EXCELLENT LATE 80s FAIR FROM LA CRYSTAL
W. Budris | Rosedale, NY | 08/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While living down south in the 80s, I got more in tune with Country music, and enjoyed getting to know the work of Crystal Gayle. I've known of her work since the 70s when still living in New York, but became a larger fan after moving south. I am grateful to Edsel for issuing the entire Crystal catalog from her sessions issued on Columbia, Electra and Warner Brothers. Though I am having a problem getting a good copy of "Miss The Mississippi-These Days" (pressing issues from the manufacturer), all other releases are well remastered and full playable. I chose to review the last set featuring 1986's STRAIGHT TO THE HEART and 1988's NOBODY'S ANGEL, because at the time of their original release, I did not get them. After the superb NOBODY WANTS TO BE ALONE, I wore out my vinyl copy of it, along with CAGE THE SONGBIRD. Tastes and styles changed, and I didn't get around to the last two Crystal Warner releases before going back to Capital. Boy, was I an idiot to pass these up.
Both STRAIGHT TO THE HEART and NOBODY'S ANGEL are superb pop country offerings. Some of Crystal's best work, especially her take on Johnny Ray's CRY. I remember this single on the radio, but then we went our separate ways for a while. Knowing how superb the Columbia/Electra/Warner sessions were, I always hoped they would all be out and remastered. Here they are!! Personal favorites on these sessions in addition to CRY are Straight To The Heart, Old Habits Die Hard (appears also on Dusty Springfield's last album from 1995, "A Very Fine Love", but Crystal nails it), Hopeless Romantic and After The Best. I've been playing this 2on1 set most of all the new reissues.
If you would like a great introduction to Crystal's 80s work, I would start here and work your way back. Enjoy!"
The end of an era
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 06/03/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of a series of twofers released in Britain containing Crystal Gayle's Columbia and Warner albums. Here you will find her fourth and fifth Warner albums (Straight from the heart, from 1986, and Nobody's angel, from 1988). Although the first of the two albums was successful, it marked the effective end of Crystal's years as a major factor in the country charts. A switch to Capitol (effectively a return to United Artists, since that label had become part of Capitol), failed to revive her country career but she has continued to record occasionally, all her albums being of a high quality.
The first album, Straight from the heart, is eighties pop-country music of a similar style to Crystal's two immediately previous albums (Cage the songbird, Nobody wants to be alone) and is particularly notable for the upbeat title track and Crystal's outstanding cover of Cry, the Johnnie Ray classic. Cry had already been a top three country hit for Lynn Anderson and had also been recorded by several other country singers including Janie Fricke and Willie Nelson, but Crystal's version was released as a single anyway and topped the country charts. There are many other fine songs on this album including Crazy in the heart, Only love can save me now and Lonely girl.
The second album here, Nobody's angel, has slightly more of a country feel to it on some tracks, particularly Tennessee nights, and deserved to be a huge success but wasn't. Nevertheless it is well worth hearing. Dennis Locorriere (of Dr Hook) joins Crystal for a duet on Love found me. Other notable tracks include Prove me wrong (co-written by Vince Gill), the title track, When love is new, Hopeless romantic and After the best.
If you are a fan of Crystal's music, you will love these albums."
Two great albums from the late 80s
caj | 05/28/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was familiar with producer Jim Ed Norman's work with Anne Murray, so I was excited to learn that he would be producing Crystal Gayle. Well, the results were incredible. Straight to the Heart is one of Crystal's best albums. Her cover of 'Cry' is absoulutely amazing. Other fun songs include Straight to the Heart, Only Love Can Save Me Now, and Crazy in the Heart. Softer songs include Nobody Should Have to Love This Way and Do I Have to Say Goodbye. Lonely Girl is also a very good song produced in a very unique way to Crystal's usual style. Great album
Norman co-produced Nobody's Angel. I honestly believe the album would've been a success had the choices for singles been better. I believe songs like the gorgeous Hopeless Romantic, the on-fire Heat, Vince Gill's Prove Me Wrong, or the spunky Old Habits Die Hard would've made a better impression on radio. The album also contains two beautiful ballads in After the Best and When Love is New. If you didn't get this one, it's def worth having."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1