Search - Various Artists :: Classic Country: Early 70's

Women Emerging as County Power

Thomas A. Holmes | Johnson City, TN USA | 08/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like all the Time-Life CLASSIC COUNTRY albums, this disc offers clean remastering of original recordings from various labels, a commendable effort. Listeners should find this selection interesting because one finds many more women on this disc than on those from previous eras. By this point of country music history, were no longer the "girl singers" treated as near novelty acts. Sure, this album contains the overtly cute "Paper Roses" (Marie Osmond) and "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" (Donna Fargo), but you also have an excellent cover of Kris Kristoffeson's "Help Me Make It through the Night" (Sammi Smith), Jeannie Pruett's "Satin Sheets" (a woman not satisfied with being kept), and a sympathetic portrait of an overprotected young woman ("Delta Dawn," sung by the then-precocious Tanya Tucker). Notice the mutual vulnerability of the Conway and Loretta duet "Lead Me On" and the near-magical "We're Gonna Hold On" by George and Tammy.This disc also indicates the force Kristofferson offered at the time--he's represented here three times, with his singing "Why Me," the earlier mentioned Sammi Smith cover, and Johnny Cash's singing KK's "Sunday Morning Coming Down."The good stuff on this CD is SO good that the extra effort to block out Osmond and Fargo is worth it. You won't regret this purchase."