THE COUNTRY GALS

I am not a big fan of country music at least not in the pure Nashville twanky kind of thing. I like my country with a bit of rock in it like John Denver or The Eagles. Anyway, here's a few country music CDs that I owned that I like to share with you.

QUEENS OF COUNTRY : BILLIE JO SPEARS / LYNN ANDERSON : This CD was given to me by Susan, one of my wife's bosses. Frankly, I've never ever heard of Billie Jo Spears until I got my hand on this CD. Only songs I am familiar with are 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' and 'Fever'. Now, I am more familiar with Lynn Anderson. Who haven't heard of 'Rose Garden'. There was a time when this song was everywhere. But curiously, they left out 'Hello Darling', the flip side of  'Rose Garden' which was also another big hit. The other song that I like here is 'Someday Soon', a poignant song I first heard from Skeeter Davis and which I have loved ever since. This song is the reason why this CD is still in my collection. DOP : Unknown & a gift.

TAMMY WYNETTE : WITHOUT WALLS / YOUR GOOD GIRL'S GONNA GO BAD : Yet another CD, this time a double, given to me again by Susan, bless her. Again this CD didn't do much for me. I have a friend who is crazy for her. I much prefer the first disc "Without Walls" 'cos it's country music meets current music. It's more of a duet album with Tammy dueting with Elton John ( A Woman's Needs ), Sting ( Every Breath You Take' ), Lyle Lovett ('If You Were To Wake Up' ) and Cliff Richard ( This Love ). The only one I like is the duet with Sting. The second CD have only four songs that are familiar to me. 'Apartment No. 9', ‘There Goes My Everything', 'Walk Through This World With Me' and 'Almost Persuaded' DOP :  Another gift.

OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN : 48 ORIGINAL TRACKS.  1971 - 1975 : Now this I like. I bought this double CD with much reluctance on my part though. I've loved Olivia Newton John since I heard her first smash 'Let Me Be There' and have been buying her albums quite regularly. I bought this CD 'cos I was seriously starved of her songs. I've been waiting forever for her remastered records to be out on CD and I  am still waiting. My favorites here includes 'Banks Of The Ohio', ’If Not For You', ' Mary Skeffington' and many others. Others I like are from her "Long Live Love" album which is also incidentally my first Olivia Newton John's album. I am keeping this CD as a substitute till her whole remixed CD comes out. DOP : 2nd September 1996.


OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN : BACK TO BASICS. THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION : 1971 - 1992 : Like the above CD, I bought this till I get my hand on her remixed CDs. But it's nice to be able to hear all of Olivia's hits at one stretch but there's a damper. There's no 'Let Me Be There' and 'If  You Love Me,(  Let Me Know' ), so you won't really be satisfied. Olivia Newton John started out as a country singer but gradually she infused some rock into her act after her Grease period. So it won't be quite fair to pigeonholed her as a country artist.

I missed a chance to see Olivia Newton John in action when she was in town. The first time she came, I couldn't get the tickets, the second time she came, I got two tickets from my friend. I was 350 kms away and it was a weekday. This is one regret that I will take to the grave with me. Oh, the agony of it all, whenever I think about it. DOP : 22nd September 1996.

THE ULTIMATE ANNE MURRAY : I like Anne Murray but I wasn't thinking straight when I bought this CD. There are so many songs missing here that I can't even bring myself to place this on my CD player. I've have a few Anne Murray records and I have been holding back on getting her CDs 'cos I was waiting for the perfect one. Well, my patience failed me. I bought this and I've regretted it ever since. Guess I bought this just so that I can have a Anne Murray CD in my collection. Rest assured, there will be another Anne Murray to add on to my collection. Songs included here are 'Snowbird', You Needed Me', 'Just One Look', and 'I Just Fall In Love Again'. The songs that I like that are not here can probably fill another CD. 16th July 2012.

DOLLY PARTON : THOSE WERE THE DAYS ：As a rule, I don't quite like remakes. But I do get a kick of listening to an original singers singing their original songs with a current artist. Dolly Parton have the star power to get whoever she likes to sing with her. Mary Hopkin, Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson, Judy Collins and probably John Lennon too if he's still alive. Incredibly, in spite of all these artists' talents, this CD goes nowhere at all. Dolly Parton's voice is too high pitched for me. Maybe she's better when she's singing her osn songs. Still, at RM 9.90, I guess it's tolerable. DOP : 30th May 2009.



JUICE NEWTON : PLATINUM COLLECTOR SERIES : Got this CD at a discount. The only song I like from Juice Newton was her remake of  'Angel Of The Morning'. This is one of those rare time when a cover version is better than the original.  The rest of the tracks are pretty much ordinary. 10 tracks in all and I only like one song.. Sign. I like the song she wrote for The Carpenters though, 'Sweet, Sweet Smile'. Pity it's not here.. DOP : 18th October 2011.