Customer Reviews

Ring of Fire

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I only bought this cd about 3 days ago and i must have played it at least 7 or 8 times,when i wake up in the morning i put this on,at night i play this.this woman had(yes,it's true she passed away in 1999)the most beautiful angelic voice that has been my pleasure to hear and i've heard a heap of 'em.the original "Ring of Fire" done with just acoustic guitars and stand up bass and that voice.wonderful songs like"Fair And Tender Ladies" "As The Sparrow Goes",i just love this whole disc. a sadly neglected and ignored country singer who didn't chase the pot of gold as others with far less talent have gotten,especially with today's "country singers"(i use that term loosely)who can't sing a single sentence without digital editing,anita she could sing it for real.do yourself a favour and buy this disc,it's one of the best"surprises" i've ever bought and you'll think so to.

It's sad that it seems that most people who now own this fantastic CD, will only think of Ms. Carter as a part time member of the Carter Family who only rleased a couple of albums of folk music. Anita recorded (from 1950-1995) a string of albums, one with Hank Snow and over 30 single records for Columbia, RCA, Cadence & Capitol.
Her 1951 recording of "Bluebird Island" and it's flip "Down the Trail of Aching Hearts" both went to the top 5. Her 1967 duet with Waylon Jennings "I Got You" gave him his first record to break into the top 5. Her 1957 record "Blue Doll" broke the top 10. Her only break in her nearly 50 year carrer was from 58-61
to raise her first child, Lorrie. she is also the prominent voice on all the Carter Family's LP's 45's. Hopefully, more of her equally great country records will be re-released.

I first heard Anita Carter's amazing voice on the Complete Hank Williams Sr. box set (she duets with him on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" on Disc 10) and my jaw simply dropped. I couldn't believe a mere mortal human being could have such an amazingly pure, crystalline, clear voice. I immediately tracked down this CD and by now I must have listened to it 80 billion times. I have gotten chills listening to it EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I cannot recommend this CD highly enough, ...This is absolutely essential listening that will stay in your collection for the rest of your life. Buy this now. ...

Over and over, those familiar with her voice compare it to that of an "angel," for the simple reason that Anita Carter had the most beautiful voice in country music. Overshadowed by others in her illustrious family, Anita chose to raise a family in semi-retirement from the late 50s onward, but left us these two early-60s albums (combined here) as part of the Carter legacy. They contain heartfelt versions of great Appalachian/American folk songs, with sparse but tasteful accompaniment (did I mention that Anita was a vastly talented bass player?), happily minus the overproduction and excesses of "countrypolitan" Nashville music of the era. Listen to a music sample and if you're as captivated as most listeners with the purity of Anita Carter's irreplacable voice, you'll wish her other recordings as solo artist and with her sisters were also available (petition Bear Family, bless 'em!).

It's been well documented that June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore wrote the song "Ring of Fire," which is about her early relationship with Johnny Cash. What's less well known is that it was her youngest sister, Anita, not Johnny Cash, who cut it first, accompanied only by a pair of acoustic guitars. Ring of Fire is the German Bear Family label's presentation of Anita Carter's 1962-1964 Mercury recordings. While Carter is also a daughter of Mother Maybelle, country music, at least in the early '60s, was not her forte -- folk music was. There are 25 tracks here, all of them stunning, some of them unknown, but all of them fine. Some of the cuts here are historic debuts of songs performed by folk and country artist later on. The initial recording of "Satan's Child," written by sister Helen and Danny Dill, Kilgore's "Sour Grapes," her own "All My Trials," and the cut she wrote with June and Kilgore, "As the Sparrow Goes," are all here, as well as readings of A.P. and Maybelle tunes such as her mother's "Fair and Tender Ladies" and "In the Highways," A.P.'s "John Hardy, Bury Me Beneath the Willow," and more. There are unreleased gems here too: a recording of Harlan Howard's "A Few Short Years Ago" and Irving Gordon's "The Kentuckian Song." But more than the cuts -- produced in Nashville and New York by Jerry Kennedy, Shelby Singelton, and Milt Okun -- this recording reveals that Carter's voice is one of the purest and most expressive vehicles either country or folk ever produced. Carter's own reticence is what held her back from superstardom. The music here, most of it with two acoustic guitars, some with a double bass, is simple, even ghostly in the way it frames a voice so seemingly plaintive, yet with a range that is awe-inspiring, given how pristine her singing was, and how she could take even the corniest song ("Voice of the Bayou") and make it a believable and true statement of passion, purpose, or poisonous emotion. By the time the record ends with "Wildwood Flower," the listener has been transported out of time and space and into the heart of Carter's mysterious, darkly inviting, and spiritually resilient vocal. This is one of the best single-volume compilations Bear Family has ever done. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

I was totally unfamiliar with Anita Carter, although being a fan of folk music I had certainly heard of the Carter Family (Anita's sister was married to Johnny Cash).

I heard Anita Carter singing "Ring of Fire" on NPR and realized that I preferred her version to Johnny Cash's. I ordered this CD and immediately fell in love with it -- it turns out that all those folk songs recorded by groups like Peter, Paul and Mary and the Kingston Trio were Anita Carter covers. The selection of songs is marvelous and Anita Carter has a lovely voice. These recordings were made some time ago (decades?) and yet are timeless. If you love folk music or the old time traditional country music, you will love this CD.

The first time I played this CD I could not believe what I was hearing. Anita Carter surely did have the voice of an angel. It will always remain a mystery as to why she was not allocated the stardom she obviously deserved. The story goes she put her family and friends ahead of her music career. On hearing her one gets the opinion she could hit any note in any key and do it perfectly. This CD contains many surprises not the least "Ring Of Fire" done in a way completely different to the version known to most of us and also "Wildwood Flower" which she makes just different enough to be a change but retains the Carter identity. You don't have to be a die hard Carter fan to appreciate this CD. It deserves much more than a 5 star rating.

She's not only easy on the eyes, but she has a voice that is more beautiful than any I've ever heard.

Very creative vocaly, good production and great material.

It's a frim favorite in our coffee shop here in Seattle and our customers ask, "who is that!"

I hope to see more of her CD's soon.

In 1948-1949 I was a small child of 4-5 and the Carter Family, June, Anita, Helen, & Mother Maybelle were on KWTO in Springfield MO (along with Chet Atkins). This was before they went to Nashville. I never missed their show and my love for them has never ceased (especially June). Anita, however, has undoubtly the most beautiful voice of anyone I have ever heard. I am glad to find this collection.

The solo work of the great Anita Carter has gone unnoticed for too long. This package of 1960's recordings for Mercury records stands as one of the very best reissue packages ever. Anita's beautiful, clear, soprano voice rings out against a backdrop of traditional, sparse instrumentation. The collection includes the first ever recording of "Ring of Fire," now a country music classic, cowritten by sister June Carter. Helen Carter guests on some vocals. Other favorite cuts (none are bad) include: In the Highways, Take Me Home, As the Sparrow Goes and many others.