Search - Olivia Newton-John :: 48 Original Tracks

An EXCELLENT portrait of Olivia's abounds of songs...

A 19 year old preppy,Abercrombie & | 01/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album portrays the talent that the sexy, gorgeous country/pop superstar had in her early years--the early 1970's. There are many songs out there that Olivia had hits with before her pre-Grease and Xanadu days (Although, I feel "Xanadu" is an overlooked gem, despite the fact that movie was FLOP and the soundtrack shot up the charts)!
As I am only 19 years old, I am a fan of Olivia Newton-John. I feel proud to say I am. Many of my friends wonder why I listen to this kind of music (IT is good!) and much to their chagrin, I am not going to change. I grew up listening to her old records--which i had acquired from my mom and other relatives--especially her 1975 realease "Have You Never Been Mellow," "Greatest Hits" "Grease" and "Greatest Hits, VOL. 2"
I first got 48 Original Tracks as a Birthday gift back in 1999. This, at the time, before I had acess to the internet was my only source for finding her early songs such as the following: "Let Me Be There," "Loving Arms," "The Air That I Breathe" and many others as I only had them on vinyl! Although there are many songs on this album that I didnt know, after listening to them, one can not help but to grow fond of them or not like them at all--if you are a die hard Olivia fan like I am, one will enjoy the plethora of music contained on the two discs of this collection.
To hear Olivia sing Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" is awesome because, I believe and feel, that it adds Olivia to that long list of singers who have coverd Kristofferson's songs which is a plus for her. Despite the fact that Roger Miller, Lynn Anderson, Sammi Smith, and many others, Olivia ranks on the top of my list with her versions of "Help Me..." and "Me And...".
From 1974's "If You Love Me" LP, another old favorite of mine is here "You Ain't Got The Right." Although Dr. Hook--yes, Dr. Hook--wrote and performed the song, Olivia breaks another barrier by covering songs from another great 70's/80's band that had a totally different image than what she had.
Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," Bread's "If" and "Everything I Own," George Harrison's "What Is Life," Juice Newton's (The origianl artist's name escapes me at the moment, I know it is Mary_____) "Angel Of the Morning," John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Dr. Hooks "You Aint Got The Right," The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe," "Loving Arms," and Gerry Rafferty's "Mary Skeffington" have added to my collections of home made Greatest Hits of Olivia. These songs add Olivia's own interpretations and her country, yet soft pop sound to these songs. IT is a pleasure to put these tracks from the cd into my cd player and just listen for hours! Recently, I was asked by a aunt to put together a Olivia Newton-John greatest hits collection, so many of the songs that I have listed above, in addition to all those that appeared on her US release, "Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits" all appear on what I call my "pre-Grease Olivia!"
If you are still reading this, thank you! Excuse my grammar/convention errors as I am just spilling how I feel about one of the greatest female singers to have hit the charts!"

Excellent British compilation of early Olivia music

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection includes three rarities - Would you follow me, Maybe then I'll think of you and It's so hard to say goodbye, which didn't appear on any album. The remaining tracks are from her first five original Australian albums - every song from her debut, If not for you, nearly every song from her next two, Olivia and Let me be there, and some tracks from Long live love and Have you never been mellow. All those albums were released in Britain, but America discovered her later so releases there were different.Among the best known songs here are If not for you (a Bob Dylan composition that gave Olivia her first hit), Banks of the Ohio, What is life, Take me home country roads (a hit for John Denver in America but it was Olivia who had the UK hit), I honestly love you, Let me be there, Please Mr please, If you love me let me know and Have you never been mellow. All those songs were hits either in Britain or America.Olivia could also write songs and is represented here by two songs, Changes and Rosewater, but there are also many other great original songs.You also get Olivia's excellent covers of Me and Bobby McGee, Help me make it through the night (both Kris Kristofferson), If you could read my mind (Gordon Lightfoot), No regrets (which later became a British hit for the Walker brothers), If (Bread), Winterwood (Don McLean), Everything I own (Bread), Angel of the morning (which has been a hit for several singers), Mary Skeffington (Gerry Rafferty), Amoreuse (Kiki Dee), If we try (Don McLean), Air that I breathe (Hollies) and Loving arms (Elvis Presley).Committed fans may wish to consider that all the original albums have been re-mastered in Australia with even better sound quality, but there's nothing wrong with the sound quality here, and there are those three tracks that aren't available elsewhere.This is an outstanding compilation of Olivia's early years."

The entire OOP "Let me be there" CD is on here!!!

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 11/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Aside from dozens of other early olivia from some of her albums--as well as rareties that were not, you get every track from the "Let Me Be There" CD, which is Out of Print:



let me be there | me & bobby mcgee | banks of the ohio | lovesong | if not for you | take me home country roads | angel of the morning | if I could read your mind | help me make it through the night | just a little too much"