Search - Marty Robbins :: Story of My Life: Legend Lives on

A 5-star Collection If It Had Liner Notes

04/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 3-CD set offers up 42 digitally remastered original selections covering Marty Robbins' first 15 hit singles for Columbia along with 4 of their B-sides, a number that failed to chart and some LP cuts or previously unreleased material (there are no liner notes whatsoever to provide discography details, although they do show the highest Billboard Country chart performance where applicable on the reverse of each jewel case). The sound quality is excellent.



In 1952, Tomorrow You'll Be Gone (Col 20925) b/w Love Me Or Leave Me Alone (not here), failed to chart, as did Crying Cause I Love You b/w I Wish Somebody Loved Me on Col 20965 (neither included). Late that year I'll Go On Alone began its climb to # 1 in early 1953 (two weeks there) on Col 21022 b/w You're Breaking My Heart (While You're Holding My Hand) -omitted here, followed in April by the # 5 I Couldn't Keep From Crying on Col 21075 b/w After You Leave (not here). Then came a string of failed 1953 singles - A Castle In The Sky/A Halfway Chance With You (Col 21111), At The End Of Long Lonely Days/Sing Me Something Sentimental (Col 21145), Blessed Jesus Should I Fall/Kneel And Let The Lord Take Your Load (Col 21172), Don't Make Me Ashamed/It's A Long Long Ride (Col 21176), and My Isle Of Golden Dreams/Aloha Oe (Col 21212). Only the last three are included.



In July 1954 Pretty Words hit # 12 on Col 21246 b/w Your Heart's Turn To Break, and closed out the year with the # 14 Call Me Up (And I'll Come Calling On You) on Col 21291 b/w I'm Too Big To Cry (neither B-side is here). Early in 1955 he continued with pure country selections (most of which he wrote himself), seeing Time Goes By reach # 14 in January b/w It's A Pity What Money Can Do on Col 21324. By now, however, Rockabilly and R&R were being heard on many mainstream stations so Marty jumped in with both feet, covering the Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup R&B tune That's All Right, also done at Sun in 1954 by Elvis. Marty's version went to # 7 that March b/w the pure country Gossip on Col 21351.



Columbia then went back to gospel/country releases, none of which charted (Have Thine Own Way Lord/God Understands - Col 21352, Pray For Me, Mother Of Mine/Daddy Loves You - Col 21388, and I'll Love You Till The Day I Die/It Looks Like I'm Just In Your Way - Col 21414), before his cover of the Chuck Berry hit, Maybelline, made it to # 9 in October 1955 b/w This Broken Heart Of Mine (omitted here) on Col 21446. For the next while Marty flipped between Rockabilly/R&R and Country without chart success - Pretty Mama (on CD 1)/Don't Let me Hang Around (Col 21461), Mean Mama Blues/Tennessee Toddy (both on CD 2 - Col 21477), and How Long Will It Be?/I'll Know You're Gone (Col 21525) with almost a year between hits before hitting it big by going head-to-head with Guy Mitchell on Singin' The Blues. Mitchell's version, released in Columbia's pop series (40769), went to # 1 Pop and stayed there 10 weeks, also reaching # 4 R&B. Marty's release in the Country series on Col 21545 also went to # 1 and stayed there for 13 weeks, also becoming yhis first Pop crossover at # 17. The flipside, I Can't Quit (I've Gone Too Far) also charted at $ 7 Country.



The next two releases (all sides here), now using the main Columbia series, failed to chart - Long Tall Sally/Mister Teardrop (Col 49679) and You Don't Owe Me A Thing (covered soon after by Columbia stablemate Johnny Ray)/Respectfully, Miss Brooks (Col 40706), but in February 1957 his second head-to-head with Mitchell, Knee Deep In The Blues, made it to # 3 Country while the B-side, The Same Two Lips, hit # 14 on Col 40815 (Mitchell's version finished at # 16 Pop on Col 40820). In May 1957 he scored his 3rd # 1 with A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation) which also reached # 2 Pop on Col 40864 b/w Grown-Up Tears. An obscure cut, Where D'ja Go? paired with Emerson Lee then followed on Col 40868 (the flip was by Lee alone), and in October 1957 he had Please Don't Blame Me reach # 11 while its B-side, Teen-Age Dream topped out at # 15 on Col 40969. The last hit presented here, The Story Of My Life, became his 4th # 1 late that year/early 1958, spending 4 weeks at the top b/w Once-A-sweek Date on Col 41013.



A nice compilation kept from 5 stars only by the lack of liner notes."