Search - Lynn Anderson :: Lynn Anderson: Greatest Hits

Well-deserved retrospective of a '70s superstar

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 01/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wa-hoo! Although she was a mega-huge star in the early 1970s, when her version of Joe South's "Rose Garden" became one of the greatest countrypolitan hits ever, Lynn Anderson's legacy has been poorly served in recent years. Her last serious best-of sets were on the fly-by-night Renaissance label, and these flew quickly out of print. In particular, her dynamic early recordings for the independent Chart label -- the focus of one of the two Renaissance discs -- has faded from sight, remembered by only a few old fans. This new album is the actually first collection that gathers her Chart material with hits from her long run on Columbia Records, a long-overdue real career retrospective that highlights both her most upbeat and most ornate musical moments. "Rose Garden" is, of course, the apex -- (what an amazing pop song!!) -- but there are plenty of other nice oldies on here, including spunky numbers like "Stay There 'Til I Get There," "Talkin' To The Wall," "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere," "No Another Time" and "That's A No-No." Early on, she recorded a lot of songs written by her mother, Liz Anderson, and these are all lots of fun; later as the whole "countrypolitan" thing got a little too serious and stuffy, her endless stream of erotically-tinged, overly orchestrated love songs got to be kind of repetitive, and her chart hits dwindled. To their credit, the folks at Collector's Choice do a fine job balancing this material, giving a good picture of her commercial career while also packing in enough musical goodies to keep more traditionally-oriented country fans hooked as well. This is a must-have for serious students of country history."

Combines Lynn's biggest Chart and Columbia label hits!

James E. Bagley | Sanatoga, PA USA | 01/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lynn Anderson's rich recording catalog has been neglected for most of the digital era. Thankfully, Collectors Choice Music has put together this 24-track Greatest Hits, the first cd to combine hits from her '60s Chart Records and '70s Columbia Records tenures.



Signing with Chart Records in 1966, Anderson was an immediate success thanks in large part to mom Liz's songwriting. These songs - like "If I Kiss You" and "Promises, Promises" - featured clever wordplay that played off her youthful exuberance. When Anderson left Chart, they continued to mine her old albums for singles, astutely selecting remakes of hits like "I've Been Everywhere" and "Rocky Top" which displayed Anderson at her most irresistibly chipper.



At Columbia, Joe South's compositions "Rose Garden," "Fool Me," and "How Can I Unlove You" provided Anderson with an early boost. Even more important was the writing and production involvement of husband Glenn Sutton, whom Anderson married just prior to joining Columbia. At Columbia, Sutton matched the brisk pace of Anderson's best Chart recordings with his narcissistic songwriting efforts "You're My Man" and "What A Man, My Man Is." He also encouraged Anderson to stretch stylistically, with the breezily seductive "Sing About Love" and a remake of Johnny Ray's "Cry" that showed she could effectively go from delicate to bombastic within the course of a song.



While a few key recordings are missing, such as her first hit "Ride, Ride, Ride," and the gorgeous Linda Hargrove ballad "I've Never Loved Anyone More," this collection easily rates as the best available Anderson retrospective. The track lineup:



1. Rose Garden

2. You're My Man

3. How Can I Unlove You

4. Keep Me In Mind

5. What A Man My Man Is

6. If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)

7. Promises, Promises

8. No Another Time

9. Big Girls Don't Cry

10. Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

11. That's A No No

12. I've Been Everywhere

13. Rocky Top

14. Stay There " Til I Get There"

15. Cry

16. Listen To A Country Song

17. Fool Me

18. Top Of The World

19. Sing About Love

20. Talkin' To The Wall

21. He Turns It Into Love Again

22. Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man

23. Isn't It Always Love

24. Sea Of Heartbreak

"

More than just Rose garden

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 02/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To many people, Lynn remains a one hit wonder, but while Rose garden was her only major pop hit in America, and her only hit of any kind in Britain. Lynn was a major country singer in the early to mid seventies, having many hits on the American country charts, including several number ones.



There were too many country hits to include them all here but most of the big ones are here, the most notable omission being I've never loved anyone more. Two of my personal favorites (Smile for me, Even cowgirls get the blues) are among the other omissions. A few of Lynn's earlier recordings from the sixties are included - these occupy tracks six to thirteen. The most important of these is Rocky Top, which was not a huge hit at the time but has nevertheless become a country standard.



Rose garden is typical of many of Lynn's hits, many of which were up-tempo foot-stomping songs, among them being Listen to a country song, Fool me, Top of the world, What a man my man is and Wrap your love all around your man. Of these, Top of the world is particularly interesting. The Carpenters had written and recorded it and included it on an album, but had no plans to release it as a single. So Lynn recorded it and had a huge country hit with it and also had a pop hit with it in Japan. At that point, the Carpenters got the message and released their version as a single.



Lynn has been poorly served by CD releases. This is the best available compilation of her music."