail to smile with "Lousiana Woman, Mississippi Man" or get teary with "As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone". And there's nobody who can listen to their banter in "Spiders and Snakes" and "You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" and not feel like they are in on a secret.

What a pair they were....never to be repeated in our lifetimes! This album brings back all the memories of a time gone past, and of a couple who brought us so much great music. This is my very favorite Conway and Loretta album!

Loretta Lynn is a wonderful lyricist and melody maker. Each song is infused with her own wit and realism. Although her husband brought her "out" into the world: Had it not been for talent, there would have been nothing to bring out. This is a classic album of her talent and will either send you on a trip down memory lane, or give you the start of a new street. Great job Loretta.

All I can say is it is about time MCA (UNIVERSAL) RELEASED A NEW CD THAT CONTAINS SOME OTHER SONGS BY LORETTA & CONWAY WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOREVER.. I LOVE THIS CD CAN'T WAIT TILL THE MID JUNE WHEN THEY RELEASE THE LORETTA LYNN THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION.... IF THEY DO THEY SAME FOR IT AS THEY HAVE HERE WE WILL ALL BE IN FOR A REAL TREAT.. THIS CD CONTAINS SOME OF THE BEST CONWAY & LORETTA SONGS THE ONES WE ALL SING ALONG TOO.. LOL AND MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT TILL NOW.. LIKE,EASY LOVING,FROM SEVEN TILL TEN,YOUR THE REASON I DON'T SLEEPL AT NIGHT,HOW HIGH CAN YOU BUILD A FIRE,DON'T TELL ME YOUR SORRY, AND MORE. A MUST FOR COUNTRY LOVERS THIS IS COUNTRY AS COUNTRY GETS AND SHOULD BE... WAY TO MCA.. KEEP EM' COMIN

It is indeed about time to get our hands on this CD.

Please note, Conway & Loretta each have a unique style, but combine both and you shall hear a new flavor that will keep you playing the CD over and over again.

You enjoy the duet so much that you think that they were a couple, but in reality they were only two great close friends.

My only regret is that I wish a boxset is released with the complete recordings of all the duets made by Conway & Loretta.

Thanks & Enjoy,
Nawaf