Search - Patti Page :: Best Country Songs

Another "Great" Page

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 12/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: If I Had Only Known, Little Did She Know, Sing You Back Home



With a 110 charted hits spanning over 5 amazing decades, Patti Page is a treasured fixture of the American popular culture. Even those nonexistent during Page's heydays of the 50s and 60s, would still have heard of her signature tunes such as "Tennessee Waltz," "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" and "You Belong to Me." Many of these chestnuts have made their way into the sacrosanct cannon of the great American songbook. However, instead of resting in her laurels and leisurely rocking in her granny chair, 81 year-old Page has returned to the recording studio to release this brand new disc. Under the auspicious eyes of two of Nashville's hottest producers Ted Hewitt (Rodney Atkins) and Victoria Shaw (Lady Antebellum), this is collection of well-chosen songs rich in its melodic constructions and mines the deep emotional recesses of the heart. Though age has inevitably distort some of Page's vocal pacing especially on the faster paced songs, nevertheless, her weathered-worn with just the right cracks resonate with so much dimension and depth that many younger artists only dare dreamed of possessing.



The CD title "Best Country Songs" is a bit of a misnomer: this isn't precisely a greatest hits collection of Page. Though some of her best known songs are represented here, there are new tunes Page has never recorded. In a passel of grief-laden ballads, the best of which is Kristy Jackson's "Little Did She Know." Jackson, who wrote Reba McEntire's "Take It Back," demonstrates her knack for the melodramatic by penning a moving narrative song about the last day of a dad who risked his life for others. Told with an unrestrained vulnerability, Page's performance here is tour de force. "If I Had Only Know," first recorded by Reba McEntire, is an apt follow-up, a tortured emotionally drenched ballad of regrets is the perfect vehicle for Page to demonstrate her vocal richness in conveying melancholy and grief. Though "Sing You Back Home" weaves some threads of optimism, it's still an understated country ballad of a hopeful Page trying to woo her man back.



Nevertheless, there are some rainbow moments in this sonic landscape of pain. Though a little redundant, considering how over exposed "You Needed Me" is, Page's delivery here is a tad too slow. She gets better when she does indulge in a little western swing with a Garth Brooks' composed "Crazy Ole Moon." Reed Nielsen's "Except for Money," formerly popularized by Lorrie Morgan, gets a surprisingly pleasant reprise. The biting lyrics with witty sarcasm of "Except for Money" are still one of Nashville's best examples of word plays. A few of Page's sonic sigils are re-recorded here including the novelty "How Much is that Doggie in the Window." Despite its downright silly lyrics and the ambiguity of whether it's a children's or love song, it still one of those songs makes you want to singalong without ever wanting to admit it.



After all these years, it's good that Page is back with a new CD. And to have it released on a major label, Curb Records is an added reason to rejoice in. Nevertheless, most celebrated is that this is a wonderful collection of songs ingrained with heart rendering moments as well as irresistible instances of toe-tapping and singalongs. Despite her age, Page's still the consummate artist that America has deservingly made her its icon.

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