Customer Reviews

Holly Dunn - Milestones: Greatest Hits

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was looking for a song to use for the Father/Daughter dance at my wedding and came across Daddy's Hands. I bought the CD just for that song because it was so touching. What I found was that the entire CD is enjoyable. I am happy that I bought the whole thing!

In the late eighties, Holly Dunn was highly successful on the American country charts despite being on a small independent label, MTM, which was established by actress Mary Tyler-Moore. Eventually MTM closed and Warners took over Holly's music. Some minor hits are missing but all the essential hits are here.

The set opens with Daddy's hands, the song for which Holly is perhaps best known, in which Holly praises her father while acknowledging that he could be hard when the occasion demanded it.

Maybe I mean yes was Holly's last big hit, but caused a lot of controversy. Holly asked for the single to be pulled and radio stations to stop playing it. It seems to have killed her career, which is a pity. Although she continued to record great music, the radio stations were no longer interested.

The other nine songs here are all wonderful examples of country music at its best. Most of the songs are upbeat in outlook, though there is the occasional tinge of sadness, as in Strangers again. Perhaps one day somebody will release a more generous compilation of 16 or 20 tracks, but until then, this CD provides an excellent sampling of Holly's music.

This stunning Texas preacher's daughter packs a rifle-shot tenor into her pint-sized frame. During her early years on the now-defunct MTM label, she insisted on snappy guitar, mandolin, and fiddle instrumentation and the result was an infectious mix of neo-rockabilly, Bakersfield shuffles, folk ballads, and bluegrass, set to traditional (and occasionally pop/rock) arrangements which garnered her an impressive, largely self-penned string of up-tempo hits. The best of that period is represented here, and it's hard to argue with the Grammy-nominated duet with Michael-Martin Murphy "Face In The Crowd," or her finest moment, the touching ballad "Daddy's Hands." There are some glaring omissions, however: two early MTM gems are missing (the rollicking "That's What Your Love Does to Me" and "My Anniversary of Being A Fool," but Dunn may have wanted to include only songs she had written or co-written on this collection.) Her self-penned, nostalgic 1990 ballad "No One Takes The Train" was included instead and released as a single to promote the CD, but even with her voice still on track, the stark, pop-flavored solo piano accompaniment and complete lack of traditional country instrumentation took early 1990 country fans and radio by surprise and the single summarily stalled on the country charts. Her first MTM CD, "Across the Rio Grande," remains her finest effort but is out of print.

In the '80s, after the crosssover success of the "Urban Cowboy" movie soundtrack and multi-platinum artists like Kenny Rogers and Juice Newton, many country singers vied for crossover success. Even respected singer/songwriters like Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris were trying their hand at cleaverly disguised pop music. However, Holly Dunn was concerned with making pure country records, and she did so to marvelous effect, as shown in the songs she chose for this hits collection.

Her most memorable hits "Daddy's Hands" and "You Really had Me Going" are reason enough to own this collection, but most of the CD is equally as great. The only head-scratcher here is why the Top-10 hit "That's What Your Love Does To Me" was left out of this compilation, while the non-hit "No One Takes The Train Anymore" is included.

Still, this collection is terrific country music (most of it deftly written by Dunn herself) with strong messages in each song. If you are a fan of true country, chances are this disk will become a favorite.

Even though I really sat down and listened to this CD, especially Daddy's Hands, during such a sad ocassion, I think this song sends out a powerful message.

'Daddy's Hands' is one of the best ! Brings tears to my eyes. The other songs bring back memories of times in my life I wish I could relive. But, all the tunes touched me. I am older now, my father died in '81 when I was 30 yrs. old & my husband left in '85. I was a single parent with 2 kids who had a daddy who didn't seem to care about them. I saw them cry so much because of the absence of their father. There were also many tears shed since their Paw-Paw died when they were 4 & 9 yrs.old. (Their paternal G-pa lived out of town) Things are better now since some time has passed. But, we all have a tendency to stuff some of the emotion/hurt/love etc. (Daddy' Hands means a lot to both my kids) Holly Dunn's songs are a comfort, fun, and they allow you to feel, and remember good times! They also allow for romance, I enjoy her songs, .......I just got remarried to a wonderful man... things are much better now! I am so glad I went to my 30 yr. class reunion in San Antonio,TX this past summer! It was there I realized I had attended the same High School she attended. That fact has some effect re: why I enjoy her music........but it is only a plus. She was good before I found that out ! Listen to the words........you will find something that will apply to your life !

This CD shows a broad range of Holly's work beginning with the simplicity of Daddy's Hand to the rockabilly of You Really Had Me Going. My favorite is Love Someone Like Me. The guitar work demonstrates one of Bill Lloyd's many talents. It is a good mix of traditional country and new country. The reviewer who called it insipid either didn't listen to the CD or isn't a true country music fan.

The best Greatests hits by Holly Dunn
you'll find hard to download songs in this album

If you like early 90's Country this is the CD for you

Holly Dunn has a lovely voice, and this CD is a good sampling of her better songs.

I loved this cd. The songs are very down home. My favorite is "Daddy's Hands". I believe that every one can relate to this song. I specifically bought the cd for this song. I am going to play it for my husband on Father's Day to let him know what a wonderful father he is.