Customer Reviews

Definitive Collection

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember being totally enthralled by Don Williams while growing up; an outstanding performer. He is an artist easily overlooked, yet when you look at the songs he has released, you cannot help but to be floored. In an era when Kenny & Dolly were singing about "Islands in the Stream" over keyboards and synthesizers, and the suburban elite were donning cowboy hats because John Travolta made them "cool", Don Williams was still standing motionless and delivering straight froward, no-nonsense, country music. And where did he ever get that voice???? Only Johnny Cash and Dave Dudley had deeper voices. This collection is all-inclusive and includes not only the signatures "Amanda" and "Tulsa Time", but also offers a few lesser known gems, such as: "Nobody But You" and "The ties that Bind". Best of all, these are the original recordings....not a compilation of newly recorded original songs by an aging artist. A very good album by an artist with real class. A+

Don Williams was extremely popular in the seventies and eighties. He had many big hits on the American country charts and was even more popular in Britain, tough this is not obvious from his modest total of two hits. One of these (I recall a gypsy woman) wasn't even released as a single in America, so you won't find it here or on any other American compilation. Look for it on a British compilation.

Twenty of the twenty-five tracks here made the top two in the country charts, with most going to number one. Among the classics are You're my best friend, Turn out the lights, Till the rivers all run dry, Say it again, Some broken hearts never mend, I'm just a country boy, Tulsa time, It must be love, I believe in you and Lord I hope this day is good.

In the year 2000, a double-CD (Anthology) was released in America containing forty of Don's finest recordings including all the tracks here, together with Lay down beside me, Falling again, Miracles, If I needed you (with Emmylou), Walking a broken heart and several other hits including more of Don's Capitol and RCA hits.

This is the strongest American single CD of Don's music, packed full of classic songs. If you are looking for a collection of Don's hits on the country charts, I recommend that you either buy this or pay the extra for Anthology, depending on whether you want the other fifteen tracks.

I grew up listening to Don Williams. Listening to every song brought back memories from my child hood. This is country music. Not country music mixed with rock. These are songs about life. This is an awesome CD to listen to by yourself or with a group of friends. I would suggest this CD to everyone.

Now that UMG is on its umpteenth repackaging of its catalog artists (this is "Definitive," not to be confused with "Ultimate" "Greatest" or "Millennial"), it seems to be finally getting it right. The Definitive Don Williams is just that -- a generous repackaging of almost all of Williams' significant recordings. These 25 tracks laid end to end makes one realize just what a significant -- albeit understated -- presence Williams was during his peak hitmaking period in the 1970s and 1980s. "Come Early Morning," recorded before artists like Emmylou Harris and John Anderson repopularized hard country music, effectively mixes banjo, steel and a nice west Texas shuffle beat. Songs like "'Til the Rivers All Run Dry" and "I'm Just a Country Boy" emphasize that, in its rush to capitalize on Garth Brooks/Tim McGraw "power ballads," Nashville seems to have forgotten how to make quiet, "pretty" records. Williams managed to do that over and over in his career. And he made a name for himself in an era when country music was usually heard on scratchy AM radios -- not the best medium for subtle music.

With UMG gobbling up labels seemingly every hour, here's hoping they pull together other "Definitive" collections that definitively capture the rich history of country music.

25 songs! Are you kidding me!? They really made a solid Don Williams greatest hits here.Some good singles are left off,but the best of the best still remain.How can you go wrong with "Good Ole Boys Like Me",or "Love Is On A Roll".There is so many good songs here,its hard to choose a favorite.Don's mellow baritone voice is just amazing.His songs are just plain and simple,which is a good thing with a voice like that.Compared to other country greats he is underated.This was even a better deal...bought this cd at Wal-Mart for 10 bucks.

Don Williams, a.k.a. "The Gentle Giant", has been writing and singing his mellow country songs since the 1960s. The Definitive Collection goes back to 1973's Come Early Morning and ends with Heartbeat In The Darkness from 1986. This time period and the songs on this collection are the heart and soul of Williams' successful career.

The Don Williams sound is smooth, rich and mellow, but it's also authentically wise and kindly rugged. He's tall and considerate, just as his nickname implies, but he's also famous for his old worn leather hat and friendly face. Don's singing voice and demeaner are as laid-back as Andy and Aunt Bee sittin' on the front porch while sippin' iced tea on a pleasant summer night. The songs are humble and simple with plain and subtle country arrangements that fit a warm contented atmosphere or a thoughtful reflective mood. Don celebrates new love in It Must Be Love:

It must be love, it must be love
I fall like a sparrow, fly like a dove
You must be the dream I've been dreamin' of
Oh, what a feeling, it must be love

In Good Ole Boys Like Me, Williams softly and wistfully reflects on who he is, and the challenge of staying true to himself as times and people change:

I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we're all gonna be what we're gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me?

He laments the timeworn heartache that accompanies a forever unrequited love in Some Broken Hearts Never Mend:

Some broken hearts never mend
Some memories never end
Some teardrops never dry
And my love for you will never die

Don Williams isn't some Machiavellian creation from the imagination of a Nashville record executive, either. He writes his own songs, sings them with a style that's all his own, and plays his own guitar.

The Definitive Collection offers twenty five songs in chronological order, and they're all digitally remastered to sound better than ever. It's a perfect way to listen to the rich, smooth and humble country sound of "The Gentle Giant".

I grew up on old-school country and hearing this cd really brought back a lot of memories. Still, this CD is ageless. I enjoyed the singles on this CD as much today as I did when I was little. Don Williams' voice is like soothing salve to your soul and his lyrics are designed for the common man. This is a wonderful compilation of his most popular hits; you can listen to the whole CD and still not have heard quite enough of this country legend. HIGHLY recommended!

This was a great CD if you like easy listening country & western music. Other than one song, I loved the entire collection. Great CD!

I enjoy every one of the songs on this CD. What a great CD to listen to on a long ride home from work. Every song has such a soothing sound. Enjoy!!

Don Williams is an all-time fave of mine in any music category and this is a great collection of his best songs. He's a thoughtful country singer, he's got something on his mind and his songs are deceptively simple. But they stay with you. And he is still the only country singer to ever put Hank Williams and Tennessee Williams together in a lyric line.

Williams is a keeper and he sounds like an old friend when he's singing, not like a buckaroo.