Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally Tanya, January 20, 2003
In spite of a social life that often interfered with her career, Tanya Tucker is one of the most successful, enduring female country artists of all time. For a strong sampling of her musical highlights, the Aussie label Raven's double-disc The Upper 48 Hits is the set to get. It's the first collection to capture all of her top 20 hits - covering all labels - from the first twenty-five years.
Tucker was just thirteen year-old when she first hit the charts with the saga of Delta Dawn in 1972. Guided at Columbia by legendary producer Bill Sherrill, her specialty in those early years was gothic tales with a decidedly southern (and adult) slant: Delta Dawn, What's Your Mama's Name, Blood Red And Going Down. Her sweet but misunderstood vow of devotion Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone) and the paternal tribute The Man That Turned My Mama On also made a memorable impression.
When Tucker turned 17 in 1975, she moved on to MCA Records. The hits came less consistently and she was passed among a number of producers. Nonetheless, there were some stellar moments. Early on, Tucker continued to show an affinity for story songs like San Antonio Stroll and Lizzie And The Rainman, while now proving to be just as adept at relationship tunes (Here's Some Love,Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You). By the late '70s, however, even her hits were starting to lose their sizzle (except for the Lonestar anthems Texas (When I Die) and Pecos Promenade) and another label change was inevitable.
Tucker recorded one album for Arista in 1981 - Changes - making her their first country artist (nine years before the next one, Alan Jackson, came along). Its two enclosed tracks (the rockabilly Feel Right and a remake of the sumptuous Barbara Lewis hit Baby I'm Yours) are making their CD debut. Unfortunately, Tucker's voice sounds shrill throughout, both recordings seemingly cut in the wrong key.
Tucker resurfaced on Capitol Records in 1986. By then, it had been five years since her last big hit at MCA and her peak recording years appeared to be behind her. Nevertheless, hooked up with Jerry Crutchfield (one of her many producers at MCA), Tucker immediately hit the top of the charts with a pair of Paul Davis-written tunes dealing with rocky relationships: One Love At A Time and Just Another Love. Her voice - stronger, huskier, and sexier than ever - accompanied by the consistently first-rate material Crutchfield assembled, allowed her to demonstrate her full versatility, be it rowdy toetappers )If It Don't Come Easy, Down To My Last Teardrop), moving ballads (Two Sparrows In A Hurricane, Soon), bluesy scorchers (You Just Watch Me, Some Kind Of Trouble) or defiant rockabilly (Walking Shoes, It's A Little Too Late).
With 1997's bouncy hit Little Things (which ends Upper 48), the recording career of Tanya Tucker seemed to be over. Shortly after its release she left Capitol, slapping them with a lawsuit siting inadequate promotion of product. Five years later, however, Tucker returned with the self-titled Tanya, on her own label Tuckertime (distributed by Capitol as part of her settlement agreement). It's a great follow-up to this collection by the way. Check it out!
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TANYA's POT OF GOLD, July 19, 2005
Raven Records'[double disc]set becomes the ultimate and certainly most comprehensive TANYA TUCKER hit singles collection to ever compile her amazing long running 25 year[mostly winning] streak of memorable radio/chartbusters over the course of her four recording company associations in one package. Despite various highly publicized ups and downs TANYA TUCKER weathered throughout her long running career, her constant was her music. A celebrated C&W Princess with her first hit["Delta Dawn"]at thirteen years of age, Tanya rode out the ensuing three decades with various twists and turns in country based styles, proving to be one of the most consistent hit radio and recording charts artists to emerge at the tail end of the traditional country music era. Possessing one of the most cherished, distinct, smoky, husky and expressive vocal instruments in country music, Tanya remains the most popular and enduring Country Queen of all time. No other female country singer has equalled nor ever embraced the ability to maintain the longevity of popularity this girl achieved before she even hit her fortieth birthday! Though she hasn't produced a hit record in a while[blame that on the narrowminded uncool taste lackin' radio station programmers who have taken over the business this past decade & a half]she has offered up an impressive album or two of more recently newer studio recordings, TANYA remains a popular concert attraction - yup, she's still touring and packin' 'em in over three decades later. I wouldn't be surprised if Tanya makes a huge comeback at some point in the future and enjoys another long run of popular recordings storming up and down the radio/charts again - she's still young enough to pull it off. For now, Tanya Tucker's pot of gold is this treasure of rockabilly gems, compelling emotion wrenched ballads, moving country shuffles-barnyard stompers and some of the most captivating story tellin' tunes in Country Music history.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEAUTIFUL GENIOUS., August 12, 2005
DELTA DAWN HIT IN 1972 WHEN TANYA WAS THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 13...AND THESE SONGS AND ALL THEIR MEMORIES GET ROLLING IN YOUR BRAIN FROM THERE...LOVES THE ANSWER AND WHATS YOUR MAMA'S NAME I CAN HERE SPINNING AROUND IN MY HEAD FROM THE DISTANT 70'S DAYS OF HEARING THESE SONGS PLAYED AMONG OTHER COUNTRY STANDARDS BY MY DAD OUT ON HIS STEREO WHEN I WAS A WEE LITTLE KID INTO SHARKS AND STAR WARS....HER LIKE NO OTHER VOICE AND HER ENCHANTING LOOKS EASILY TOOK HER TO THE COMPETITIVE TOP OF THIS COUNTRY GAME...SHE IS BASICLY THE FEMALE VERSION OF DAVID BOWIE AND FEW PEOPLE REALISE THIS...DON'T BELIEVE ME?? LISTEN TO THE PATSY CLINE LIKE 'WOULD YOU LAY WITH ME'...AND MANY OTHERS...SOME OF THE SYRUPPY BACKING VOCALS I CAN DO WITHOUT BUT I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT ABOUT COUNTRY ...STILL, THIS BEAUTY OF A COUNTRY GAL PACKS ALOT OF SEX AND SASS (CLEAN SEX THOUGH !)...FOR AS BITTER AND NASTY AS TANYA GETS, SHE KEEPS IT CONSERVATIVE AS HELL...BUY THIS NOW !...BLOOD RED AND GOIN' DOWN ALONE MAKES IT WORTH IT ...--CLARK HAGINS
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~ Tanya Tucker
DVD ~ Tanya Tucker
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~ Billie Jo Spears
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