"I remember being totally enthralled by Don Williams while growing up; an outstanding performer. He is an artist easily overlooked, yet when you look at the songs he has released, you cannot help but to be floored. In an era when Kenny & Dolly were singing about "Islands in the Stream" over keyboards and synthesizers, and the suburban elite were donning cowboy hats because John Travolta made them "cool", Don Williams was still standing motionless and delivering straight froward, no-nonsense, country music. And where did he ever get that voice???? Only Johnny Cash and Dave Dudley had deeper voices. This collection is all-inclusive and includes not only the signatures "Amanda" and "Tulsa Time", but also offers a few lesser known gems, such as: "Nobody But You" and "The ties that Bind". Best of all, these are the original recordings....not a compilation of newly recorded original songs by an aging artist. A very good album by an artist with real class. A+"
Memories
M. Campbell | Missouri | 08/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I grew up listening to Don Williams. Listening to every song brought back memories from my child hood. This is country music. Not country music mixed with rock. These are songs about life. This is an awesome CD to listen to by yourself or with a group of friends. I would suggest this CD to everyone."
Best American single CD of Don's music
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 03/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don Williams was extremely popular in the seventies and eighties. He had many big hits on the American country charts and was even more popular in Britain, tough this is not obvious from his modest total of two hits. One of these (I recall a gypsy woman) wasn't even released as a single in America, so you won't find it here or on any other American compilation. Look for it on a British compilation.
Twenty of the twenty-five tracks here made the top two in the country charts, with most going to number one. Among the classics are You're my best friend, Turn out the lights, Till the rivers all run dry, Say it again, Some broken hearts never mend, I'm just a country boy, Tulsa time, It must be love, I believe in you and Lord I hope this day is good.
In the year 2000, a double-CD (Anthology) was released in America containing forty of Don's finest recordings including all the tracks here, together with Lay down beside me, Falling again, Miracles, If I needed you (with Emmylou), Walking a broken heart and several other hits including more of Don's Capitol and RCA hits.
This is the strongest American single CD of Don's music, packed full of classic songs. If you are looking for a collection of Don's hits on the country charts, I recommend that you either buy this or pay the extra for Anthology, depending on whether you want the other fifteen tracks."
The "Gentle Giant" Gigantic Hit Pack
Dennis Casto | Auburn,Indiana | 09/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"25 songs! Are you kidding me!? They really made a solid Don Williams greatest hits here.Some good singles are left off,but the best of the best still remain.How can you go wrong with "Good Ole Boys Like Me",or "Love Is On A Roll".There is so many good songs here,its hard to choose a favorite.Don's mellow baritone voice is just amazing.His songs are just plain and simple,which is a good thing with a voice like that.Compared to other country greats he is underated.This was even a better deal...bought this cd at Wal-Mart for 10 bucks."
Nice Job!
Dennis Casto | 06/29/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Now that UMG is on its umpteenth repackaging of its catalog artists (this is "Definitive," not to be confused with "Ultimate" "Greatest" or "Millennial"), it seems to be finally getting it right. The Definitive Don Williams is just that -- a generous repackaging of almost all of Williams' significant recordings. These 25 tracks laid end to end makes one realize just what a significant -- albeit understated -- presence Williams was during his peak hitmaking period in the 1970s and 1980s. "Come Early Morning," recorded before artists like Emmylou Harris and John Anderson repopularized hard country music, effectively mixes banjo, steel and a nice west Texas shuffle beat. Songs like "'Til the Rivers All Run Dry" and "I'm Just a Country Boy" emphasize that, in its rush to capitalize on Garth Brooks/Tim McGraw "power ballads," Nashville seems to have forgotten how to make quiet, "pretty" records. Williams managed to do that over and over in his career. And he made a name for himself in an era when country music was usually heard on scratchy AM radios -- not the best medium for subtle music. With UMG gobbling up labels seemingly every hour, here's hoping they pull together other "Definitive" collections that definitively capture the rich history of country music."