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Tammy Wynette - 20 Greatest Hits

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Tammy Wynette was the country queen of unstable domesticity. Her tear-stained voice conveyed the effects a rocky marriage has on the kids in such sagas as "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," "Bedtime Story," "I Don't Wanna Play House," and "Kids Say The Darndest Things." She'd try her best to make a relationship work, as evidenced on her signature tune "Stand By Your Man" and "Run Woman Run," but when that wasn't ultimately possible, she would resign herself to getting on with her life the best way she knew how, be it hesitantly ("Til I Can Make It On My Own," "Til I Get It Right"), regretfully ("One Of A Kind," "You And Me"), or defiantly ("Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad"). Tammy did record quite a few thoroughly upbeat hits, such as the rousing "Good Lovin' (Makes It Right)" and "Singing My Song," but it is the heartbreakers that Tammy did better than anyone and for which she will always be associated.

This collection - the strongest single Wynette disc available - contains twenty of her best solo singles - including all of those mentioned above - released between 1966 (her debut "Apartment # 9") and 1978 (the defiant "Womanhood"), the lone major omission from this period being her spinetingling "Another Lonely Song." Thus, none of her celebrated collaborations with George Jones (get their collection 16 Biggest Hits) or even David Houston (on "My Elusive Dreams") are found here, nor such latterday solo toe-tappers as 1979's "They Call It Making Love" and 1982's "Another Chance." Until an expanded single disc of Tammy's best comes along, the only place to get all of these recordings in one place is her box set Tears of Fire (which contains a lot of filler).

This is an awesome collection. However if you want the definitive collection go buy Tears of Fire. The only reason I bought this Tammy Wynette collection is because Tears of Fire didn't have my favoite song "Womanhood" on it and this one does. Tammy is very missed around the world by her millions of fans. Sometimes known as "The First Lady of Country Music" and also "The Queen of Heartache". She was called the latter because her voice often trembled and shook when she sang making her sound like she was about to cry. Also for the type of songs she wrote and sang. Of course I had heard Tammy's biggest hit "Stand By Your Man" before but the song that made me like her was a duet she sang with George Jones called "Golden Ring". If you really like Tammy Wynette or just want to pay tribute to her life and death, I urge you to buy this album. Thank You, A 14 year old boy named Corey Goodbye Tammy

Tammy "I got my tears in my throat" Wynette has one of the greatest voices in country music history. What can you say about the woman who swallows parts of her words? But I love that voice, and this collection captures the best of the early parts and the most commercially era. What can one say about her classics like "Stand By Your Man" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" that hasn't been said before? Tammy is one of the important artists in country music and this captures most of her best hits from the early era. There will never be a voice like that again.

I have never been particularly enthusiastic about country music and as a teenager during the 1970s I rejected it entirely. I held Tammy Wynette, whose last name I inevitably pronounced as "Whine-ette," in particular contempt. But over the years I've come to appreciate a number of key country music singers, and today I find Tammy Wynette among them.

It is widely assumed that Patsy Cline was a great star at the time of her 1963 death, but this is not quite the truth. Country music of the 1950s was pretty much a man's game, and while a great many recognized Cline's talents she was still often regarded as "the girl singer in the show." The first wave of major country music women came a bit later on in the 1960s, with Wynette among them.

Wynette's vocals were distinctly nasal and twangy but they also possessed a dreamy, romantic quality. Given the era and her blonde prettiness, this was a quality upon which her handlers quickly capitalized, and the result was a series of popular songs that could be best described as domestic drama weepers. In truth, Wynette's material was often second rate in terms of melody and lyrics--what distinguished them was Wynette herself. Her voice and the way she uses it is distinct, unique, unlike that of any other singer. She also possesses absolute honesty. There are no tricks, no glosses, no studio patch-ups, no pretense.

Wynette would build her career on sad songs about failed relationships, with "Til I Can Make It On My Own" probably her ultimate recording in the style. It is justly famous as an emotional punch recorded by a singer at the peak of her powers. But it is with more atypical material that her talents truly sparkle. Both then and now, "Stand By Your Man" has been criticized--unjustly, I think--as anti-feminist, but there's no getting around the fact that it is a showcase for Wynette's voice, beginning in a throw-away country style and then stretching to a belting finish that would have done any Broadway singer proud. Wynette could also turn out a knock-you-flat honky-tonk song when she wanted to, with the acidly funny "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" a memorable case in point.

TAMMY WYNETTE--20 GREATEST HITS leans hard on the singer's songs about wrecked marriages and failed love affairs; those were, after all, the songs that went over best with the public at the time, and certainly songs like "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "I Don't Want To Play House" are classics of their kind. All the same, it tends to short-change Wynette as a singer because it doesn't really show her range. Still, if you are looking for Wynette's standards, this is a reasonably good and inexpensive place to start.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Man could this woman belt it.....country music knows what it's missing when it listens to this...it just don't get any better...Long Live Tammy!

Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn (and Patsy Cline, of course), are the best Country Female Singers, with SUCH BEAUTIFUL VOICES, (AWESOME DIVAS) to ever exist in this whole world!!! These Female Country Legends DESERVE a STAR each, on Hollywood, PLUS MORE!!

Tammy Wynette sings about things we deal with everyday. I grew up with this music and it just doesn't get much better.

I recently purchased this disc after receiving the Grand Old Opry DVDs as a birthday present. Tammy has a number of performances on the DVD's and they are all very moving and it's great to see her in live performance. To say that her songs and her voice can evoke strong emotions in the listener is an understatement. So, I bought this disc to get a better sampling of The Queen Of Country. She is just magnificent! I'm almost reduced to tears hearing her on these recordings. No matter what your favorite genre of music is, just get this disc and enjoy. On this anniversary of her birthday (May 5, 1942) I'm reminded of the great loss we all suffered at her passing.

I have always loved Tammy Wynette (may she rest in peace.) Her voice was always so beautiful and full of strength of inspiration. This CD includes all of her best-loved hits. Tammy was never one to shy away from controversy or topics of the heart and perhaps that's why all of her songs have withstood the test of time?

Some of my favorite tracks include:

Kids Say The Darndest Things - It's not exactly a song you can dance to, it's more of a song that will make you feel good because Tammy's singing relates to just about everyone.

Apartment #9 - This is right up my alley. It's a fast song but also somewhat of a somber tune. Tammy's voice as usual is everlasting.

D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Another very controversial song for Tammy. In today's climate it may not be so scandalous, but 40 years ago it sure was.

Of course my favorite track on Tammy's Greatest Hits is her worldwide signature classic: STAND BY YOUR MAN. I absolutely adore this song because it is so meaningful and maybe even dramatic in way. Her lyrics and her sound are so lovely. When Tammy first released this song some 39 years ago she was heavily criticized for going against "women's lib." But I dare say what's wrong with being a wife and a mother? I don't think there is a better job or a more challenging or rewarding one.

Tammy was always proud to be a woman and never let anyone shame her into being anything that she wasn't. When Hillary Clinton had the nerve to bring Tammy's song into her infidelity programs she was forced to eat her words and apologize to Tammy. And the ironic part was that Hil stood by her serial-cheater for years and years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Hil. Tammy taught me that there's no such thing as a wrong side of the bed as long as there's a man in it.

my most favorite singer from my childhood. I just love too listen to her sing she can make you cry.