Search - Jackie Deshannon :: Best of 1958-1980 Come & Get Me

Come and Get Lady Love

James A. Allio | Oakland, CA USA | 11/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imperial Records tried to sell Jackie DeShannon as "Lady Love" in the late 1960s when her Catherine Deneuve/Francoise Dorleac flower child look was selling mildly psychedelic folk rock LPs like the brilliant "To Be Free" and "Put A Little Love In Your Heart." It was just one of the many guises DeShannon put on over the years to score in the marketplace. She came on early like a female Buddy Holly ("Buddy," "Baby"), a one woman girl group ("Hold Your Head High," "Should I Cry?"), Dionne Warwick and Supremes homages ("Come and Get Me" and the other Burt Bacharach productions and the "Are You Ready for This?" LP respectively) and more. She even did her versions of a Joni Mitchell LP ("New Arrangement"), her own "Dusty in Memphis" for Atlantic ("Jackie") and her Fleetwood Mac album, "You're the Only Dancer," with the dead-on Christine McVie soundalike, the great "Don't Let the Flame Burn Out." I grew up listening to Jackie DeShannon. She put out so many albums, many more than her generally more commercially successful peers, and the quality was conistent. Her voice is like burnished honey with a generous helping of seasoning salt blended in, and she sings with a great deal of heart and soul. She was a quick study, and could master whole genres of music as a vocalist and songwriter quickly. 29 excellent representations from her profilic output are presented here on this fine anthology, lovingly compiled by the fine Australian music writer, Glenn A. Baker. It must have been daunting to try and whittle down so many superb recordings to just 29, but Baker has done a proficient job. Standouts include the emotional "I Cab Make It With You," coy 60s statement "A Proper Girl," sweet Jimmy Webb cover "A Girls' Song" and the revelation of this CD for me, "I Don't Need You Anymore," a soundtrack ballad produced by Bacharach in 1980 that was dismissed by critics and the public when first released, but today sounds like 2:53 of sheer nirvana."

Almost top notch

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 06/23/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation from the small independent Raven label in Australia offers a generous 29-track career retrospective of this prolific performer and even more prolific songwriter. Material is culled from many of the labels for which she recorded and reflects the variety of styles DeShannon would explore during her recording days. The tracks are a mix of hit and non-charting singles plus album tracks of distinction. It does not qualify as a comprehensive greatest-hits collection as several of her charted singles are absent and unfortunately, these omissions represent many of the singles that have not been available anywhere else either. Sound quality is generally excellent and, with the exception of 1, 2, 5, 7 and 14, tracks are in true stereo. An informative 16-page booklet with a number of photos makes up the liner notes completing the package. About the best Deshannon collection available so far."

Jackie DeShannon's Blue-Eyed Soulful Classic's~Bravo!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 02/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While in Jr. High in the early 60's, I remember first hearing Jackie's raw and earthy voice on her first big hit "You Won't Forget Me" (this should have been included in this collection!) which I ran out and purchased on 45rpm and still have to this day and never forgot Jackie DeShannon!! Each new release such as "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk In The Room" were always something to look forward to and they still stand today as the definitive versions. When "What The World Needs Now Is Love" was released in the mid-sixties it became one of "the" greatest athems of the great musical sixties defining a generation...the soulful beauty of Jackie's voice on this masterpiece is breathtaking to behold and this great song stands as a glorious timeless classic. Burt Bacharach did other classics with Jackie such as the title song of this wonderous collection the hauntingly beautiful "Come And Get Me" which should have been a much bigger hit but promotion was always minimal on this great singers work. Nobody can top Jackie's earthy blue-eyed soul delivery and to really cover her brilliant 60's-70's period a BOX SET would be necessary to serve justice to Jackie and her fans!!! But for a quick overview this collection serves well until a Box Set or the release of Jackie's many great lp's come along. Stand-outs abound here such as the great soul-infused version of "I Can Make It With You" and the late 60's mega-hit athem "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" which sounds as great today as when it was first released! "Ease Your Pain" from the great and sadly overlooked "Songs" collection from the early 70's is still the most stirring version of this standard and "Vanilla O'Lay" should have been a huge hit and would have been if given any promotion at all..."You Touch And You Go" is a soulful rocker from 1974's great "Your Baby Is A Lady" album and this great work has yet to be released on CD and should be as it is one of Jackie's greatest!!! Brian Wilson joins on the enchanting "Boat To Sail" from the classic "New Arrangement" album which is thankfully available as an import and another highly recommended collection that is one of the greatest female singer/songwriter collections of all time!! Closing this awesome collection is the haunting "I Don't Need You Anymore" from the motion picture "Together" which was scored by Burt Bacharach and is a moving and gorgeous vocal. Jackie recorded so many great things throughout the 70's which were ignored except by those who appreciate the finest in music and as a result we had to wait twenty years for a new recording and it is no surprise that this stunning collection is another classic..."You Know Me" is another highly recommended singer/songwriter collection for those who love great songs and vocal art at its sublime best! Thank You Jackie for forty plus wonderful years of so many greatly moving masterpieces and please keep them coming!!!"