Customer Reviews

Songbook - Collection of Hits

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Trisha Yearwood, at her best, is the finest of all contemporary country singers. This compilation contains many of the songs that established her as a major star, beginning with She's in love the boy - a song that enabled Trisha to become one of the few ladies in the history of country music to top the American country chart with their first single.

Trisha's other country number one hits featured here include Thinking about you and An American girl (X's and O's). Many of the other songs were country top ten hits for Trisha. How do I live was a huge country hit for Trisha, but it was LeAnn Rimes who had the American pop hit (she also had a big UK pop hit with the song) - but Trisha's version was also a big hit in some other countries around the world, as well as being a minor UK hit. I love both versions of the song but I slightly prefer Trisha's version to LeAnn's. Really, there's not much to choose between them.

One of my particular favorites is The song remembers when - about how you remember particular events in your life when you hear a particular song. There are many other fine songs including Wrong side of Memphis, Walkaway Joe, The woman before me and a duet with Garth Brooks (In another's eyes).

This American edition contains only 12 tracks. The European edition (which I have) contains five bonus tracks while the Australian edition contains those five plus a duet with Australia's own Lee Kernaghan. For most American customers the extra tracks are probably not worth the import price but Trisha's diehard fans may wish to check my review of the import version before buying this.

I have always been intiruged by Trisha Yearwood after seeing her sing ''Everybody Knows'' on Ellen a few years bak and enjoy watching her sing each time I watch that episode. I becale affixed after seeing her support Garth Brooks in Ireland a few years bak. I then decided to buy this cd and ''Everybody Knows'' (as it isn't on this cd), but in the words of Janice from ''Friends'', 'Oh my Gawwwwd!', what a revelation this is. Far from being a Country Music connoisseur or an avid fan, I just knew from the delivery of songs such as Like We Never Had a Broken Heart and Down on My Knees, I was listening to a hidden revelation (certainly here in Ireland anyway). Personal favourites are Like We Never Had A broken Heart, The Song Remembers When and Wrong Side of Mmephis. All these songs carry beautiful and evocative lyrics and touch upon everyday subjects like doing grocery shopping or parents being over protective of their offspring, but done so in a charming and fun stlye, tat simply makes this release a must for any self-repecting music collection, and one which warms me every time I listen to it (especially driving home late at night). To continue with the Trisha/Leann brouhaha, there is no comparison. While Leann's delivery is tone perfect and enjoyable, it lacks the emotional depth and range that Trisha's brings - she ''lives'' the song, and does so with tremendous spirit. This is of course a subjective view, but one which I think few would disagree with, making the album an additional must

I bought Trisha Yearwood's Songbook: A Collection of Hits mainly because of the hit song "How Do I Live". I also like Lee Ann Rimes' version of the song, but I think Trisha's version is better than Lee Ann's because of the way Trisha sings it. She has a powerful voice that stays with you. The other two previously unreleased hit songs, "Perfect Love" and "In Another's Eyes"(Trisha's duet with longtime friend Garth Brooks), are also outstanding, and after you get past these songs, there are enough of Trisha's hits on this album to make the collection a great one. Here are the highlights, in my opinion: "She's In Love With The Boy"(Trisha's first hit song and my personal favorite among her songs), "Walkaway Joe"(on which ex-Eagle Don Henley sings background vocals), "Wrong Side Of Memphis", "The Song Remembers When", and "Like We Never Had A Broken Heart". Also, "The Woman Before Me", "Thinkin' About You", "XXX's And OOO's(An American Girl)" and "Down On My Knees" are solid, well-done songs. I've listened to Songbook a lot of times, and there is not a bad song on here. Trisha was careful to pick her best songs for this record, and for that, I give her five stars.

If Linda Ronstadt had gotten started in the `90s instead of the `60s, she'd be Trisha Yearwood. Well not really, but we wouldn't need both of them. Besides their obviously similar sopranos, they share other vocal traits, be it a zestful exhuberance on a toe-tapper or an aching sensivity on a MOR ballad. And while neither write their own material, they both possess the impressive ability to regularly interpret a tune better than the originator.

For Yearwood, that also includes being able to select first-rate material. The hits assembled on (Songbook) are some of the most stimulating to emerge from Nashville in the `90s. "She's In Love With The Boy" is a light-hearted white-trash tale where young love conquers all while "XXX's and OOO's" cheerfully depicts a working woman trying to balance it all in a hectic modern world - with a little help from Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline. Those romps are offset by some stunning ballads; in particular, the tragic teen saga "Walk Away Joe," with lovely harmonies from Don Henley, and the comparitive yet understanding "The Woman Before Me." Fast or slow, jovial or serious, all are deserved hits.

In addition to the prior hits, (Songbook) offers three new selections. The first single, "How Do I Live," from the film Con Air, is a delightfully inspirational ode of devotion. It is easy to see why Yearwood's womanly version has beaten LeAnn Rimes' rival girlish version on the country charts (age does wonders for believability when it comes to love songs). Yet even more high profile than that Con Air song battle is the second single, "In Another's Eyes," which presents the mega-event pairing of Yearwood with Garth Brooks. Too bad the song itself is so ordinary. Likewise, the uptempo third new track, "Perfect Love," with lines such as "yeah, this is a perfect love, we're doing nothing, but, what a perfect love does..." Yadda, yadda, yadda.

If Yearwood wanted another uptempo number to add some pep to this ballad-heavy collection, she should have gone with the raucous "That's What I Like About You" from her 1991 self-titled debut album. It's the only major omission on this twelve track set (along with recent hits "Baby I Lied" and "Everybody Knows" which were left off to maximize sales of this collection's predecessor, the Everybody Knows album). Still, all of the prior hits found here are just as good (if not quite as infectious). For those consumers of pop and adult contemporary who want to add a little country to their diet, (Songbook) is a great place to start.

This CD provides ample evidence that Trisha Yearwood is one of the all-time great voices in country music. The level of emotion poured into each song places her head and shoulders above her competitors. The purchase of a Trisha Yearwood CD never disappoints. This compilation of hits is sure to please listeners (even those who typically do not care for country). "The Song Remembers When" touches your heart in a way few songs can. This is just a great CD by a great artist!

How many times have I listened to this CD? Countless. It's just lovely. Whether you are heartbroken or madly in love, there's a song on here for you.....and Trisha's voice says more than her lyrics....just brilliant. My personal favorites are "How do I live?" and "Down on My Knees" both capture the longing we've all felt at some point in our lives. Buy this CD, put it on and sit back and enjoy.

Trisha Yearwood is an awesome singer and sings *How Do I Live* a thousand times better that Leann Rhimes........... I don't know how anyone could think any different

this was my first TY album. and a good choice. if you are only going to own one TY album this should be the one. it contains alot of good songs from her previous albums, and there are some new songs, like How do i live(from the movie Con Air), perfect love, in another's eyes(from garth brooks album sevens) and in the version of the cd that i own(there are 17 tracks all together. it might be the uk or european version????). each one plays out to you with the same quality. good tunes, good lyrics and that great voice. this is one of the best Greatest Hits album i've ever heard!! worth your money and your time....

Trisha Yearwood has a lovely voice...every song on this CD is terrific. My favorite tracks are 'How Do I Live,' 'She's in Love with the Boy,' the heart-wrenching 'Down on My Knees' and the tender 'Like we Never had a Broken Heart.' You will enjoy this CD if you're a Trisha fan.

Trisha Yearwood's Songbook: A Collection of hits captures your soul. Her immense talent for singing makes everyone else's look like nothing.Her powerful yet soothing voice can bring tears to your eyes or a smile to your face. My personal favorite is " Down on my Knees"." Down on my Knees" is a lovely ballad expressing great feeling. Trisha sings without hesitation and puts her whole heart into this song and the rest of her work. We are all so privileged to have Ms. Yearwood to sit down, drink our coffee, and relax by a warm fire to her music. She is truly one of the great ones.

Eileen Wagner