Customer Reviews

The Winning Hand

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

 

 

One of the best country "togethering" I've ever bought. Brenda Lee is of "giant great quallity" Kris Willy and Dolly are great supporting acts. Hope they will do a thing like this again.

This album features four singers who could each be classed as a true original, but the album is not quite what you might expect. It features some newly recorded material, some old recordings and some tracks that mix up the two.

Dolly did not actually take part in the project, though I assume she gave permission for her old Monument recordings to be used. If you have heard any of her old Monument recordings, you will know what to expect - but some of the tracks here are not available in their original form. All except one of the tracks featuring Dolly were converted into duets by adding one of the other voices. Willie took part in the project but some of his old recordings were also used. I believe that Willie newly recorded all the duet parts, but the solo tracks were old recordings. I also believe that all the recordings by Kris and Brenda were new. Given all that, it is remarkable that the resultant album sounds as good as it does, but it is also no surprise that Brenda shines the brightest of the four.

This album is worth five stars for its curiosity value but only three for the quality of the music - if all four had been in the studio doing completely new recordings, the results would have been far better. Committed Dolly fans will want this for Ping pong (with Kris) and What do you think about loving (with Brenda) - these songs are (as far as I know) not available anywhere else in any form. I've seen both of Dolly's duets with Willie on other compilations, though I don't know if Dolly's solo recordings of any of those four songs were ever released. Similarly, committed fans of the other three will have their own reasons for wanting this.

Unless you're a committed fan of one of the four (or fairly keen on at least two of them), you may not find enough to get excited about. Each of them has recorded better music individually.

THIS IS ONE GREAT CD AND BRENDA IS THE STAR BACKED UP WITH OTHER GREAT SINGING STARS OF COUNTRY. YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICE FOR THIS CD AND TO BRING IT BACK ON CD IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME. I HEARD IT YEARS AGO ON CASS AND WHEN I SAW IT ON AMAZON I WAS THRILLED TO NO ENDS. IT IS TOP BRENDA LEE MUSIC WITH THE HELP OF OTHER GREATS. SURE WISH THEY WOULD PUT SOME MORE OF BRENDA'S 70'S AND 80'E ABLUMS ON CD'S. I WOULD BUY THEM UP FAST.

I purchased this as an LP many years ago, The CD is so far superior. Brenda Lee is outstanding! Her vocals are among the best she has recorded.Her duets with Dolly,Kris and Willie are a real treat.The other country greats showcased do a fine job, but is "Little Miss Dynamite" that steals the show. I recommend this highly. The Winning Hand is exactly that!

I do not think thjis album contains any Tony Bennett material - can somebody confirm and if so remove this album from his listing please