Search - Crystal Gayle :: Super Hits

Terrific introduction to the charismatic, seductive vocalist

Dave | United States | 11/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 10 tracks on this "Super Hits" CD are culled from Crystal's 3 albums for Columbia Records--there's three tracks from 1979's "Miss the Mississippi", three from 1980's "These Days", & four from 1981's "Hollywood, Tennessee". Indeed, it is essentially a reissue of her 1983 Columbia Records greatest hits album (featuring the exact same 10 songs). On the surface, it may seem like a cheap, dinky budget-line compilation, but it's actually quite useful, because these tracks generally get blown off on Crystal compilations (almost undoubtedly because of licensing problems, & she has an absolute TRUCKLOAD of compilations to choose from--seriously, there are a lot of them, & there's plenty of recycling of the same material over & over). So, it serves the useful purpose of filling in gaps left by other Crystal compilations. Additionally, the standard US CD versions of the albums these tracks are taken from have all gone out of print at this point--there has been a release that combines "Miss the Mississippi" & "These Days" on one CD, but don`t expect it to come cheap. Despite having moved to Columbia Records from United Artists, producer Allen Reynolds remained on board--he produced everything on here. Yes, this is the same Allen Reynolds who would eventually work with Garth Brooks--regardless of how you feel about Brooks though, there's no denying that Reynolds deserves respect for the large quantity of excellent work he produced for Crystal. This CD does a terrific job of representing an overall great period in Crystal's career--there's not a single weak track on here. The songwriting & performances are classy, & provide a perfect vantage point for the element that really steals the show--Crystal's vocals, which ooze so much vulnerability & emotion, they really grab at the heartstrings & just don't let go--the way she pulls off a tune like the somewhat jazz-flavored ballad "The Blue Side" is classic. Plus, she has an uncanny way of lending her vocals to different styles--she is truly an incredible vocalist. This CD stacks up great song after great song, whether it's catchy uptempo tracks like "Too Many Lovers" & the disco-flavored "Keepin' Power"; ballads like "The Blue Side", "Take It Easy", & the tear-jerking "If You Ever Change Your Mind"; & of course, the brilliant, exquisitely-melodic "Half the Way" which is a total classic. "You Never Gave Up On Me" is a tad sappy, but the chorus is simply gorgeous. The strongly country-flavored "Livin' In These Troubled Times" is infectious, & "The Woman In Me" is a lovely, tender ballad. Granted, there's certainly more excellent Crystal material to be found, even from just this period. The 23 track, 70+ minute "The Best of Crystal Gayle--Talking In Your Sleep" on the Castle Music label (made in England) doesn't gather all of it, but it does collect a bunch of tracks from this era, with only one track overlapping ("The Blue Side"), including must-haves like "Ain't No Love In The Heart of the City", "Crying in the Rain", & the lush, masterfully sung cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" just to name a few (although potential buyers should be aware that the version of "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" on that disc is a re-recording, not the 1977 hit version). This "Super Hits" does a great job though of scratching the surface, & everything's an original recording (no surprise re-recordings). Unfortunately, there do appear to be some mistakes in the credits--the first 3 tracks are said to be from 1978, 1979, & 1980 respectively, even though they are all on the 1979 album "Miss the Mississippi", & "You Never Gave Up On Me" is said to have been written by Allen Reynolds, which I believe to be a mistake. Still, with the disc itself being so uniformly excellent, & with the low list price, this CD is a great buy."

Great Country Music

John Cochran | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 10/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a consultant and have to travel away a lot for work. My wife who is from Nashville played "Half the Way" for me on our last anniversary. I got the message and was also introduced to a great artist. What an amazing voice."

Crystal Gayle Super Hits

P. Stillman | Oklahoma, USA | 11/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Crystal Gayle's Super Hits album was the only album I found that had the song You Never Gave Up On Me. It also has the hit Half the Way. Unless you are a big Crystal Gayle fan you probably won't recognize many of the other songs. I really like this album. I love Crystal Gayle's voice. My advice is to listen to samples of the songs before you buy this one."