Customer Reviews

Susan Raye - 16 Greatest Hits

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Susan Raye was definately one of the biggest female country stars in the early 70's, almost everything she released went top 10 or top 20 and her big Capitol hits from the period are all here. Her albums did fantastic on the charts as well, Susan had more top 10 BILLBOARD albums than later CMA Female Vocalists of the Years Janie Fricke, Pam Tillis, and K. T. Oslin but her big years were the really big years for Tammy and Loretta, Dolly, Lynn Anderson, and Donna Fargo so she got shut out in the awards unfortunately. She certainly sings as good as any of these ladies and much of her song material is superb: LA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHEATING GAME, STOP THE WORLD, PITTY PITTY PATTER, LOVE SURE FEELS GOOD IN MY HEART etc. these are wonderful songs I will never forget nor will many country fans from the era. I have only one thing to add : MORE SUSAN RAYE REISSUES PLEASE!! It's a crime she has only one full-length CD out on the market and has had only one other one issued. There are a lot of people who remember and still love the beautiful and talented Susan Raye despite her being essentially retired from the business for 25 years and completely retired for over 15 years.

Susan Raye is a par singer excellance!!! Her unique and beautiful voice enhanced any song she sang and I own several of her Vinyl Lps and of course, this compilation of all her greatest hits! Any song she sang could have been a hit because her voice is so pure and unaffected. She also doesn't sound like anyone else! Her voice is gorgeous!!! She is also gorgeous as well, unlike performers today like Reba, Faith, Martina and Shania who have the looks but don't have even half the talent in their little pinky that Susan has in hers. Why she never made it bigger than she did is a one of the HUGE mysteries of Country Music. But what she did is absolutely beautiful. I just wish they would release her individual Lps on CDs. Nevertheless, this CD compilation is fantastic and includes all of her major hits as well as some minor ones. They are all outstanding!! My favorites are of course: LA International Airport (her biggest hit), Whatcha Gonna Do With a Dog Like That (A hilarious catchy ditty with a great hook), Pitty, Pitty Patter, The Cheating Game and Wheel of Fortune. It is very difficult to pick out a favorite of this bunch. Meanwhile, its time for Susan to make a comeback!!

Susan Raye, from Eugene Oregon, had 19 Billboard hits from 1970-1975. 13 of the 16 tracks on "Greatest Hits" made the charts. Favorites are always subjective but this reviewer liked "One Night Stand", "Cheating Game", "Stop the World (And Let Me Off"), and "When You Get Back From Nashville". That was one of the 3 tracks which failed to make the charts but each are of Billboard quality. The only selection this reviewer didn't like was a cover of Jackie DeShannon's "Put A Little Love in Your Heart", but SR presents fine versions of "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its' Own" and "Wheel of Fortune". Those were originally done by Connie Francis in '60 and Kay Starr in '52. SR's best-known hit, "L.A. International Airport" is here but overshadowed by other tracks. SR sings in a notably strong but very pleasant feminine voice, which stands out from the familiar, comfortable, Southern tones of Tammy, Loretta and Dotty. All 16 tracks here were produced by SRs mentor, Buck Owens and backed by his band, the Buckaroos. This guarantees a solidly professional setting. The informative inside jacket informs us that Susan married one of Owen's drummers, walked away from the business, got her degree at Cal State Bakersfield, and got a straight job! That makes SR multitalented. More power to her.
This listener completed a recent review of Billy Jo Spear's "Country Legends" by labeling it a "pleasant surprise" and urging amazoners to take a chance by considering some lesser -known country ladies. That advice holds true here: Give SR a try! There is another pleasant surprise awaiting.

Susan Raye is the best! She is as beautiful as can be and sings country music as good as anyone from her era. Here are some of the most unforgettable country hits of the 1970's, from her signature song LA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, the amazing CHEATING GAME, the wonderful singalong PITTY PITTY PATTER, and the lively LOVE SURE FEELS GOOD IN MY HEART. Every thing here is just great. Playing this cd made me long for all those old Capitol albums of hers to be reissued on compact disc. If you like Shania, I know you like Susan!

Susan Raye is one of the best country singer's. Today's female singers does'nt even compare with her country vocals. I recommend anyone interested in Susan Raye purchase this CD! You will not be disappointed!

I have been an admirer and a fan of Susan Raye ever since I first saw her perform on the TV show, Hee Haw, back in the 1970's. It is a shame she never got the complete recognition she deserved for her musical style, beauty and grace. I have many of her albums, and I was hoping that at least SOME of them would make it to CD. Sadly, that has yet to happen. Until more of her priceless songs are released to CD, "Susan Raye-16 Greatest Hits" is well worth investing any amount of money to own and enjoy. Buy it; you will not regret it.

Susan was an excellent country singer of the early seventies, but never quite reached the front rank. She was overshadowed by Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and Lynn Anderson, who were the major country queens at the time - and there was also competition from Barbara Fairchild, Donna Fargo, Dottie West, Connie Smith and others. It is no wonder that Susan struggled to make a really big impact.

Susan was discovered by Buck Owens' manager, and many of her songs were written by Buck. She also recorded some duets with Buck, though none of them are included here. Her most famous song, LA international airport, was a country top ten hit, as were Willy Jones, Pitty pitty patter, I've got a happy heart, My heart had a mind of it's own (a cover of a Connie Francis classic) and Whatcha gonna do with a dog like that. All those tracks are included here, along with several others which were lesser hits on the country charts.

Susan's music is well worth a listen if (like me) you're into traditional country in a big way. This is the only compilations available at the time of this review, although I was able to buy the stronger 25-track LA International airport collection while it was available. I'd like to hear more, especially the duets with Buck, but the wait for more of Susan's music on CD could be a long one.

This is an old CD, but the songs are wonderful. It brings back a lot of memories and I would recommend it to everyone.

As a protege of Buck Owens, Raye's early-70s releases enjoyed the benefit of his hand as producer and songwriter, as well as the talents of his regular musicians. The production is smoother than the Buckaroos' trademark Bakersfield sting, but Owens and Raye maintain a sprightly energy, even on string-laden ballads.

Raye's a flexible performer, lending equal authority to torch songs ("Wheel of Fortune"), weepers ("Cheating Game"), hard luck tales ("When You Get Back From Nashville," "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Dog Like That") and lighter fare ("Pitty, Pitty, Patter," "Willie Jones").

Her covers often tread too close to the originals, from the arrangement of Jackie DeShannon's "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" to the double-tracked vocals of Connie Francis' "My Mind Has a Heart of Its Own." More successful is her take on "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)," that opens with a playful nod to the Hollies' "Stop! Stop! Stop," before settling into a superb bass line augmented by fiddle and pedal steel leads.

The sixteen tracks showcase a talented performer, whose wide-ranging abilities were well matched by her superstar producer.

susan raye is a traditional 70's women country. she teamed up with buck owens in her early years.