The Essential

Connie Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1996)
• Original Release Date: April 9, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WW8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,973 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #19 in Music > Christian > Country & Bluegrass
  • #27 in Music > Country > Classic Country > Nashville Sound

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: SMITH,CONNIE
Title: ESSENTIAL
Street Release Date: 04/09/1996
Domestic
Genre: COUNTRY

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic sixties country, September 2, 2002

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential (Audio CD)

Connie had a very powerful voice but knew how to use it to best effect. This collection does not quite live up to it's title - it omits Where is my castle?, one of her best hits - but it's still by far the strongest hits collection available of Connie's music. Where is my castle? can be found on Super hits, but anybody wanting that track may be better waiting to see if it is on Connie's next compilation, probably in the RCA country legends series.

Apart from that omission, all Connie's big hits are here, including Once a day (her first and biggest hit), Ain't had no lovin', Cincinatti Ohio, Just one time, I never once stopped loving you and so many others.

This is classic sixties country at it's best, with prominent steel guitar, but ultimately it is Connie's voice that stands out. I enjoy her music so much that I bought the Bear Family boxed set, but it only covers the first half of her career at RCA, so even it doesn't contain all the hits to be found here.

For anybody who is interested in sixties country, this is essential. Connie was not as big a star as Tammy or Loretta, but she could have been a bigger star than both of them, as her voice has much more pop appeal than theirs. She was not interested in crossover success and has no regrets, even now. She was, and is, just a simple country lady with a very special voice, letting the quality of her music stand on it's own merit.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential - Yes It Is, July 12, 2002

By 

J. M. Zuurbier (Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential (Audio CD)

The liner notes of the CD read: 'Dolly Parton once said "There's really only three female singers in the world: Streisand, Ronstadt and Connie Smith. The rest of us are just pretending." A nice observation by Parton, Connie Smith does possess one of the more unique and beautiful voices in country music today. ESSENTIAL SERIES does a good job of covering Connie Smith's lengthly career. This is a good place to start your Connie Smith collection. There's quite a few hits here, "Run Away Little Tears", "I Can't Remember", "Love Is The Look You're Looking For", "You and Your Sweet Love", I never Once Stopped Loving You", "If It Aint Love (Lets Leave It Alone)", "Just One Time", "Once A Day", "The Hurtin's All Over" and more. There's also a great biography of her in the liner notes. 20 hits in total. Overall you can't lose with classics like these. This is essential for your collection!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Connie Smith CD is a "must have" for any genuine CW fan, August 12, 1999

By 

Linden Johnson "Linden J" (Ashern, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential (Audio CD)

I first heard Connie Smith when I was about 14 years old, she was about 17 then. I was totally enamored by the voice that this beautiful Country girl had. The innocent cry in her voice captures the soul of any "real" country fan. Her natural beauty, her genuine personality all combined with that voice.......I don't know what else to say other thean I feel that we on this planet Earth have been blessed to experience the presence of Miss Connie Smith.