Customer Reviews

Lynn Anderson: Greatest Hits

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Lynn Anderson's rich recording catalog has been neglected for most of the digital era. Thankfully, Collectors Choice Music has put together this 24-track Greatest Hits, the first cd to combine hits from her '60s Chart Records and '70s Columbia Records tenures.

Signing with Chart Records in 1966, Anderson was an immediate success thanks in large part to mom Liz's songwriting. These songs - like "If I Kiss You" and "Promises, Promises" - featured clever wordplay that played off her youthful exuberance. When Anderson left Chart, they continued to mine her old albums for singles, astutely selecting remakes of hits like "I've Been Everywhere" and "Rocky Top" which displayed Anderson at her most irresistibly chipper.

At Columbia, Joe South's compositions "Rose Garden," "Fool Me," and "How Can I Unlove You" provided Anderson with an early boost. Even more important was the writing and production involvement of husband Glenn Sutton, whom Anderson married just prior to joining Columbia. At Columbia, Sutton matched the brisk pace of Anderson's best Chart recordings with his narcissistic songwriting efforts "You're My Man" and "What A Man, My Man Is." He also encouraged Anderson to stretch stylistically, with the breezily seductive "Sing About Love" and a remake of Johnny Ray's "Cry" that showed she could effectively go from delicate to bombastic within the course of a song.

While a few key recordings are missing, such as her first hit "Ride, Ride, Ride," and the gorgeous Linda Hargrove ballad "I've Never Loved Anyone More," this collection easily rates as the best available Anderson retrospective. The track lineup:

1. Rose Garden
2. You're My Man
3. How Can I Unlove You
4. Keep Me In Mind
5. What A Man My Man Is
6. If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)
7. Promises, Promises
8. No Another Time
9. Big Girls Don't Cry
10. Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
11. That's A No No
12. I've Been Everywhere
13. Rocky Top
14. Stay There " Til I Get There"
15. Cry
16. Listen To A Country Song
17. Fool Me
18. Top Of The World
19. Sing About Love
20. Talkin' To The Wall
21. He Turns It Into Love Again
22. Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man
23. Isn't It Always Love
24. Sea Of Heartbreak

Wa-hoo! Although she was a mega-huge star in the early 1970s, when her version of Joe South's "Rose Garden" became one of the greatest countrypolitan hits ever, Lynn Anderson's legacy has been poorly served in recent years. Her last serious best-of sets were on the fly-by-night Renaissance label, and these flew quickly out of print. In particular, her dynamic early recordings for the independent Chart label -- the focus of one of the two Renaissance discs -- has faded from sight, remembered by only a few old fans. This new album is the actually first collection that gathers her Chart material with hits from her long run on Columbia Records, a long-overdue real career retrospective that highlights both her most upbeat and most ornate musical moments. "Rose Garden" is, of course, the apex -- (what an amazing pop song!!) -- but there are plenty of other nice oldies on here, including spunky numbers like "Stay There 'Til I Get There," "Talkin' To The Wall," "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere," "No Another Time" and "That's A No-No." Early on, she recorded a lot of songs written by her mother, Liz Anderson, and these are all lots of fun; later as the whole "countrypolitan" thing got a little too serious and stuffy, her endless stream of erotically-tinged, overly orchestrated love songs got to be kind of repetitive, and her chart hits dwindled. To their credit, the folks at Collector's Choice do a fine job balancing this material, giving a good picture of her commercial career while also packing in enough musical goodies to keep more traditionally-oriented country fans hooked as well. This is a must-have for serious students of country history.

To many people, Lynn remains a one hit wonder, but while Rose garden was her only major pop hit in America, and her only hit of any kind in Britain. Lynn was a major country singer in the early to mid seventies, having many hits on the American country charts, including several number ones.

There were too many country hits to include them all here but most of the big ones are here, the most notable omission being I've never loved anyone more. Two of my personal favorites (Smile for me, Even cowgirls get the blues) are among the other omissions. A few of Lynn's earlier recordings from the sixties are included - these occupy tracks six to thirteen. The most important of these is Rocky Top, which was not a huge hit at the time but has nevertheless become a country standard.

Rose garden is typical of many of Lynn's hits, many of which were up-tempo foot-stomping songs, among them being Listen to a country song, Fool me, Top of the world, What a man my man is and Wrap your love all around your man. Of these, Top of the world is particularly interesting. The Carpenters had written and recorded it and included it on an album, but had no plans to release it as a single. So Lynn recorded it and had a huge country hit with it and also had a pop hit with it in Japan. At that point, the Carpenters got the message and released their version as a single.

Lynn has been poorly served by CD releases. This is the best available compilation of her music.

I can feel a "soul to soul" connection when I listen to Lynn Anderson. I can literally feel her in the music...which is incredible. Lynn is the only artist that I can actually "feel her presence" in the music. I'm 21, and have been a fan of country music for a long time...Lynn was actually the first country singer I ever heard (and her album "Country Spotlight" was the first album I ever purchased). All of her songs sound great. Highly recommended CD. I have a lot of her records...which are totally awesome.

This is a great collection. One of my favorite songs that I remember from when I was young was Ride, Ride, Ride. I was disappointed that this song was not included on this CD. However, these are the originial recordings and a great collection of her songs.

I grew up with "I never promised you a Rose garden" and wanted that particular song. The cd is loaded with songs, some of which I recognized from my youth. She has a beautiful voice and is worth listening to.

I don't know a great deal about country music. It's not that I don't like it. It's just that I've always been so wrapped up in Classical music and jazz, that I've never seemed to have much time for it. Moreover, country is not as popular here in the American northeast as it is down south and out west.

In any case, this CD of the greatest hits by one Lynn Anderson is one of my favorites. She's a beautiful country woman with a beautiful and powerful country voice that hits upon that certain quality of country music that is full of sadness and pride. Some of the songs such as "Rose Garden" are also quite catchy and are actually boderline "pop" music.

If you're like me, and you're looking for some country CDs to start building a repitiore, you might like this one. More knowledgeble and experienced country enthusiasts might feel differently.

Even if Lynn Anderson can't promise a rose garden, she can deliver some moments of the true country soul in a worn and weary New England town.

I really enjoyed this cd but miss the songs that they left out which is on Anthology which is out of print.This is an excellent cd for the causal fan or fan of Lynn.5STARS!I guess we just have to be happy with this new selection. I wish they would release all of her recordings on cd's.

Lynn Anderson, from Grand Forks, North Dakota had 48 Billboard hits from 1967-1988. Each of the 24 tracks on this CD made the charts. There are no clinkers herein. This reviewer originally bought the album solely for the first track-"If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)". The plan was to transfer it to my I pod for use at the gym. But as mentioned in the header, a pleasant surprise awaited the unwary listener. This is a quality release! Favorite tracks are always subjective, but besides "If I Kiss You", this reviewer especially liked "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere", "Stay There `Til I Get There" and "Sing About Love". The only tracks that did not register were the overly upbeat "Listen to A Country Song" and "What a Man My Man Is". If the album has a weak spot, it lies in the appallingly hard to read informational jacket, set in small print against a feeble backdrop. That rant aside, "Lynn Anderson's Greatest Hits" is highly recommended. We all are familiar with those "Greatest Hits" releases that are nothing but teasers. LA's version is the real deal. So can "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" carry the album? The response from this reviewer is "Yes!" Click those "Music Sampler" and "Add to Cart" buttons!