Customer Reviews

Delta Lady: The Anthology

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This cd "Delta Lady", The Rita Coolidge anthology is a must own collection for any old-time fans, who are in need of a cd upgrade, or if you want to own more than just the usual 10 cut best of packages. Rita Coolidge, got her first big break, when invited to tour with Joe Cocker's Maddogs and Englishmen, as the solid anchor of his space choir. During that tour, Rita had a solo spot during every show, singing "Superstar"[included here]. She caught the eye of A&M who offered her a recording contract. She went on to record a version of Dave Mason's "Only You Know And I Know", which received a decent amount of airplay in the early 70's. Featured here, is over 3 decades of rita's music, including duets with then husband Kris Kristofferson, and great tracks like "Bird On The Wire" and "This Lady is not forsale". Her really big break, came in 1977, with the release of "Anytime-Anywhere, which spawned 3 top 20 hits, including,"Higher and Higher", We're All Alone", and "The Way You Do The Things You Do". Following that huge success, Rita charted with many other tunes as well, like "You", 'One Fine Day", "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love", "Fool That I Am", and "All Time High". Rita Coolidge was never a mega-superstar,and I am sure she preferred it that way, but this beautiful lady in my eyes, remains one of the truly great unsung female vocalists of the modern pop era. This handsome cd package is very neatly put together, with songs released in chronilogical order, a very nice booklet and essay, along with some great photo's of Rita through the years. If you are a fan of adult contemporary music, and soft rock, I highly recommend you add this to your cd library.

After this weeks display of no voice no-talents on the Grammys, it is a welcome relief to have the release of this sumptuous 2 disc set from Rita Coolidge. All the 70's ladies(Ronstadt, Muldaur, Raitt,Phoebe Snow) were all faves of mine, but Rita was the one who stood out for me. Her beauty, combined with the smoky sweet soulfulness, intelligence and just a hint of Julie London like sexiness, helped me make it through many nights(yes that is a deliberate reference to Rita's ex Kris Kristofferson). This set kicks off with Rita's first regional hit, which did crack the Hot 100,"Turn Around And Love You". The rest of disc one sticks to prime cuts from Rita's A&M catalogue years 1970-76.High points for me are the live Superstar(from Mad Dogs and Englishmen, it's astounding that the bland Carpenters version was the hit), Mud Island,Family Full Of Soul(a funky Dusty In Memphis feel), the smokily seductive Fever(a minor hit, but the only version of this song to rival Peggy Lee),The Lady's Not For Sale, the beautiful duet with Kris on Loving Arms, the understated Love Has No Pride(the way it was meant to be sung)2 fine Jackie DeShannon tunes,Now Your Baby Is A Lady and I Wanted It All, and a tasty dip into the Great American Songbook with Am I Blue, accompanied by the incomparable Barbara Carroll. Disc 2 is more hit oriented,featuring Higher and Higher, We're All Alone, The Way You Do The Things You Do(one of my favorite Motown covers), and All Time High. Featured on this disc is the sad duet with Kris of his song Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends, recorded shortly before their divorce in 1979. Among the rarities on this disc are Rita's duets with Glen Campbell and Rupert Holmes, Love Came For Me(theme from Splash) and some cuts from Rita's Andrew Gold produced Heartbreak Radio. Another treat on disc 2 is Rita's last A&M single, 1984's Something Said Love. Two of Rita's 90's recordings are here also. Rita proves that you don't have to scream or do annoying vocal runs to connect, nor do you have to be so understated that you seem to be in a coma(Jones,Krall), you just have to sing. Well done liner notes are an added plus. This is a wonderful set and should be in the collection of everyone who cares about the dying art of pop singing.

It's always a problem for me selecting c.d.'s to listen to whether i'm at home or at the office. Although my collection of Ms. Collidge's songs is quite extensive I have those special standards that Rita recorded that i can never get tired of hearing. This new anthology seems to be a dream come true. Some of Rita's most soulful work, like "Am I Blue? is embedded in the long awaited set.

"The Lady's Not For Sale" is a prime example. One of Rita's finest works, until now I could only hear it on my "record
player." In many of these songs you will find music and words you never heard before due to the technical wizardy in the remastering process.

But let's face it, even witout these enhancements, Rita's work stands up to the test of time. Like a small body of water flowing through the earth, making inroads or streams where you wouldn't expect them, the sheer warmth and at the same time the strength of Rita's voice can make you wither want to get up and dance, or transport you to another place back in time, while your heart melts away. Twenty one songs but they never get boring. Like my a personal diary, as I listen to each song i remember where i was in life when that song was released! It is pure Rita or Rita singing someone else's hit like "One Fine Day" and making you forget anyone else every had a hit with it.

What's neat about this set is it is easy to put in your pocket, not in a plastic case to crack. it's a grand mixture of upbeat songs one minute and deep down in your soul the next. included are songs with Kris Kristofferson as well as Glen Campbell, songs from the movies Splash, octopussy and Mystry of Edwin Drook. What makes this two set disc perfect is it is all Rita Coolidge. Be it "Bird on a Wire" or "Nice Feeling" this anthology is definitely Rita's strength,but my weekness. You won't be sorry if you buy it!

Rita Coolidge releases have been very limited in the US. Her later recordings from the 80s and 90s (solo material) are discontinued or only issued in Japan. The US gets rehashed versions of the same hits. Finding the impending release of Delta Lady on Rita's website, Feb 10 couldn't get here fast enough. This 41 track double CD is sweetly remastered and is very noticible on the samples available to listen. My actual CD has yet to arrive, but I was totally impressed by the quality from the samples. Rita Coolidge has finally been done some justice in the US. It is an excellent collection with hits, album tracks, duets & movie songs. It is way overdue and most welcome. Once Rita fans wear this one out, we hope all her original albums are issued here in the US, along with those issued in Japan that did not get issued here.

Hip-O Records presents "Delta Lady:The Rita Coolidge Anthology", featuring singer & songwriter extraordinaire Rita Coolidge, who just may a national treasure ~ the delivery & pacing is varied with her storytelling style ~ her voice is so special and the mix of songs is truly the unveiling of her life set to music.

Featuring classic tracks and a collection that spans three decades ~ a 24 bit recording mastered from the original master tapes ~ forty-one tunes, which include duets with Kris Kristofferson and some very rare performances by this Delta Lady.

Time out for some cues that stand out ~ "That Man Is My Weakness", "(Your Love Has Lifted Me)Higher and Higher", "The Way You do The things You Do", "We're All alone", "Fever", "All Time High" and "The Lady's Not For Sale" her soulful, jazzy and delta sound hits the target every time, you're immediately hooked on her voice.

Total: 2-CD-Set ~ Hip-O Records 61201 ~ (2/10/2004)

The ultimate Rita Coolidge Collection. Only about five of my favorites were not included, but with all of the albums she has recorded, all of her good songs could not be put on even a two disc set. Rita Coolidge fans: This is a must have CD!

It is a long time coming, a great combination of her music expanding 30 years. I'm waitng for a Volume 2 because there is so much more of her music to enjoy. But this one is very good.

I first saw Rita in concert in the early 70's when Kris Kristofferson and Carly Simon were touring together............For some reason that remains a mystery-Carly Simon was not headlining-instead some virtual unknown by the name of Rita Coolidge had taken her place.
I was so disappointed as I had come to this concert to see Carly Simon............But as I listened to Rita sing and saw her and Kris together I felt they would be around singing to us for a long time.............
Years later-here we are in the age of CD's instead of LP'S and wanting to try to replace some of my most cherished albums sent me on a search for Rita's work.....
I couldnt afford to replace all of my over 850 albums but I wanted to replace as many as I could.........I stumbled on Delta Lady and began to listen to sample songs and remembered once more why I loved her music and sound so much.......She has such a soft, velvety approach to her music and can take songs from Boz Scaggs and others and claim them and make them her own! This is one of the best collections that i have and when I once again hear her and Kris singing together it brings back my youth and the romance we saw that summer years ago playing out on the stage! If you want to hear what the 70's were all about this is a must have CD! Rita Collidge, in this age of "Here one day, gone the next", is timeless!

One of the coolest things about this cd is the way that it was assembled and the way it is presented. When you have a catalog of music as large as Rita's which spans several decades and several styles, selecting the tracks for any compilation is difficult. Rita had some help with this problem - she asked her fans what they wanted to hear and used their feedback in making the track selections. Not wanting to put out another compilation with the same HIT tunes as any previous compilations. Rita wanted this anthology to stand out even with her biggest fans.

She has made some excellent choices and her fans can't agree more. Fans are thrilled with the surprise tracks - which have never been available elsewhere - like TURN AROUND AND LOVE YOU her first single, SOMETHIN BOUT YOU BABY I LIKE with Glen Campbell and another duet with Rupert Holmes on PERFECT STRANGERS. No Coolidge set would be complete without a Kristofferson tune or two. They are an amazing vocal duo - each complementing the other's voice so well. Soundtrack selections like FOOL THAT I AM (from Coast to Coast)and LOVE CAME FOR ME (from SPLASH) join the tunes which any Coolidge fan expects to hear - HIGHER & HIGHER, WE'RE ALL ALONE, YOU...

Listening to the cds you literally follow along with Rita's career. You also get to relive the experience of Rita's great catalog of music and hear the music in the order you may have heard it for the first time on the radio.

This set celebrates an incredible career in music, of course Rita's career is still moving forward. She is still performing regularly all over the world - demonstrating that her talent endures and her voice is as pure as it was when it recorded the first albums. Listen to this collection and then go to a live show - you may think Rita recorded all of these tunes just a few weeks ago - her music is timeless and this collection is a must have for any music fan.

Check out www.RitaCoolidge.com to see everything Rita is doing.

Rita has such an incredible voice, it's amazing I never really gave her a second thought until I was thirty-something. So many songs to sing along to, to dream to, so dance to.