The Very Best of Melanie [Import, Original recording remastered]

Melanie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 19, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA Victor Europe
• ASIN: B000024XFX
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,386 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Brand New Key

2. Ruby Tuesday

3. The Nickel Song

4. What Have They Done To My Song Ma?

5. Beautiful People

6. Any Guy

7. Cloe To It All

8. Mr. Tamborine Man

9. Baby Day

10. I Don't Eat Animals

11. Lay Lady Lay

12. Pebbles In The sand

13. Save The Night

14. Gardens In The City

15. Christopher Robin Is Saying His Prayers

16. Good Book

17. Carolina On My Mind

18. Somebody Loves Me

19. Leftover Wine

20. Lay Down(Candles In The Rain)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

1998 compilation on the Camden label featuring 21 of the best tracks ever by this late '60s/ early '70s singer/ songwriter, including all five of her U.S. chart hits for the Buddah label: the #1 smash 'Brand New Key', the top 10 'Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)', 'Peace Will Come (According To My Plan)', 'The Nickel Song' and Melanie's unique rendition of the Rolling Stones' 'Ruby Tuesday'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melodic Pop & Moving Folk, March 29, 2003

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Very Best of Melanie (Audio CD)

Although she emerged from the folk/singer-songwriter boom of the Woodstock generation, Melanie's music has always had more of a pop edge to it. This excellent collection includes most of her hits - with the exception of Bitter Bad - and the cream of her popular album tracks. It kicks off with the novelty song (and her biggest hit) Brand New Key, followed by her soulful and moving version of Ruby Tuesday which alone is worth the price of the album. Her interpretation of Mr Tambourine Man is unique and delectable too; she never fails to elegantly make the songs of her others her own (Lay Lady Lay and Carolina On My Mind). Her own compositions are catchy and intelligent, like Nickel Song or poetic and perceptive, like Beautiful People. The only serious omission in my opinion is the song Ring The Living Bell Shine The Living Light, but otherwise this album is comprehensive enough. Somehow Melanie represents the essence of the 60s folkie, although this album demonstrates her pop prowess too.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Folk-pop singer-songwriter of the early seventies, March 3, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Best of Melanie (Audio CD)

Born Melanie Sagfa but only using her first name for her music, Melanie burst on the music scene in 1969. In 1970, she had top ten hits in Britain and America with different songs - Ruby Tuesday, a Rolling Stones cover, in Britain, Lay down (Candles in the rain) in America.

Melanie's biggest hit, Brand new key, was a top five UK hit and a number one American hit. Sometimes dismissed as a novelty song, it became even more of a novelty song when the Wurzels wrote their own lyrics to it and released it (with Melanie's permission) as Combine harvester (Brand new key) - it topped the UK charts in 1976. Of course, you have to look elsewhere if you want Combine harvester - it's not here.

The New Seekers also liked to record Melanie's songs. Rival versions of What have they done to my song Ma both became minor UK hits, with Melanie doing slightly better than the New Seekers, who also covered Nickel song and Beautiful people.

While Melanie wrote plenty of original material, she also liked to record a few covers. Apart from Ruby Tuesday, this collection includes Melanie's versions of Lay lady lay and Mr Tambourine man, both written by Bob Dylan although the latter was popularised by the Byrds.

Melanie has a very distinctive voice that does not appeal to everybody although I love it. If you enjoy the folk-pop singer-songwriters of the early seventies, you will enjoy Melanie's music providing you like her voice. There have been plenty of Melanie compilations released down the years but this one is as good as any.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent compilation of original recordings, with great cover art., March 18, 2007

By 

Charles - Music Lover (Phoenix, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best of Melanie (Audio CD)

These performances are Melanie's classic recordings, recorded 1968 - 1971. Priceless performances, at a great price.

Tracks 1, 4, 17, 20 from the Buddah album "Candles In the Rain" (1970). (Track 4, "Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)," is in its extended version on this CD, not the shortened single version on the original album. The extended version was originally released on the 1972 Buddah compilation "The Four Sides of Melanie.")

Track 2 from the Neighborhood album "Gather Me" (released on Buddah Records outside of the United States; 1971).

Tracks 3 & 16 from the Buddah album "The Good Book" (1970 or '71, can't remember!!).

Tracks 5 & 6 from the Buddah album "Melanie" (this album was just titled "Melanie" in the United States, but it was titled "Affectionately Melanie" in England and other countries; 1969).

Tracks 7, 8, 9, & 15 from the Buddah album "Born To Be" (1968).

Tracks 10, 19, & 20 from the Buddah album "Leftover Wine" (1970).

Tracks 11, 14, & 18 from the Buddah album "Garden In the City" (1971).

Tracks 12 & 13 from the original soundtrack recording "All the Right Noises," released on Buddah Records outside of the United States in 1970. These tracks were eventually released in the United States on the Buddah compilation album "Please Love Me" (1973).